design & facilities management
considering the tactics, approaches
and security of creating a future proof
solution. Typically, the environment
can significantly influence the
approach and ultimately the ongoing
management of the data centre. The
impact of the nature of the space (has
it low ceilings, does it have a raised
floor etc?) How big is the space?
What restrictions are involved? The
list goes on. Plus aside from knowing
the technical specifications of your
UPS, the need to know your building’s
structural limits is essential. Protective
UPS equipment is often heavy and
there is no going back if it all falls
through that mezzanine floor!
Functionality vs. cost
management needs to be in balance
with the need for protection. But
protect it from what?
What are these crucial elements
that need to be woven together?
Simply put, consideration needs to
be given to three principle aspects;
the environment, the power and the
temperature. Good system design
should address each of these, while
From a power and energy
management perspective, it is
imperative to get the right equipment
to achieve the support required,
while achieving a balance on
functionality versus cost. The initial
investment will pay you back in the
future and be worth every penny
spent. Consideration should be given
to the type of power distribution
unit (PDU) or mains distribution
unit (MDU) required , to accurately
distribute electric power to the
racks of computers and networking
equipment. Effective design also
extends to exploring ways to
increasing efficiency and reducing
costs, with many modern UPS now
being able to operate in a range of
modes, such as ‘economy’, when
loads are light or inactive.
Moving on to cooling and
maintaining temperature, a data
centre’s requirements are extensive.
With all that equipment, the
amount of heat generated is likely
to be significant and will need to
be addressed to avoid potential
overheating and fire. Every aspect
should be considered from in-row,
fresh air or portable cooling to specific
computer room air cooling (CRAC) to
ensure cold air flows directly through
the racks, picking up the heat as it
goes, before exiting.
Monitoring and maintenance
There is something to be said for the
upfront financial outlay for ongoing
monitoring and maintenance, which is
likely in the long term to save money.
This should give a detailed and
realistic insight into how your server
and the environment are operating, in
real time without necessarily having
to be on site. Ideally, including trigger
alerts via email, SMS, cloud based
reporting or having hardware plugins to keep people informed about
environmental changes on a 24/7
basis. The ability to monitor bandwidth
use, as well as energy, storage,
physical rack space will minimise
downtime and improve efficiency
through optimised power generation,
transmission and generation.
Unfortunately the realities are it all
costs money. But a holistic approach
to the design, where each element is
considered in isolation, but intrinsically
interlinked, managed and monitored
will deliver long term gains. All focused
on offering the lowest total cost of
ownership, while also delivering long
term future flexibility.
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