Server Room Monitoring - Not Just for the Big Boys

Even small server rooms can benefit from environmental monitoring devices.  Proper server room monitoring can provide warning of impending disaster that threatens availability and up-time.  Temperature sensors can alert IT professionals of over-heating situations, humidity sensors can alert to overly dry/moist conditions, fluid detection  sensors can alert to flooding conditions, and intrusion/security sensors can help protect data and valuable IT investments from theft.

Temperature Monitoring
Probably the most widely monitored metric, proper operating temperature plays a crucial role in server availability and up-time.  When a cooling failure happens, it does not take long for temperatures to rise and mission-critical equipment to fail.  With real-time monitoring, IT professionals can be instantly alerted via e-mail, audible alarm, or other advanced alarm notification system to take immediate action.

Humidity Monitoring
While temperature is closely watched, humidity is often over looked in the server room.  Of concern to IT managers are dry conditions that can lead to a build up of static electricity, as well as overly humid conditions that can lead to condensation buildup.  To combat electrostatic discharge, cooling systems often add moisture to the conditioned air.  Add too much water vapor, though, and IT equipment will collect condensation that may lead to rust and electrical shorts.  Real-time monitoring can provide IT professionals and facility managers the information to get the balance right.

Fluid Detection
Little needs to be said about the dangers that fluids pose to IT equipment, yet many small server rooms ignore this ever present danger.  Safe from flooding on the third floor? Not from the burst pipe on the fourth.  Properly placed fluid detection systems can provide advanced warning of liquid infiltration, allowing ample time for mission-critical systems to be protected.

Security/Intrusion Monitoring
Physical security is paramount to any serious data security program.  Beyond external building security, server rack intrusion detection and server floor monitoring offer another level of security that is just as important as firewalls and virus protection.  If an intruder can physically access the servers, no data is safe.  Intrusion detection systems and camera monitoring solutions can provide another deterrent to data and equipment theft.

Server Room Monitoring Available for All Budgets
Stand-alone sensors need not require huge initial investments and can actually reduce IT expense in the long run when the replacement cost for expensive server room equipment is taken into account.  Moreover, many of today's state of the art server room monitoring systems do not need additional computer hardware or software systems and can often be integrated into existing building management and  network monitoring systems.

Leak Detection Cable by RLE Technologies

RLE's SeaHawk sensing cable has been installed in over 10,000 locations across the globe using over five million feet of the patented fluid leak detection cable. Data centers, health care facilities, universities, and clean rooms take advantage of the sophisticated leak detection technologies to protect mission-critical infrastructure from water leaks and other conductive fluids such as alcohol and glycol.

The ultra durable sensing cable is easy to clean, fast drying, and resists damage from most contaminants. The cable’s abrasion-resistant polymer core increases its strength and durability while the use of non-conductive polymers help eliminate false alarms.

When connected to a SeaHawk single- or multi-zone controller, the sensing cable detects the presence of water in each zone and indicates which zone is in alarm. When connected to a SeaHawk distance read controller, the sensing cable can pinpoint the actual location of the leak along the cable route saving critical time in locating the source of the leak.

Sensing cable is available in standard and custom lengths. Each end of the cable contains mating connectors to make installation and expansion of existing leak detection systems quick and easy. RLE’s sensing cable offers a reliable leak detection solution that mitigates potential water damage, costly business outages, and downtime.

Proven leak detection and data center monitoring solutions by RLE Technologies now at 42U.

TOP 10 WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY IN THE DATA CENTER

By Shamus McGillicuddy, News Writer
11.29.2007 | SearchCIO.com

LAS VEGAS -- Gartner Inc. has predicted that the cost of supplying energy to a server over its three-year lifetime will soon exceed the server's acquisition cost.

With this in mind, Chris Loeffler, product manager of data center solutions at Eaton Corp. in Cleveland, offered delegates at this week's Gartner Data Center Conference the top 10 ways to save energy in the data center. He said these "low-hanging" management options and technologies can combine to reduce data center energy consumption by up to 50% without compromising availability.

...

8. Adopt cooling best practices.
Loeffler said many data centers may use hot aisle/cold aisle configurations to improve cooling efficiency, but there are also some small things they can do. Simple "blanking panels" can be installed in server racks that have empty slots. "That's a great way to make sure the cold air in the cold aisle doesn't start mixing with the hot air in the hot aisle any sooner than it needs to," he said.

Loeffler said organizations should also seal cable cutouts to minimize airflow bypasses. He said data organizations should consider air handlers and chillers that use efficient technologies such as variable frequency drives, which adjust how fast the air conditioning system's motors run when cooling needs dip.

9. Assess the utilization and efficiency issues in your data center.
In addition to turning off unused IT equipment, as mentioned above, organizations should also retire unused software applications and focus on adopting more effective software that requires extra CPU cycles.

10. Prioritize actions to reduce the energy needs of your data center.
Loeffler said organizations should identify and prioritize the steps needed to reduce the energy needs of a data center. He said IT should get executive-level support before embarking on these efficiency gains and form a cross-functional team to develop an energy strategy for IT operations.

Click here to read the complete article.

Applying Data Center Performance Measurement to Mitigate Challenges

Measuring data center performance is vital to maintaining the network and system availability that internal customers expect. Data center managers need to be able to track and assess equipment availability, assess and manage critical facilities, and measure data center energy consumption. Monitoring solutions, remote management products, and industry-specific metrics can help datacenter managers measure performance, proactively identify and mitigate potential issues, and improve the overall organizational bottom line.

To read the full article visit: http://www.42u.com/measuring-datacenter-performance.htm.

Remote Management Solutions

Remote management solutions generally combine remote management, intelligent power, and environmental monitoring. Below are example solutions from Avocent and Raritan that enable IT professionals to easily integrate their remote locations into their centralized management process, as well as standalone solutions offered by other vendors.

Integrated Remote Management Solutions

Avocent

• Remote Management: Avocent’s DSView 3 software provides an integrated platform for managing KVM switches, service processor aggregation appliances, and serial devices. Avocent’s DSR switches provide remote bios-level server and serial device control, and its service processor aggregation appliances, the OnBoard and the MergePoint, can be used to remotely manage devices with integrated onboard technologies.
• Power: Avocent’s Cyclades AlterPath PM intelligent power distribution units enable remote power management and control of servers and network devices. AlterPath PM devices can be used with DSR switches and Cyclades console servers and integrate with DSView 3, combining system access and power control into a single interface. These devices come in both 208 and 110 models, with many variations in number of outlets and amperage available.
• Console: Avocent’s Cyclades ACS console servers are available in single and dual power supply options. When combined with integrated power management and centralized administration, these devices provide secure and consolidated out-of-band infrastructure management. ACS console servers use a Linux operating system, are accessible both in-band and out-of-band, and have detailed logging capabilities and numerous security features.

Raritan

• Remote Management: Raritan’s CommandCenter Secure Gateway Appliance provides centralized management of servers and IT devices managed by Raritan Dominion series switches and console servers, as well as IT equipment with service processors and embedded technologies. The CommandCenter can also integrate remote power strips connected to Raritan Dominion products. The CommandCenter features 128-bit encryption and third-party authentication through Active Directory, TACACS+, LDAP, and RADIUS, and provides strong password support.
• Power: Raritan's remote power switches enable the remote monitoring, reboot, and shutdown of all connected devices. Using the Command Center, they integrate with Dominion KX switches and SX console servers, as well as other Raritan products, such as the Paragon II and IP Reach switches. These devices feature relay-controlled AC power receptacles, which allow administrators to monitor variables such as voltage, power, and temperature.
• Console: Raritan’s Dominion SX and XRO devices provide out-of-band remote KVM access and serial device control, power control, and feature a modem for access if a network goes down. Dominion XRO devices allow 1 digital and 1 local user to control 1-3 servers and 4-8 serial devices and integrate with the CommandCenter Secure Gateway Appliance.

Read the complete article: http://www.42u.com/remote-server-management.htm.

What are Liquid Cooling Units?

What Are Liquid Cooling Units?

Liquid Cooling Units are modular, temperature-neutral high-density cooling solutions that utilize air/water heat exchangers to provide uniform, effective cooling.

One of the main benefits of self-contained liquid cooling units is that they result in little or no impact on the existing HVAC system. Liquid cooling units are mounted at the rack base, in a rack “side car” with three cooling modules possible per equipment rack, and can provide a total cooling capacity of 30kW.

Visit http://www.42u.com/42u-rack-cooling.htm or http://www.42u.com/proj-eval.htm to learn more about data center liquid cooling.