How environmental monitoring is crucial for data center success

Data centers are at the heart of any IT-based organization. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that this heart is kept healthy, clean and running smoothly at all times. Apart from the right equipment and infrastructure, the environment of a data center also plays a significant role in determining its performance.

The following are some of the factors which must be considered when examining the environment of a data center:

Temperature Monitoring

Temperature monitoring of a data center is crucial to its performance. When large servers and heavy electronic devices work in close proximity with one another, the enclosed space can quickly become overheated. Overheating can lead to multiple device failures and also become a fire hazard, thus sabotaging performance and safety. On the other hand, if your devices and power strips are colder than they are supposed to be, it can result in wastage of power and decrease efficiency. Therefore, it is advisable to place multiple temperature sensors and probes near racks and critical devices. You can also place a probe near the thermostat to understand how it is reacting to the environment and whether that approach is working for the data center.

Humidity Control

High humidity can cause the electronic components of your data center to start corroding and therefore must always be kept under check. Alternatively, if the humidity in the air drops beyond a certain point, it can cause issues with static electricity, making humidity sensors indispensable in a data center environment. Having said that, humid air is not the only source of moisture. Therefore, it is also important to determine where to install the sensors. They must be placed near pipe junctions, air-conditioning condensation trays and on the lower levels of the racks to detect water leakages, overflows, and water from flooding and other natural disasters.

Airflow Management

Adequate airflow is an important environmental factor that needs to be considered when constructing a data center. Make sure that enough air is circulating through the racks at any given point in time. Additionally, it is also crucial to monitor the intake and outtake of the air-conditioning vents. A faulty setup can cause warm air to cycle back inside the server room and the cold air to be pushed back inside the cooling system, resulting in damaged hardware and power wastage. You can also place your servers in racks that come with a high percentage of perforation. For example, at Hardy Racks, our server racks come with an 86% perforation, which is the highest from any brand in the world.

Power Supply

An uninterrupted power supply is a prerequisite when setting up a data center. Where most people install a UPS or an uninterrupted power supply for their servers, this is not always the case for their air conditioning systems. Therefore, in case of a power outage, air-conditioning systems shut down even when the servers are still running and emitting heat. In an enclosed server room, this can quickly result in an overheated environment that can damage the hardware and cause device failure. Monitoring of the data center to arrange an orderly shutdown in case of a power outage is a simple way to eliminate the risk of widespread device failure.

Adequate Power Consumption

Determining the power consumption of the different parts of your data center is key when monitoring its environment. You must observe and keep track of the amount of power being used by a specific device, a power strip and the center as a whole, in order to prevent overloading. Modern PDUs or Power Distribution Units can be installed to monitor, track and rearrange the power consumption grid. They not only bring about efficiency but also make your data center more eco-friendly and competitive.

To learn more about Power Distribution Units and how they can help you monitor and improve power distribution in your data center, do visit the Hardy Racks website. We offer a wide range of PDUs to cater to your unique power distribution needs.