Even a relatively small modern data center will typically play host to thousands of individual computers. Surprisingly to many laypeople, each of these machines may consume a hundred watts or more of electricity when in operation, with powerful servers being capable of using multiples of this figure. While this electric power is used for important purposes, the side effect of its consumption is inevitably the production of heat.
In other words, racks filled with hard-working servers function effectively as electric space heaters, pouring the heat energy that is the byproduct of their efforts into the surrounding room. This heat, though, is an enemy of the machines, increasing failure rates and decreasing performance if it is allowed to build up. Designers and operators of such data centers, then, must work hard to control it, and must take the utmost care to ensure that their energy bills do not destroy their profits.
Data center energy management software helps greatly with these efforts. Modern data centers are built from the ground up with these energy- and heat-related issues in mind, and normally contain extensive instrumentation and controls for dealing with them. Good software serves as a way to centralize oversight and use of these assets, so that a data center’s energy issues can be dealt with strategically and efficiently.
A high-quality data center energy management software package, then, will enable workers to take in, at a glance, the overall condition of the center. Charts displaying energy usage over time may be monitored to ensure that no unexpected spikes or drops have occurred, as these may be signs of problems. Temperature graphs serve a similar purpose, enabling staff to ensure that cooling systems and other remedial measures are working as expected.
When areas of concern are located, good software of this sort will make it easy to drill down into the sources of the problem. The most powerful packages of this sort integrate business-related cost analysis and other tools so that good decisions about cooling and energy use can help to improve profits over time. Identifying areas where power capacity is going unused can help to increase overall density and utilization of a facility, with the same effect. Browse Raritandcim.com for more information.
