The Foundations of Data Center Operations

Modern data centers go through some of the most technically complex business activities. But, despite their sophistication, they are also inefficient because some do not fully utilize their equipment or fail to upgrade.

Some servers in those inefficient facilities remain idle and still use energy despite not performing useful services. Inefficient electricity consumption is not the only problem that operators of these servers face; some also struggle with fast changes in the deployment of equipment. These resulted in extra attention to improving the management of data centers.

Tracking

Operating a data center requires precise real-time measurements of airflow, temperature, and humidity. It also needs detailed inventories of equipment performance and characteristics to run smoothly. A majority of Data Center Infrastructure Management tools provide the information using sensors in various parts of a facility. Advanced facilities use RFID technology to tag IT equipment. This enables operators to update and monitor equipment status using a central database.

Physical Principles

To successfully operate a data center, a manager must apply knowledge of engineering designs, constraints of technology, and physical laws; all these influence the reliability of cooling and power in a facility.

Data centers experience constant change; the complexity of heat and air flows means it is vital to implement engineering simulation tools to the center design and operations. A manager must take information from tracking tools and integrate it with software that simulates heat transfer, power distribution, and airflow.

You will need reliable equipment such as the Cisco SFP-10g-SR and other quality transceivers to set up the system to successfully utilize simulation software and other procedures in a data center. When you properly use simulation tools, it will show you the risks and costs of plans. This is just as important as tracking and implementing appropriate procedures.

Procedures

The constant changes in the equipment of a data center require operators to define procedures for deployment, maintenance, design, and decommissioning of infrastructure and computing equipment. The use of RFID tracking equipment and over-the-network data collection enable managers to accurately inventory easily.

These foundations enable operators to deliver business value from their data centers, maximize its useful life, and improve performance.