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EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
WENDY TORELL , SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST , SCIENCE CENTER , SECURE POWER DIVISION , SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
First , it ’ s important to understand what is
meant by ‘ optimum performance ’. For most data centers , availability is a key performance criterion , since the IT loads they support are mission-critical and the cost of downtime is high .
However , there are other performance metrics to consider as well – for instance , how energy efficient the data center is , what its Power Usage Effectiveness ( PUE ) rating is , how cost effective it is in terms of CAPEX , OPEX , or total cost of ownership ( TCO ) and how sustainable or ‘ green ’ the design is .
It ’ s important to begin the design planning with discussions around all the key criteria for the data center ’ s performance to avoid having to go back to the drawing board and get the project implemented on time . Key design attributes that can help achieve optimal performance in these various ways include :
• Efficient design – Operators should select power systems ( i . e . UPSs , PDUs ) that are designed for high efficiency ; and choose cooling systems that allow for maximum economiser cooling hours within their geography . They should also pay close attention to design choices that impact air distribution ( containment systems , raised floors , etc .), as those have a big impact on overall energy efficiency of the data center .
• Connected systems – Selecting systems that utilize cloud-based , mobile-friendly data center infrastructure management ( DCIM ) software , which can be managed remotely and is connected to a data lake , allows the user to leverage information beyond that of their data center for more predictive maintenance vs . traditional calendar-based maintenance . This helps to maximize
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IT ’ S IMPORTANT TO BEGIN THE DESIGN PLANNING WITH DISCUSSIONS AROUND ALL THE KEY CRITERIA FOR THE DATA CENTER ’ S PERFORMANCE .
the life of components , while ensuring availability since components like batteries can be replaced just before they fail .
• Redundant systems – If high availability is necessary , operators should design with redundancy in mind ; this ensures failures of components or required maintenance activities don ’ t bring the critical load down .
• Scalable designs – Future loads are often unknown , so having a design that can easily scale is an important attribute . Many UPSs are modular , so as the load grows , additional power modules can be added . Also consider the current and future density needs . As chip density grows , can the cooling design keep up ? There is an increasing trend towards liquid cooling as chip densities climb above the limits of aircooled data centers .
• Standardization – Using standardized designs helps to ensure predictable performance ; unique designs can mean unique problems . Pre-integrated , prefabricated systems also reduce data center deployment time , which may be an important performance criterion .
Today , there are many resources freely available to help decision-makers understand the trade-offs of data center performance attributes .
For instance , the Schneider Electric Capital Cost tool or PUE tool can help operators to see the drivers of cost and efficiency , enabling the right choices to be made given performance priorities for the data center ( s ). • www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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