08/28/2007

Monitoring Temperature And Humidity Inside The Server Rack

The increased utilization of blade servers has caused  the control of heat and humidity in the server racks to become much  more critical than previously. These units increase the density of the  equipment in each rack and therefore the heat generated. Alarms are  necessary at the rack level because a single server overheating will  not raise the ambient room temperature enough to set off the room alarm  sensors. These rack alarms can provide early problem warning and  prevent server damage and the associated network problems in a timely  fashion. 

These alarms can be at the rack, or by email, or by SNMP  traps, or by all three methods depending on the system. There are  several different types of sensor systems from several different  manufacturers, available at present. One of them is a compact  environmental monitor with one onboard temperature sensor and in  addition the ability to support up to 16 remote sensors. The system is  very small so you don’t have to change your system. If you receive a  problem alert, you are able to identify the rack and power strip having  the trouble, and turn off the individual outlet or reboot it.

 

Another  power management and control system available is able to track  temperature, humidity, airflow, and water at various locations from 15  to 100 feet away. This system needs only limited rack space and can  control individual power receptacles. Another system on the market  utilizes two sensor probes in each rack, one in front, one in back, to  better measure the environment in the rack. This gives you a  thermographic view of the temperature range in the rack and can be  displayed in color for all the different racks in the computer center.  This information can be used to determine the size and location of any  additional A.C. or fans or blowers needed to correct a cooling system.  It can also assist in the rearrangement, if necessary, of the rack  layout and separation of a cold aisle/hot aisle system or any rack  system, or when additional racks are added to a functioning system.

 

The  control of heat generation and temperature in the data center continues  to be one of the most critical areas. The monitoring of the environment  has gone from the room, to the zone, to inside the individual server rack to give a much more precise picture of what is happening and allow better response to emergency conditions.

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17:15 Posted in Network Hardware | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Racks, Network Equipment

08/14/2007

What to Consider in a Data Center

What to Consider in a Data Center

It's not only the selection of the appropriate type of server racks and cable that you purchase, but the management of the cabling, power, and heat generation that are very important.

CABLES

Cables can be fed into the racks from above (ceiling) or below (floor) and organized with vertical or horizontal cable managers inside or outside the racks. Depending on the type, number, weight, diameter, etc., cable guides must be chosen to supply the optimal solution. This depends on whether you have copper cables (Cat 5, 5e, 6. 6A, 7) and the specific manufacturer. Fiber optic cables vary if they are duplex jumper or multi-fiber cables (MTP) and by manufacturer. Vvarious inside rack cable management solutions including patch panels, managers with fingers, loops, rings, and outside rack solutions with ladder racks, cable trays, cable runway, etc.

POWER

There are many levels of power units (usually 15, 20, or 30 Amp) available to supply power to the switches and servers mounted in the racks. These units vary from basic multi-outlet power strips without breaker or switch to mutifuction units including Amp meters, temperature, and moisture sensors. Some units can be accessed from a remote office or home on the Internet for easy management. This can be a great timesaver if a server has crashed, and requires a hard reboot.

HEAT CONTROL

Server rack cooling in the datacenter rack space depends on the number of switches, servers and routers as well as the arrangement of the rackmount server cabinet and cables. Too many copper cables in the floor can block the free flow of cooling air. The size and layout of fans and blowers installed in the racks affects the efficiency of cooling. The use of cold aisle/hot aisle cabinet arrangement to keep the hot air from mixing with the cold air can help the data center run much more efficiently. Details such as the watts/rack and the BTU’S to be handled are important in the accurate design of a computer center so that sufficient cooling is supplied. The last thing you want, is to find out your rack doesn't have proper cooling after it's built. Take the time and make sure this is planned out before building your racks.

20:29 Posted in Network Hardware | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: data center, racks, cables, switches