White Paper

12
10. Monitoring and managing remotely
Data center remote monitoring can lift
the burden of infrastructure monitoring
from internal personnel and place it with
an organization with resources devoted
to this task, as well as deep infrastructure
expertise. In addition to improved resource
utilization, a dedicated monitoring
organization can respond more quickly to
portfolio issues.
For instance, in monitoring data across
multiple facilities, they may be alerted
to a problem caused by a certain
manufacturer’s breaker. Very quickly,
the manufacturer can be notied so as to
avoid a potential problem occurring across
hundreds of sites, many of which contain
similar equipment.
An organization such as Liebert Services
has engineers on staff that analyze data
returned remotely and systematically
examine that data. For example, remote
monitoring tracks the inbound frequency
of power provided to a UPS. If the UPS is
receiving utility power, the input power
frequency will be precisely 60 Hz. When
the monitoring staff sees the input
frequency vary within 58-61 Hz, they
immediately recognize that the generator
has started and is sourcing power—but
potentially at the wrong time, and for the
wrong reason. Finally, telemetry-based
monitoring enables remote management
of systems where authorized, allowing the
monitoring partner to control systems
remotely. This is particularly valuable
when a facility is undergoing changes and
updates.
Evaluating the Benefits of
Infrastructure Monitoring
The 10 steps presented in this paper deliver
powerful, quantiable benets in the key
areas of data center availability and efciency
(Figure 5).
By some accounts, data center cooling
accounts for 35 percent of data center
energy consumption. Monitoring provides
multiple opportunities to improve cooling
efciency. From the more precise control of
air temperatures at the server inlet, to the
improved coordination between cooling
systems enabled by intelligent controls,
monitoring can reduce cooling energy costs
or enable the existing cooling system to
support higher capacities.
Power monitoring and control also delivers
energy reductions. With in-rack power
monitoring, managers can identify equipment
that is using energy but not supporting
business services, reclaiming or eliminating
this stranded capacity. Controls on the
power system also create the opportunity to
increase UPS system efciency by up to six
percent.
Virtually every monitoring step contributes to
data center availability by providing advance
warning of potential problems or faster
response and recovery from actual events.
From systems that can show exactly what
is happening inside a rack at any point in
time, to centralized alarm management and
battery monitoring, infrastructure monitoring
eliminates some of the most common causes
of data center downtime. In many cases these
systems are relatively simple to implement
and, once installed, provide the visibility and
control required for data center optimization.
(Figure 5).