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What is server room cooling?

The chances are that a computer server room is the beating heart of your business. However, when large amounts of computer hardware equipment are stored together in one (often very small room) significant heat is generated. With this in mind, it is essential to ensure that computer hardware is able to run at an optimum temperature to prevent overheating. Overheating can lead to problems ranging from slow performance through to catastrophic situations such as total loss of data. It goes without saying that a server room cooling system should be, but all too often isn’t, considered an essential piece of kit.

What do I need to ensure my server room is kept at the correct temperature?

Server cooling systems are specially designed to provide the consistent temperatures computer hardware needs to be able to operate reliably and safely. As with so many things in life, when it comes to choosing the best server cooling system for your business, it really does pay to spend as much as you can afford. Paying just a little bit more for high quality air cooling equipment for such an important space will not only provide you with peace of mind, but could also save you significant amounts of time, money and stress in the future.

Whether you are trying to keep just one server cool, or maintain the temperature in an entire server room, it is important to choose equipment which is designed to cope with fluctuations in outside temperature. Your chosen system needs to keep the room warm in winter and cool in summer whilst handling the fluctuations in temperature which can happen at any time of year.

How to choose the right server cooling room system for your business

It’s important to take a range of factors into consideration when choosing a server cooling system. For example, do you have future plans for your server room, such as upgrading systems, the addition of extra servers or computers? Server cooling systems can prove a major investment so it’s important to future-proof the installation, ensuring the system you select will serve you well for many years to come.

Standard air conditioning systems aren’t usually up to the standard required for server rooms and so it’s important to choose a system designed for use in a server rooms. The latest server cooling systems are designed to optimise power usage by reducing the power required to produce a sufficient flow of low temperature air. Smart air flow modelling and management is used to achieve the highest level of cooling per unit volume of cold air. Server room cooling systems achieve this by using the best combination of technologies including: direct expansion, chilled water and direct and indirect free-cooling. The very best airflow management for your requirements will be achieved using thermal containment combined with in-row cooling and perimeter down-flow.

To find the perfect environment for storing your valuable IT equipment it is important to work with a server room cooling specialist. A number of these companies operate throughout the UK, providing a range of cooling services, designed to protect valuable server and IT equipment from overheating.

Regardless of the size of your data centre, educating yourself on data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) offers an important way to reduce costs, anticipate and prevent problems and to carry out effective capacity planning. 

What is DCIM software and how can it benefit your business?

Tracking and monitoring of data centre assets has long been an important feature of information technology. Data centre infrastructure management solutions are designed to build on this strategy by bringing together a number of prudent actions into one comprehensive approach. Instead of focusing upon just one factor, DCIM tools focus upon the whole issue and how each single data centre asset works with the others. The data centre aspects covered include: 

• Tracking of assets
• Analysis of virtual and logical systems
• Changing management strategies
• Consolidation of locations and resources
• Multiple level monitoring
• Utility management tools
• Devising cost effective utilisation systems

Data centre management tools in action

Data centre infrastructure management DCIM solutions vary greatly in terms of size and complexity as they are directly linked to the data centre in question. A huge range of variables are at play, including the size of the data centre, the age and type of the equipment being used, the requirements of the business or organisation. This means that it is impossible and impractical to make generalisations which apply to all data centres. Here are a couple of hypothetical scenarios which will make it easier to understand how the process works: 

1. A company wants to create a complete record of all of their data centre assets, such as the technical and financial aspects. In this case the company should use strategies to analyse how their overall assets impact upon and relate to one another, helping them to decide whether they help or hinder their business goals. 
2. Another approach is to use real-time monitoring and predictive analysis to enable data centre technicians to identify problems before they arise; giving them the opportunity to proactively move resources and avoid disruption. In addition, this approach also allows technicians to maximise resource utilisation whilst maximising efficiency. 
3. The health of servers depends upon environmental controls. Data centre infrastructure management software offers a way to integrate data on server performance and environmental conditions, with the aim of creating reports and models which give an overview of the health of the entire infrastructure.

Next generation DCIM can help you transform your business

Although implementing infrastructure management can be a challenging process, it is important to remember that the money, time and energy spent are hugely important and worthwhile investments. If approached in the correct way, data centre infrastructure management can help reduce energy consumption, prolong the life of servers whilst improving their performance, eradicate downtime to provide a digital transformation of your mission-critical IT infrastructure. 

Standby

Standby or (often referred to as offline) UPS power supply might normally be used for domestic electronic systems, security systems and is ideal for use in small offices.

Called a standby UPS system since the inverter and the battery do not supply any power unless the main source of power goes out. It essentially remains on a standby mode unless it is needed. The main source of power used by this system comes from a utility or power line. The system has a transfer switch that automatically selects the backup power provided by the battery once the main source of power goes out.

Standby UPS systems make use of stored battery backup power during an outage, or when the voltage levels dip or surge. Considered as an entry-level UPS, standby systems will protect you and your equipment giving you that imperative battery backup.

If the power goes out, the UPS system provides connected devices with backup power from its internal battery. During an extended blackout, battery backup gives you an opportunity to properly shut down equipment, like computers and DVRs, that can lose data when turned off unexpectedly.

One issue raised against the use of a standby UPS power system is the time it takes to switch from one power source to another. There may be some instances where the switch is not fast enough to ensure uninterrupted use of a PC system, but this situation rarely happens.

Line-interactive UPS systems

Line-interactive is a mid-level UPS protecting you both on and offline. This type of uninterrupted power supply can correct power without switching to battery-based reserves.

“Voltage independent” UPS in compliance with IEC 62040-3, also known as line interactive, protects against the most common network power problems experienced. Here, the UPS also monitors the voltage level and balances under and over voltages. VI technology offers a good compromise between reasonable security and moderate operating costs.

A Line-interactive UPS contains an autotransformer that regulates any over or under voltage. It can be used for consumer electronics, network equipment and entry-level servers. This type of UPS is interactive as it automatically selects different power taps on the autotransformer and can maximise any limited battery reserves by correcting any power fluctuations and managing current levels in an outage or power surge.

OnLine Uninterruptible power supply

Generally the more expensive option, online UPS are the premium solution for critical electrical equipment, and act as an ‘electrical firewall’. Yes, it protects against power outage but it also regulates the level of power delivered to your device.

The online UPS is connected to the main load at all the time or until the battery in it gets charged. In this case, our electronic device gets the power from the online UPS and not directly from the AC main supply. So, even when the main AC fails, our electronic device’s operations need not be stopped. One such good example for online UPS is the Laptops. We could use laptops while it is charging or we could even use it later after getting charged. However our use might be, our device gets power only from the charging or charged battery connected to the main power supply.

Read more: Difference between Online UPS and Offline UPS | Difference Between: https://advancedpower.co.uk