May 28, 2008—To help data center managers better understand the lengthy EPA Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency from summer 2007, and to give them greater insight into ways to boost the utilization of their existing power and cooling infrastructures, AFCO Systems has developed “Deciphering the EPA Report on Datacenter Energy Efficiency.”
To aid datacenter managers in where to start with power efficiency, AFCO Systems experts developed the “Four Ms for Datacenter Energy Efficiency:”
- Measure: For increased efficiency, the focus must extend beyond ambient room temperature. Supply, server inlet, and return must be measured as well. Many managers who believe they are “out of cooling” may be surprised to find out how much cooling is actually being wasted
- Manage: The EPA study clearly identifies airflow management as a key factor toward enhancing datacenter efficiency. A first step is to “plug the leaks.” Many data centers have tiles removed or holes that no longer serve a purpose. These situations negatively impact airflow.
- Monitor: With loads approaching 15-20 kW per cabinet, cabinet level monitoring is no longer an option, but a necessity. This process facilitates proactive management of the datacenter against “downing” events.
- Maintain: Planned and systematic enforcement of best practices is a vital part of keeping the datacenter environment efficiently in tune with technology turnover. Trend analysis helps offset the obsolescence of legacy infrastructure. Air-handler systems should be rebalanced following a significant IT configuration. Systems should be sized and redundancies configured to maximize efficiency.
The report is available for free download from the White Papers section of AFCO’s Web site, upon registration. In addition, AFCO Systems’ John Consoli talks about the “4Ms” and provides additional tips on how to “Improve Your Data Center Cooling” in a recent issue of Processor Magazine .
