The True Power of an Intelligent PDU:
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

 

Monitor Data Center Conditions


Data centers consume an estimated 70 billion kWh, representing about 1.8% of total U.S. electricity consumption. As if that wasn’t enough, future energy usage is expected to increase, posing a challenge for many data center managers. This challenge is further escalated by the fact that many data centers are ineffectively using their current energy resources.

Pairing environmental sensors with existing powered and networked resources provide an easy, scalable, and flexible way to monitor data center conditions.

Environmental Sensors

Understand Sensors and Types

Raritan offers a wide range of SmartSensors to help detect environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, airflow, air pressure, water/leaks, contact closures, proximity detection, vibration and more. Sensors can help recognize hot spots, optimally cool equipment, prevent costly downtime, and maintain data center security, while receiving real-time environment alerts.

These sensors are easy to install and deploy in any data center environment as they are plug-and-play ready with Raritan’s PX Intelligent rack PDU series, EMX smart rack controllers, PX inline meters, rack transfer switches , and branch circuit monitors.


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PREVENT SERVER MALFUNCTIONS

Maintain Optimal Operating Temperature for IT Devices

Electronic products come with an optimal operating temperature, and when they fall outside the “safe temperature zone”, they are subject to failure. Imagine leaving your smartphone in direct sunlight; it would overheat and power off. This same principle can be applied to your mission critical IT hardware.

By monitoring the temperature of the cold and hot aisle, you can keep your devices within their peak operating temperature, preventing costly malfunctions or even failures.


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Optimize Energy Usage

Identify When You Are Overcooling or Undercooling

With power consumption on a steady rise, it’s important to understand if you are over or undercooling your data center, as every degree change comes with a significant cost. Data center managers can save 4% in energy costs for every degree of upward change in the set point. Having more sensors throughout your data center will provide granular and accurate data to achieve the ideal temperature for maximum energy savings.

Intelligent PDUs support this idea through the collection of environmental data. And when paired with DCIM software, users can store, analyze, display, and create reports to help make data-driven decisions on their IT environment.


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Best Practices

Utilize ASHRAE Standards for Environmental Monitoring

When it comes to environmental monitoring in your data center, it’s important to follow the best practices suggested by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (AHSRAE) for temperature and humidity to help to reduce downtime and improve efficiency.

A very common mistake with temperature is relying on the room condition and not the rack. Temperature should be measured at the front and back of the rack with 6 sensors, mounted at the top, middle, and bottom for a more accurate depiction. Relative humidity should be between 40% and 60%. If humidity is too low, this will result in the buildup of electrostatic discharge (ESD), and if too high, corrosion will begin and slowly damage equipment.


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The True Power of an Intelligent PDU

Taking control of the rack power infrastructure in your data center is the first step in understanding overall efficiency and potential threats that may have serious consequences upstream. Raritan’s intelligent PDUs can help you manage your power chain with capabilities that go far beyond power distribution.

If you are interested in learning more about other problem-solving capacities of an intelligent PDU, start exploring below: