Data Center Monitoring

Greg More
June 22, 2011

Raritan recently contracted with the Datacenter Research Group (part of the Datacenter Dynamics organization) to conduct primary research and produce a white paper on monitoring power and environmental conditions in United States data centers.

The key findings are that most owners and operators of data centers engage in monitoring proving the mantra “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” However, the research also pointed out some of the inadequacies of past practices.

• The vast majority of US data centers monitor energy consumption, temperature and humidity, typically on a “continuous” basis.
• Energy efficiency, carbon output and power quality are monitored irregularly and only within the primary/main facility.
• In some cases, reporting is led by what the technology can deliver rather than what the facility requires. Reporting is critical in translating “data” into actions.
• Levels of satisfaction with monitoring and reporting are at best “subdued.” Linking monitoring and reporting to continual improvement processes increases satisfaction levels.
• There are concerns about the ease of integrating different monitoring processes to provide a “whole of portfolio” picture.
• As data centers move towards becoming “dynamic” facilities, monitoring needs to move from simple to multivariate analyses, from simple alerts to establishing control and moving from reaction to prediction.

The 14-page research white paper and two-page summary are available at: White Papers | Resources - Raritan.