Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/394834
26 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com is mindset means that the follow- ing skills are needed for today's data center manager: analytIC PlannIng of CaPaCIty: Determining and planning for the right size of floor space for current and future growth needs can be a daunting task. Servers, racks, power and cool- ing equipment, and ancillary systems all need to be considered. Determining both horizontal and vertical space will help data center managers get to a better assessment. According to David J. Cappuccio, manag- ing vice president and chief of research for the infrastructure teams with Gartner, "e first mistake many people make is to base their estimates on what they currently have—extrapolating out future space needs according to historical growth patterns. It sounds like a logical approach, but there are two fundamental problems; the first being an assumption that the floor space currently used is being used properly, and the second is a two-dimensional view, or the assumption that usable space is a hori- zontal construct, rather than a combina- tion of both horizontal and vertical space." e utilization of high-density servers, smart cooling and highly energy-efficient modular power protection with small foot- prints can make a difference in the amount of space truly needed. seCurIty knowleDge: e implementation of secu- rity systems and tools has never been as important as it is now. Besides hosting servers, applications and critical data, big data, bring-your-own-device (BYOD), and mobile and global online collaboration are proliferating at an exponential rate. Keeping pace with the latest security tools to thwart malware, targeted attacks, spies and thieves is paramount to the health and uptime of today's data centers. According to Risk Based Security, there were over 822 million data records exposed in 2013. workIng faMIlIarIty of Power equIPMent: Uptime of the data center is always "Job One" of any data center manager. As with security measures, assuring that all of the data center's assets are protected against downtime is paramount. Clean, reliable electrical power has to be continu- ously available. As part of an Associated Press report in 2013, Massoud Amin, a grid-security expert and professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Minnesota, said, "Every day, 500,000 Americans lose power for an hour or more. Outages cost the economy $80 billion to $188 billion per year." Hence, the understanding of various power and pow- er-protection systems and their capabilities is extremely important. No longer are the specifications and requirements of power equipment le to the facility manager alone. Data center managers need to have a working knowledge of all things related to power in order to successfully collaborate with facility and IT departments and deter- mine the optimum power infrastructure, as well as plan for server and data expansion. A sound power infrastructure needs to be put in place and continually monitored and analyzed. Asking and getting answers to these important questions are imperative: • Have the UPSs been serviced recently? • Do they need to be upgraded to higher- efficiency, smaller-footprint units that will deliver a better ROI? • Are redundant power systems in place? • What is the health of the UPS batter- ies? When was the last time they were tested? • Do we have enough battery run time to transfer to the generator(s) if there is a prolonged power outage? • Do we have a UPS maintenance agree- ment in place? • Should we consider "greener" energy- storage technologies, such as flywheels, for instance? • Do we need to upgrade the power-man- agement soware system? • What is the health of the power coming from the local utility? • When is the last time the generators have been serviced? • Do the generators have fuel? • Is the fuel clean? Proper and ongoing maintenance of power-protection equipment is essential for uptime. Brian Blatt, president and founder of Power Support Engineer- ing, (http://www.powersupporteng.com/ aboutus.htm) recommends quarterly maintenance of UPS systems for optimum performance and efficiency. When sched- uling maintenance activities, Blatt oen engages the data center manager in conver- sation about the latest technology trends. "No matter how tech savvy the data center manager may be, I think it's important that he or she also possesses people skills. With so many internal customers, good communications can make the difference," Blatt observed. "Also, these so skills are appreciated by vendors such as ourselves." unDerstanDIng of CoolIng neeDs: Knowledge of cooling methods and the amount of cooling is also important for proper data center equipment operation. All electronics generate heat, so mitigating unwanted heat from the racks and overall environment is vital. Although experts don't predict revolutionary new cool- ing methods in the near term, continued refinements in computer-room air-con- ditioning (CRAC) units and adoption of alternative cooling systems will continue to evolve. ere are many different cooling schemes—from natural-air heat exchang- ers to more controversial liquid cooling. John Stanley, senior analyst for data center technologies at the 451 Group, expects future data center designs to feature a mix of traditional and alternative cool- ing technologies. "Free cooling is not an all-or-nothing strategy," he says. "I've seen some data centers use free cooling, evaporative cooling and a small chiller for the last few degrees." It's important to note that many servers and other equipment, including UPSs, are now able to operate at higher temperatures, reducing the amount of cooling required. Knowing the data center's real thermal signature will go a long way in determining the right cooling solution—potentially reducing energy con- sumption and data center overhead costs. ManageMent of assets: Managing data center assets used to be more painstaking than today. Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) soware, relatively new to the scene, is be- coming an important tool to having asset information at your fingertips. e ability 1 2 3 4 5