Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/938019
10 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com A s data center environ- ments become more densely packed, en- ergy challenges become more pronounced. For example, adding more-efficient IT equipment reduces power consump- tion relative to older devices, but doing so generates more heat that necessitates additional cooling to remediate. New efficient IT equip- ment is good, but we can't ignore the associated power to cool that equip- ment—as, traditionally, cooling is one of the largest data center energy bills. Gone are the days when the com- puting infrastructure was accepted as a necessary expense and given all the necessary resources to operate without proper examination of this nebulous cost center. Today's CFOs are keeping close tabs on data center expenses and asking managers to do more with less. Aside from the financial consider- ations are other concerns. Data centers, labeled "energy hogs" by conservation- ists, are under constant pressure to cut power use and reduce their carbon footprint. Although decreasing power and footprints is good business, it's also a conundrum: how can data center managers appease the green movement while also lighting up more IT devices and simultaneously decreasing power consumption, all without compromis- ing uptime? One effective answer to this per- plexing question that faces enterprise and colocation facilities is data center infrastructure management (DCIM). A DCIM solution gives data center man- agement real-time information to track energy usage and make better busi- ness decisions, leading to big energy savings. It can not only track improve- ments but also provide savings stats to appease CFOs and conservationists. Here's how DCIM helps reduce risk and increase energy efficiency for computing infrastructure: 1. Power failure simulation/ prevention Since energy efficiency is both about using energy most advanta- geously and about preventing down- time, DCIM allows facility managers to test the reliability of the power chain in a computing environment. Data center personnel can selectively "fail" certain equipment, in a simulated environ- ment, without jeopardizing uptime. is capability allows them to deter- mine the consequences of a particular piece of equipment suddenly becom- ing unavailable or going offline for maintenance. Power-failure simulation enables prediction of cascading failure, such as "a-side" and "b-side" imbal- ance, and reveals weaknesses in the power chain. 2. Energy- capacity planning e first step in energy-capacity planning is mapping where energy is being used and tracking energy-con- sumption patterns from the individual circuit all the way to the entire facility. Once you establish this baseline, you can make improvements track results to establish before/aer comparisons. Most DCIM users find hidden capacity in their computing infrastruc- ture: stranded computing capacity in equipment that's underutilized and, in some cases, "zombie" (idle) servers drawing power and requiring cooling but offering no processing service. Using this DCIM-enabled pro- cess, data center managers who had assumed they were nearing the limits of their computing infrastructure oen find available capacity to extend the life of their data center for several more years. is invaluable insight helps eliminate the need for multi-million- dollar expansion projects to increase processing capacity. Using this DCIM-enabled process, data center managers who had assumed they were nearing the limits of their computing infrastructure oen find available capacity to extend the life of their data center for several more years. is invaluable insight helps eliminate the need for multi-million-dollar expansion projects to increase processing capacity.