The data center is a major part of everyday operations for many firms and helps provide a slate of vital services, from analysis to customer experience measures and beyond. Thankfully, there are some simple methods to consider that might keep your data center running just a little more smoothly.

Focus on the Power

The data center isn’t going anywhere without the necessary kilowatts to drive the network equipment, servers, and other systems that run therein. Thus, addressing issues of power use — and overuse — will go a long way toward improving efficiency.

• Focus on what’s not being used. There are different levels of utilization for every system, so chances are there’s room to economize in power consumption. Servers tend to be about five to 15 percent utilized, while network storage is used about 60 to 80 percent of the time. Shutting off a few unneeded things can help cut power use.
• Consider virtualization or offloading. Many systems can be safely virtualized and run offsite, or otherwise offloaded onto non-connected systems. Rakesh Kumar in Important Power, Cooling, and Green IT Concerns noted that virtualization could improve server use from 10 to 20 percent to 50 to 60 percent over just a few short years.

Keep Cool

If you’ve ever felt the air coming out of a laptop’s fan port, you know it’s hot in there. Servers get even hotter, and there are more in the same place. So keeping the temperature down in the server room can be a big performance improvement.

• Focus on flow. Airflow in a server room can represent substantial savings. Adding equipment to a room can block that airflow; be sure to open up space and allow temperatures to drop so systems can perform better.
• Keep metrics in mind. The recommended temperature range for a room keeping servers running is between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or between 16 and 24 degrees Celsius. The room in question should also be kept at between 40 and 55 percent humidity. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to install temperature and humidity probes right in the server room, preferably with graphic displays for easy, one-look measurements.

Security Still Important

We all know that security is important in the data center to protect the data, but security measures can also help keep the data center running smoothly. With the proper policies and security measures, data will remain where it’s supposed to be. Redundancy in the system can also keep things running smoothly.

Getting Outside Help

EmconIT’s experienced staff can provide value for anyone looking to keep a data center running. Contact EmconIT to help your data center perform to its height and deliver plenty of value.