How to cut costs in the data centre – monitor power usage

Running a data centre is an expensive affair. Not only do you have to provide power to racks of servers you also have to power the air conditioning that keeps those servers operating at optimum temperatures. Indeed, it is estimated that almost half the power used within a data centre facility is expended on air conditioning.

Recently IT efficiency organisation Green Grid highlighted the availability of metrics that allow data centre operators to be able to monitor and optimise power usage within their facility, enabling them to cut costs and also contribute to greener operation. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Data Centre Infrastructure Efficiency (DCIE) are the two major metrics that enable data centre and facility managers to calculate their energy efficiency.

By comparing both metrics to other data centres, an operator can establish the relative efficiency of their facility, but in addition they can also place a marker in the ground and work on ways to increase the efficiency of power consumption within their facility. This is particularly relevant to companies that provide hosting services to other companies and wish to bill their customers, based on power consumption as well as rental.

When intelligent Power Distribution Units (PDU) monitoring is introduced into a data centre server room every aspect of the environment can be monitored and controlled. In addition, the exact costs of providing power to each server can be calculated meaning that hosting costs can be billed based on actual usage and not merely on a flat rate system.

Unlike PDUs, intelligent environmental monitoring can monitor each rack and automatically report back, via remote monitoring if necessary, to a data centre management control point. So, when any variance occurs action can be taken immediately to correct it. Managed PDUs can measure voltage, amps, apparent power and real power as well as range of other monitoring options. With access to that information at the fingertips of the control room operators, then it is easier to ensure that energy efficiency is maximised.

In addition to intelligent power monitoring, environmental monitoring can also be a valuable tool when it comes to controlling control room costs; especially when it is integrated into a building/network management system allowing total control of the entire facility, not just the server room.

So, for the best way to reduce costs in the data centre, first measure PUE and DCIE, then introduce intelligent monitoring in order to effectively monitor consumption.