Sustainable Technology

List of popular data center utilities, includes monitoring software such as Cacti, which can poll, acquire data, and graph the results for management analysis and action.  …

…   “This setup helps managers monitor performance, server load, temperature and other variables.”   …

via Computerworld: Data center utilities recommendations.

Cacti solution.

Temperature sensor graphs using Cacti.

Computational fluid dynamics modeling can be deployed to understand data center temperature situations. …

… “CFD is useful for illustrating how to increase rack densities and server installations without creating additional hot spots and airflow issues. ” …

Via Processor: Data Center Temperature

Cisco deploys air flow management techniques and temperature increase to drive energy savings in its data center. …

… “Cisco said the 8 degree F increase provided a 30 percent reduction in power required for cooling. Cisco used two techniques in parallel to improve the 7,000-sq.-ft. data center’s energy efficiency: a set of best practices that included blanking panels and plastic curtains to prevent mixing of supply and return air … ” …

Via Environmental Leader: Cisco Data Center

In order to adjust temperature setpoints higher in the data center, better monitoring is needed to understand the impacts and avoid hot spots and shutdowns. …

… “IPthermal-XT Nodes (new), which provide up to seven temperature and one humidity measurements, are used in hot and cold aisles to measure input and output air temperatures at various heights from the raised floor and to generate heat maps. ” …

Via Arch Rock: Energy Optimizer-Data Center Edition

IBM collaborates with Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Southern California Edison to lower energy costs in Toyota’s data center using measurement technology that identifies and reduces energy consumption. The measurement tech pinpointed opportunities to adjust air flow and increase temperature setpoints and, ultimately, to reduce the cooling load. Real-time sensors were strategically placed around the data center to understand the effects of changes. SCE is evaluating the scalability of this solution across its customer base. …

… “To decrease rising energy consumption and server failure risk, Toyota Motor Sales used IBM’s Measurement and Management Technologies in its 20,000 square foot Torrance, California data center over a five-month period. The multi-level measurement tool assesses thermal readings throughout the data center from floor to ceiling and provides a detailed assessment of the heat distribution by creating a three-dimensional chart which pinpoints power and cooling inefficiencies. By using the scanning technology, researchers are then able to create a base model which is used to implement improvements within existing resources at low costs. During the pilot period, the automaker saw a decrease in high temperature hot spots and energy costs in the data center which houses its application development and testing equipment as well as file-sharing, email and printing capabilities. ” …

Via IBM: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Green Data Center

NetApp pushes the boundaries of green data center design with increased temperature setpoint for supply air for cooling system, ambient air cooling, pressure control on the data center room, cold air isolation, and overhead air distribution. …

… “NetApp‘s goals for sustainability and reducing data center power consumption are reflected in the innovative design and construction of its data center. NetApp estimates that the data center’s power usage effectiveness (PUE) will be 1.2, or 80% more efficient than the average data center PUE of 2.0, which will result in NetApp saving $7.3 million a year. NetApp’s energy efficiency improvements will also result in reducing CO2 by 93,000 tons a year, which is equivalent to removing 15,400 cars from the road. ” …

Via NetApp: Energy-Efficient Data Center

Energy efficiency strategies at Raging Wire include shifting the temperature setpoint to ASHRAE maxmium. …

… “Kennedy explained that RagingWire seeks to maintain the ASHRAE-recommended temperature for the datacenter, the highest temperature possible that still ensures systems won’t overheat. ” …

Via InfoWorld: Carbon regs will drive datacenter change

Dell launches next-generation data center infrastructure products that improve energy efficiency and positions the company to support green IT strategies through the concept of the hidden (untapped, unrealized) data center. …

… “Dell’s Reveal Your Hidden Data Center strategy focuses on server virtualization and consolidation, decommissioning out-of-use equipment, refreshing legacy systems, finding the optimal data center temperature, utilizing containment and moving cooling closer to IT to help businesses improve productivity and energy efficiency in their existing data centers. ” …

Via Dell: New Data Center Infrastructure Products

IBM tool creates analysis of data center temperature gradients. …

Software technique to mining logs for understanding utilization rates, power usage, and data center temperature gradient to increase energy efficiency. …

… “Simple yet powerful searches let you correlate physical server utilization with power consumption and temperature within different parts of the datacenter so that you can identify and address inefficiencies. ” …

Via Splunk: Green Datacenter