WHAT ’ S THE FIX ?
Andy Brierley from Rackspace Technology explains four of the top current solution for mitigating energy use while increasing service delivery .
Liquid hardware cooling
Water is better at absorbing and transporting heat than air , but the preconceived complications surrounding liquid cooling has meant that it ’ s easier to use an air-based data centre cooling system . However , liquid cooling decreases the pressure on data centre air conditioning because it eliminates the need for fans and decreases CPU power consumptions . It involves chilled water entering the cabinets in the data centre cooling design , reducing the distance between the cooling system and the data , making it more energy efficient .
Indirect outside air-cooling technology
This highly efficient method uses outdoor air to cool data centres , considerably reducing the total energy consumption . It has the potential to provide a Power Usage Effectiveness ( PUE ) of 1.15 , compared to the average data centre rating of 1.7 . By using this method , data centre providers can achieve the Open Compute Project ( OCP ) status , which demonstrates that a data centre provider has implemented the best practices for operations and energy efficiency for all IT equipment .
Implementing indirect outside aircooling technology was a significant contributor to Rackspace Technology ’ s facility being recognised as one of the greenest in the UK .
Data centre infrastructure management ( DCIM )
Rated as one of the best technology tools by experts , DCIM is key to improved efficiencies and reducing energy consumption . DCIM provides a complete view of a data centre ’ s performance through real-time insights into collating , storing and analysing data related to power and cooling . It allows data centre providers to create collaboration between a building and its IT systems , analysing PUE and cooling system energy efficiency , and supporting data centre managers with capacity planning and optimising efficiency .
Data centre consolidation
According to the Data Centre Alliance , 62 per cent of data centres are going through consolidation at any given time . An ongoing process , it offers providers the means to streamline their processes to create efficiencies across the business . By combining data centre locations and condensing hardware platforms , providers are able to reduce both the need for additional physical space and , in turn , their energy consumption .
37 technologymagazine . com