Redesigning Your Data Centre

The world of technology is one that never remains stagnant. There are constant progressions and innovations in the industry. Keeping up to date with the latest trends can be painful, yet it’s necessary. This is why it is important to revise your data centre every now and then.

Energy efficiency

Data centres by their very nature use a wealth of energy. In order to be as energy efficient as possible, you need to have measurement techniques in place. If you read your meter regularly you will better understand trends. This should allow you to eradicate any oddities or seasonal spikes. Energy use should be benchmarked against a comparable timeframe for a thorough understanding of where you are at. In addition to this, you should check the flooring for gaps and do your best to reduce airflow leaks by for example installing blanking plates on all unused rack U-space.

Cooling

Aside from this, another area you should monitor is your method of cooling the data centre. You need to consider this carefully as you must provide the ideal environment for your servers so that they operate effectively and do not overheat. It is important to look for a system that is effective, yet one that is also going to reduce your energy consumption.

Most data centres tend to use cold aisle containment at present. This does not require any structural changes to your data centre and can be used by all. It works via separating the hot air from the cold air and it uses significantly less power when compared with other strategies. When you combine all of this together you can see how it saves you more money as well. You can then hire refrigerated air dryers during periods whereby you need extra cooling in place due to high use and weather changes. Nonetheless, new cooling methods are being explored every day and that is why revisions prove to be very important.

Think about the future

There may come a time when you are forced to revise your data centre because you have new demands thanks to an increased amount of hardware.  A common mistake is to construct your data centre to meet the exact demands you have now and not consider the future. It is important to make sure you leave yourself room for expansion. After all, isn’t this the goal of every company? To grow and expand? You need to give yourself the perfect platform to do so and that is why every revision needs to be made with a consideration for the future as well as now.

To summarise, the importance of revising your data centre on a regular basis is something that cannot be stressed enough. This is essential if you want to be certain that your data centre is running to efficient levels. Look at ways you can run more effectively, reduce power consumption and reduce costs as well. There is always room for improvement.