There is a need for comprehensive monitoring and control of mechanical and electrical infrastructure in data centers to ensure dynamic power and cooling demands from cloud computing are met. Proper planning of the mechanical and electrical design focused on cloud operations will define the best monitoring and control systems coupled with equipment that can support dynamic demands. What is at risk for data center tenants and the data center company itself is the sensitive customer information housed in the data center infrastructure, so proper preparedness and design is important to identify and correct potential issues before operation.

1. EXPERT I VIEW VIEW I EXPERT
There is a need to comprehensive in a straightforward, robust, but energy and often temperamental equipment
Supporting The Cloud monitoring and control of mechanical
and electrical infrastructures to ensure
the dynamic demands for electrical
efficient way. Pretty Poor Planning,
means Pretty Poor Execution.
is housed for the purpose of handling
sensitive customer information, which
can often make or break their business.
In the first of a regular column being written for DCS, power and equipment cooling are A properly planned Mechanical and
met at the same rate of change as the Electrical Design of the Data Center What is at risk is nothing less than the
Carlos “DataCenterCarl” Garcia de la Noceda, Deerns servers themselves. No longer will a infrastructures, focused on Cloud business of each and every tenant of
Global Data Center Practice Manager for the USA and static infrastructure suffice to meet these Computing operations, will define the the Data Center, and of the Data Center
the Americas, looks at designing a proper mechanical needs. best monitoring and control systems, company itself.
coupled with the equipment whose
and electrical infrastructure to support a Cloud-based Data When servers increase their CPU specifications can support the dynamic To conclude…
Center. use, they begin to require additional demands which will be required by the In a world obsessed with gadgets
power for each of their subsystems, controls systems. and technology equipment, proper
starting with the CPU through to their preparedness and design is often
on-board fans. The additional power Power systems, transformers, UPS’s,
In the beginning… computing resources and spare CPU “closest to them”, transparently and with and computing “effort” translates into Generator Sets, HVAC, Plate Heat
There have been many advances in capacity to efficiently “squeeze” PC minimum latency. increased heat generation. Exchanger Cooling, Fire Suppression
the IT and Telecommunications field and Server use is not new. Those who Systems, are all commodities, these can
in recent years which have affected have been in this field for some time, This strategy also allows best use Increased heat generation by fully be purchased from several international
the way we manage our technology will remember the SETI1 Project. To of human resources, with full staff in utilized servers will significantly firms with years of experience and
infrastructures. Perhaps, one of the overcome the challenge to get super the daytime and minimum staff in the change the heat signature or hot spots successful installation throughout the
most important to the data center is the computer time for their space algorithm nighttime. This wide range of server throughout the hot floor. This means that world. Once the size and features have
orderly distribution of computing tasks calculations, the SETI team came up use, does pose a challenge, particularly not only is there an increased need for been defined, the purchase decision
throughout a common set of computer with a pretty clever, and now evidently to the Data Center infrastructure that cooling, but the specific location where is usually made on cost, support
resources, not necessarily collocated visionary, solution. They created a supports it. The need for IT power and that cold air needs to be delivered at a particular location, reputation, overlook, or undervalued. In fact, it is
in a particular room, building, or even small program which would execute cooling varies proportionately, and changes dynamically as well. availability, and the like. in the design phase that the potentially
geographical location. Better known in the background of a person’s PC currently most Data Centers are not most costly mistakes will be identified
today as “Cloud Computing”, it is a whenever it was not in use. When the equipped to adequately support it. The use of robust monitoring systems The significant difference in the and corrected, before they ever happen.
reference to the term so widely used for user was connected to the Internet, 1 SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial is the first step towards effective operational success of a Cloud Data
the collective of internet connections mostly through Dial-Up connections Intelligence) Institute (www.seti.org) management of the Cloud Data Center, of any Data Center for that Ensuring correct design and
and traffic, or “The Cloud”. at that time, the program downloaded Traditional Data Centers are spaces Center’s mechanical and electrical matter, is not in the equipment installed specifications before the data center has
mathematical routines, pieces of a for housing dedicated use computer infrastructures, the very infrastructures as such, but in the proper planning been built and the equipment installed,
The idea of distributed computing is of larger routine, which would use the equipment, servers, storage devices, which will support the ever changing and execution of its design. The design before it’s too late and too costly for
course not new, as this was the way in volunteer’s spare CPU capacity (back telecommunications equipment, and environment of Cloud Computing. team must be comprised of expert changes, is what every data center
which computing worked in the early in the 1990s that was not too much!) to the like. Systems must be in place that can mechanical, electrical, plumbing, IT, owner should strive for. A properly
days. Before the advent of the Personal perform calculations. detect, perhaps even predict, significant and other discipline professionals who designed data center with adequate
Computer, programs and data were These are generally assigned to a changes in server activity and its understand the Data Center for what power, cooling, and space, will ensure
stored in central computers, mostly Once these were accomplished, and specific task, application, or user associated draw on electrical power. it is, a highly specialized environment an effective and profitable operation for
mainframes, which were accessed and when the volunteer next connected to group. They are assigned to a specific unlike any other, where very expensive a long time.
exploited via mostly “dumb” terminals, the Net, the results would be sent back location and their power and cooling It is indeed the first step, but not by
VT-100s, a moniker still often in use to SETI systems. requirements are mostly static, any means the solution, to keeping the About the new DCS contributor
today when we use the “dot prompt”. Today’s Cloud Computing has changing, if any, over time. Data Center Cloud Data Center out of “hot water”. Dr. Garcia de la Noceda is an IT and telecommunications professional with
That was followed by the hosting of taken this to the next level, with ever mechanical and electrical infrastructure These monitoring systems need to over 22 years of indepth experience managing complex systems, services and
our basic IT infrastructure and software increasing computing power, memory supporting these systems can be be coupled with the proper control solutions in the government and enterprise sectors in Europe and the USA. His
programs on our company’s servers, resources, and permanent broadband dimensioned accordingly in a mostly mechanisms that will send the proper experience has been gained with international industry leaders such as Computer
and additional distributed software connections. In the Cloud Data Center, pre-planned way. There is no need to instructions to electrical and cooling Sciences Corporation (CSC), BBN (Verizon), Amdocs, Lucent, Terremark
engines, programs, databases, and servers are no longer dedicated slaves constantly re-evaluate if there will be infrastructures to dynamically adapt to (Verizon) and The Climate Project. Mr. Garcia de la Noceda holds a Doctorate
services hosted on third party servers. to a single application, database, or enough IT power and cooling to support support the new requirements. degree in Political Science, and an MBA focused on Information Systems. He is
Of course, that was just the beginning group of users. The Cloud server is a equipment needs. currently the Deerns Global Data Center Practice Manager for the USA and the
and yet to develop into the Cloud resource that can be almost idle in the Doing it right… Americas. Deerns is a Netherlands based Engineering Consulting Company with
Computing model of today. morning, and over taxed in the evening. Cloud Computing changes all The “secret sauce” to a Cloud Data over 80 years of experience, which focuses on critical infrastructures such as Data
Global companies are adopting a that… Center with a sound M&E infrastructure Centers, Call Centers, Operations Centers, Airports, Hospitals, Clean Rooms, and
The Cloud… “follow the sun” strategy with their The modern, Cloud supporting Data is in the Design. A proper design Level 3 & 4 Bio Hazard Labs. Deerns’ approach is particularly focused on energy
The idea of Cloud Computing, using resources to ensure the customer Center needs to be as intelligent and will support these changes in efficiency, reliability, and growth.
the “collective power” of underutilized base will always have the resources as dynamic as the systems it houses. requirements, adapt to them, and do so
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