The STATUS project uses a wireless sensor network to track servers in a server farm. Wireless motes are attached to each server and form clusters within racks, with a cluster head connecting to other racks. Motes send periodic presence messages while cluster heads forward data and alarm messages to a base station. The system monitors asset status remotely. Future improvements may include external sensors, actuation capabilities, and energy harvesting to increase battery life.

1. STATUS project
An Overview
Fabrizio Stefani
fabrizio.stefani@arslogica.it

2. © ARSLOGICA srl 2
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
SUMMARY
STATUS (WSN project)
Server Farms – Asset Management
General WSN topology
Cluster of Motes
Asset Management with WSN
Work in Progress (STATUS v2)
Future Improvements (STATUS v3)

3. VIGILIA - STATUS
STATUS is a sub-project of VIGILIA (WSN)
© ARSLOGICA srl 3
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
Sensor
Tags and
Advanced
Tracking of
Unattended
Servers
Problem:
Asset management in a server farm
Solution:
Use wireless sensor networks
to mark servers, acquire data
and create a wireless network
to deliver events/alarms to a
base station

4. Server Farm: Asset Management
A Server Farm (data centers, render farms, link farms, ...) is a collection of
servers located in the same closed environment (building) to centralize
management, maintainance and security
Servers are stacked in racks, which form groups
• Up to 100 servers/rack
• Tens of racks for group
• Tens of groups
Servers can be moved or turned
on/off for maintenance, inspection,
upgrading, substitution
How to track server movements?
How to dinamically control the
asset?
Use Wireless Sensor Network!
© ARSLOGICA srl
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
Server
Rack
Group

5. General WSN topology
Gateway Base station
Cluster-head
Information
system
© ARSLOGICA srl 5
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
ALmote
Internet
Cluster
Radio MCU
Sensors

6. A mote (RFID + sensing capabilities) is attached to each server
© ARSLOGICA srl
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
Cluster of Motes
Cluster Node
(battery powered)
Server
Rack
Cluster Head
(cable powered)
Periodically, every mote sends a
“presence message”
Cluster
Tx power of motes is low, the rack
shields the motes signals which cannot
exit from the rack
Only the Cluster Head can reach out of
the rack, forming a multihop network with
other cluster heads

7. Asset Management with WSN
One (or more) gateway collect data from the wireless
network and forward them to a (remote) Base Station
Asset status can be monitored and managed remotely
© ARSLOGICA srl
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t
Monitoring station
Gateway
Mesh Network

8. STATUS v2 (work in progress)
At startup the Cluster Heads listen for Cluster Nodes and create a list of
nodes to monitor (Discovery Phase), informing the base station of their
work (send event messages)
Completed the discovery phase the cluster heads continue to listen to
cluster nodes but send to base station only alarm messages
Events: Alarms:
Data (temp, power
voltage) sent from a
cluster head
A new node is added to a
cluster
A new node appeared in a
cluster
A node in the cluster is lost
A cluster node has Low battery
A node is at High temperature
The signal strength (RSSI) from
a node has suspiciously
changed, node is moving?
© ARSLOGICA srl
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t

9. Future Improvements (STATUS v3?)
Add external sensors to monitor environmental parameters (e.g.
temperature in the rack)
Add actuation capabilities to (autonomously) operate in particular
situations (e.g. temperature grows Þ increase ventilation flux)
Use energy scavenging systems to increase battery duration
© ARSLOGICA srl 9
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t

10. Future Improvements (STATUS v3?)
Add external sensors to monitor environmental parameters (e.g.
temperature in the rack)
Add actuation capabilities to (autonomously) operate in particular
situations (e.g. temperature grows Þ increase ventilation flux)
Use energy scavenging systems to increase battery duration
© ARSLOGICA srl 9
w w w . a r s l o g i c a . i t