Debunking Common Myths About Thermal Surveys
Welcome to Keep Your Cool - a series tackling simple cooling optimization strategies for the busy data center operators by former busy data center operator, Gregg Haley.
One of the best ways to maintain optimal data center performance is by conducting a thermal survey of the white space. These surveys allow you to systematically assess and evaluate what’s happening right now and check if there are any potential issues. Yet, despite the benefits there are various factors may deter data center operators from undertaking such surveys. Let's explore these challenges and unveil effective strategies for navigating them.
1.Cost Constraints:
Implementing thermal monitoring systems can involve upfront costs for equipment, sensors, and software. Some data centers may prioritize other investments over thermal monitoring due to budget limitations.
Purkay Labs offers customizable Thermal Survey, where we provide all the equipment, software and personnel to conduct a survey at your facility. The cost of the Service is quoted based upon the type of survey requested and the size of the facility being assessed.
2. Lack of Awareness: Some operators may not fully understand the benefits of thermal surveys or the risks associated with inadequate cooling. Without awareness, they might overlook the importance of regular monitoring.
Having experienced some privately owned regional colocation facilities, it became evident that the incumbent leadership was not well versed in the dynamics of cooling and airflow within the white space. Thus little effort was put into determining the root cause of temperature anomalies, it was after walking them through the “why” that things were behaving in the manner they were that they came to realize the need for better monitoring. A Thermal Assessment can result in improved cooling performance, cost savings, and a better data center environment.
3. Assumption of Adequate Cooling: Data center managers might assume that their existing cooling systems are sufficient without conducting formal surveys. However, assumptions can lead to unexpected issues if conditions change or equipment is added.
Many data centers calculate the capacity of their cooling in kilowatts and compare that to the kilowatt load of the IT equipment, as long as the cooling capacity is greater then they are satisfied with the results. However, airflow management and any one of a plethora of conditions can be preventing adequate cooling to sections of the data center. Only precise monitoring and/or a thermal survey can identify those deficiencies and point to where remedial attention should be performed.
4. Maintenance Challenges: Performing thermal surveys requires access to the white space, which can be challenging in live data centers. Shutting down or reconfiguring equipment for surveys may disrupt operations.
The Purkay Labs Assessment Service utilized tools that are portable, free standing (never touching racks or cooling equipment) and measure the ambient air temperatures being delivered to the server inlets, as well as the server exhaust temperatures. At no time does any equipment need to be taken out of service to perform our assessments, unless it is scripted by the client, for the purpose of testing “what if” scenarios.
5. Complexity and Expertise: Properly interpreting thermal data and making informed decisions based on it require expertise. Some data center staff may lack the necessary knowledge or training.
The Purkay Labs technicians possess decades of data center experience and have performed assessments in many critical facility environments. Our reports provide the expertise in a format that anyone can understand and take action on when necessary.
6. Legacy Infrastructure: Older data centers with legacy infrastructure might not have built-in monitoring capabilities or the ability to retrofit thermal sensors easily.
The Purkay Labs equipment, being stand alone, does not require legacy equipment being retrofitted to accommodate our sensors. Regardless of the vintage of the cooling infrastructure our sensors are collecting the ambient air temperature at server inlet, exhaust or cooling system supply and return.
7. Risk Aversion: Some operators may avoid thermal surveys due to concerns about discovering issues that require immediate action. Ignorance might seem preferable to addressing potential problems.
The Purkay Labs Assessment report will identify areas of concern, some of which may require immediate attention, but that decision is the clients alone to make. Understanding where the concerns are located the client can prioritize remedial actions at their discretion and risk tolerance.
8. Maintenance Window Constraints: Data centers often operate 24/7, leaving limited windows for maintenance activities. Conducting thermal surveys during downtime might not align with operational schedules.
Purkay Labs assessments are typically conducted during normal business hours and not in Maintenance Windows. The sensors being free standing do not interfere with normal operations of the data center. Our Long Scan or time lapse Assessment may collect data for several days, taking samples every minute, but do not interfere with normal operations. If during one of these assessments the Client wishes to rotate equipment and measure the effect it is within their purview to do so. The Purkay Labs sensors will just continue to collect data for later interpretation.
9. Perceived Low Priority: In busy data center environments, other tasks (such as hardware upgrades, security, or capacity planning) might take precedence over thermal monitoring.
The demand on human resources within a data center often results in a lower priority for a thermal survey. Purkay Labs providing the sensors, software and resources to conduct the Thermal Assessment removes those blockades.
10. Compliance Gaps: Although standards like ASHRAE TC 9.9 provide guidelines for thermal management, not all data centers adhere to them. Compliance gaps can lead to neglecting thermal surveys.
Purkay Labs provides the end user with data concerning the environment at every measured point, whether it be a single rack or every rack in the data hall. This can be useful in settling Service Level Agreement disputes or capturing the impact of changes made that may have unexpected consequences.
In summary, while thermal surveys are essential for efficient energy usage and preventing outages, various factors can influence a data center’s decision not to conduct them.
Learn more about Purkay Labs Assessment Services by following this link: https://www.purkaylabs.com/assessment-service