Managing the power requirements of a data center is one of the most critical tasks for any IT department, and its importance will only increase. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, data centers’ power consumption doubled from 2002 to 2006 and is expected to double again from 2006 to 2011. The EPA also reported data centers and servers in the U.S. consumed 61 billion kilowatt-hours of power in 2006. This represents 1.5% of all electricity use in the U.S., with costs totaling $4.5 billion. On a more immediate level, energy prices are not likely to go down anytime soon, while more watts of electricity will be required to accommodate ever burgeoning network traffic, storage, and other demands on data center equipment.
“Electricity costs are skyrocketing, which is a big deal for data centers. If your home electricity bills go up from $45 a month to $60 a month, then it is no big deal since you just spend a few extra bucks,” Joe Skorjanec, technology manager for Eaton (714/540-4229; www.eaton.com), says. “But when you have several hundred thousand dollars in electricity bills, then the magnitude is so much larger. Gaining 6% in efficiency may seem like a small percentage, but it is not when you consider the total costs saved that come with investing in more efficient equipment.”
Given that power will increasingly represent one of the costliest components of a data center, it is in your interest to take a more proactive approach when it comes to how a data center consumes electricity by implementing a solid power distribution plan.
Expert Reliance Power measures, quad feeds, and other terms that are part of an electrician’s lexicon are usually not on the tip of the tongue of the average IT admin. So, when it comes to laying the groundwork for a data center’s electric infrastructure, not to mention implementing a power distribution system, a qualified electrical engineer with a bachelor’s of science degree in tow is usually the best person for the job.
“Most data centers will use a third party with a staff of electrical engineers to plan the infrastructure,” Skorjanec says. “Those that plan and do the building of the electric infrastructure are usually degreed engineers.”
But even with an electrical engineer’s help and input, admins still need to have a solid understanding of how power distribution works and how to use it to lower costs and boost efficiency. It is also necessary to work closely with the third party that manages the construction of the infrastructure before beginning to monitor and maintain the power distribution system once it is implemented.
“It really takes a combined effort because you have the IT manager who has the knowledge of the equipment and what he wants the system to do,” Skorjanec says. “I have seen some cases where they lay the electrical infrastructure, and when [the admins] go to plug the equipment in, there is a disconnect because they can’t even plug in the equipment correctly.”
Much of the work with an engineer will also take place at the very beginning stages of the project, during what Michael Petrino, vice president of PTS Data Center Solutions (www.ptsdcs.com), describes as the planning, predesign, and engineering phases.
“Put simply, a lot of work and steps are completed before the final power equipment order is cast in stone,” Petrino says.
Smarter Power Consumption Calculating the true amount of power the data center requires and how the power is delivered represent the main variables to take into consideration. As an example, careful planning can limit the amount of power distribution-related equipment that needs to be implemented.
“If [you] plan properly, then only two in-feeds (A and B) need to be run to the cabinet to power all of the devices,” Calvin Nicholson, director of product marketing for Server Technology (775/284-2000; www.servertech.com). “This saves on poles at the breaker, the cost of running more whips or additional whips, less cables to block the airflow, etc.”
Overall, there is a direct correlation between the power and cooling needs of a data center environment, Petrino says. “Many of the criteria need to be considered in conjunction with each other in a coordinated plan to have predictable, measurable results,” Petrino says. “Handling power and cooling decisions separately will deliver less-than-optimal results.”
The Technology Factor The adoption of new technologies for power management in the data center has often lagged the overall explosion of IT applications in the workplace. Monitoring power distribution is an example of an important, yet often underutilized technology that can help improve the efficiency of your data center’s electricity consumption.
“We are providing new technologies that allow the user to monitor their power consumption from the outlet, to the device, to the application, to the rack, and even over multiple racks. You cannot improve on something you cannot measure, and many of the ‘green’ efficiency calculations require the user to know the load right at the device,” Nicholson says. “We feel that this is the direction the industry is taking and is not just a trend. The carbon footprint of the [data center] market is larger than the airline industry, and since a [data center] can use as much power and water as a small town, this is not going unnoticed.”
Monitoring products at the very least should have a local meter that offers ampere, voltage, and kilowatt information through a graphical interface, Nicholson says. Monitoring environmental information, such as temperature and humidity levels, requires a power distribution unit that also offers email alerts, SNMP, and other features.
Future Proofing Assessing your power distribution requirements in the near- and long-term, unfortunately, is about as easy as it is to predict future business cycles. It is all the more difficult to anticipate the future because power demands are growing so rapidly, Nicholson says.
“The utility might not even be able to deliver the amount of power required as the [data center’s] demand changes,” Nicholson says. “Also, just because you can power it does not mean you have the ability to cool it, so this must be taken into account.”
Still, admins should attempt to look ahead and prepare for upcoming power distribution needs, regardless of the challenges in doing so. "It is always good to plan for future expansion. Most of the server suppliers offer power calculators on their Web sites so you can get a good idea of the amount of power required now and provide additional or excess power,” Nicholson says. “But overall, this is a very hard thing to predict.”
by Bruce Gain
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