Availability, security, energy optimization in the data center - 3 topics that complement each other

The topics of availability, security and energy optimization of a data center are still perceived as competing requirements. If you look at data center operations in the last century, this was reality. Lots of cold air, security gates in the entrance area and within the data center space, and an awareness that IT is so valuable that the energy expended justifies the data center operation.

The times of 18 grädiger air from floor plates without an air duct, a physical security that cannot be measured as well as UPS systems that are not operated at an optimal operating point are far from being a thing of the past. The consistent further development of the OT layer of a data center makes it possible to view the conflicting areas of availability, security and energy optimization from a single perspective and to generate mutual benefits.

The highest asset of a data center, availability, must always be considered from the server's point of view. This uses the interface of the OT layer, the rack. It must be possible to measure availability at each rack. Upstream SLAs do not ensure the operation of individual servers. For this reason, availability, security and power optimization must be considered per rack. There, phase utilization of power distribution, optimal server cooling as well as physical security of the data play a decisive role.

These tasks can only be performed by an expert system for the OT layer of a data center. This expert system must be a combination of systems of power distribution, cooling, physical security and a piece of software that orchestrates all relevant information and provides usable KPI's to the user. In this way, it is possible to make optimal use of the energy deployed and to achieve the targeted SLAs.