Maximize Efficiency of Data Center Electricity Consumption with Reliable Network Connectivity

Data centers operate under various business models and exhibit significant diversity in terms of size, scale, and execution. For instance, enterprises often construct private data centers to cater to their specific operational requirements. Conversely, colocation data centers can be considerably larger than the average private facility and are aimed at providing data center services for rent to medium-sized businesses transitioning to cloud services. Whether they consist of conventional servers mounted on racks in a temperature-regulated room within a brick-and-mortar structure, or modular prefabricated building units engineered for swift deployment, all data centers necessitate identical fundamental IT, electricity, cooling, fire safety, and access management components. Consequently, any effort to enhance Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) must also encompass power administration and efficiency in environmental monitoring.

Key Electricity Management

The high-capacity servers within a data center count on a diverse range of electrical appliances such as Automatic Transfer Switches (ATSs), meters, circuit breakers, and controllers for Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to guarantee continuous power supply and regulate consumption. Especially for colocation data centers that derive income from providing data processing and storage services to other organizations, system downtime is intolerable. Even the temporary shutdown of a private data center could result in an enterprise losing hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour. To remain online and operational at all times, network solutions within data centers must be capable of enduring the electrical interferences conventionally observed in UPS rooms and electrical rooms. Data center infrastructures, in fact, contain a considerable amount of electromagnetic interference or vibrations. Only industrial-quality solutions equipped with at least level 3 Electro Magnetic Susceptibility (EMS) protection, wide operational temperature ranges, and rapid network restoration can guarantee uninterrupted and seamless service for all crucial power appliances within a data center.

To ensure superior redundancy for Ethernet-based communications and remote equipment surveillance in noisy settings, data centers can leverage industrial-grade network solutions with level 3 EMS protection. In addition to featuring durable, fanless designs for extended lifespan, industrial-grade Ethernet appliances may also support intelligent network recovery options for proactive monitoring of distant equipment. For example, Moxa’s Turbo Ring redundancy delivers network recovery in less than 50 milliseconds for a core network, ensuring smooth operation. Industrial-grade Ethernet switches with wide operational temperature ranges of -40 to 75°C, level 3 EMS protection, and network recovery in milliseconds all contribute to minimizing downtime for critical electricity management.

Environmental Surveillance

The high-performance servers in data centers generate significant heat. It is imperative to monitor and control all environmental factors such as air quality, temperature, and gas levels meticulously to prevent any disruption to data center operations. Consequently, data centers allocate substantial costs to cooling and environmental management. Acquiring precise, precise, and timely readings of these environmental variables empowers data center engineers to address anomalies promptly and reduce potential harm. For instance, data centers utilizing liquid cooling systems to dissipate the immense heat emanating from servers also need to install leak detection sensors and alert systems. To guarantee the proper functioning of the cooling system and prevent server overheating, data centers deploy numerous sensors and Input/Output (I/O) devices for environmental monitoring. Streamlining the installation of these sensors and reducing overall operating expenses are pivotal factors for an efficient environmental monitoring network. Furthermore, data centers also require a reliable connectivity and networking solution to ensure precise acquisition and transmission of sensor data.

Similar to essential electricity management, robust network continuity can enhance PUE for environmental surveillance. For instance, data centers can profit from user-friendly software configuration tools that facilitate rapid deployment and minimize support requirements. Employing hardware with a modular design featuring adaptable wiring connections for multiple sensors and I/Os not only enables scalability, but also aids in controlling operational expenses by simplifying the network structure. For instance, utilizing an Ethernet remote I/O equipped with an integrated 2-port switch for daisy-chain networking topology lets data centers save costs linked with deploying extra switches and cabling. The more convenient it is for engineers to oversee the data center environment, the simpler it becomes for them to curtail unnecessary power consumption and costs while maintaining service efficiency.

Moxa’s Solutions

To aid data center IT and IA professionals in optimizing power efficiency for their facilities, a comprehensive range of industrial-quality Ethernet solutions is accessible. Tailored for ensuring robust network connectivity for power appliances and environmental monitoring systems within noisy conditions, these items showcase a rugged design that offers Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) resilience, extensive operational temperature ranges, as well as swift network recovery times. Customized functionalities such as straightforward control logic or Ethernet cascading may also deliver more versatility and scalability to accommodate diverse data center requirements and contribute to efficient energy utilization. Lastly, intelligent I/Os supporting Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Modbus TCP streamline data acquisition for environmental monitoring to sustain key systems online.

To delve deeper into industrial-grade Ethernet solutions for optimizing data center PUE, visit the website, or download the data center application  flyer.