Issue 6, Oct/Nov 2009
FOCUS DATA CENTER MEASUREMENT
PROVEN DATA CENTER TECHNOLOGIES
THAT SAVE ENERGY Use of measurement and management technologies can transform a traditional data center
growth requirements. T
The center was originally built in 1999 to host a client center whose mission was to enable client IT infrastructures with server and storage technologies. The facility was built in a former working lab within one of the campus buildings. It consisted of several client meeting rooms and data center space, which was divided between a showcase area and a production IT data center. The showcase area displayed the leading-edge server technologies in a glass enclosure, and the working space contained a production IT area of servers, storage, and network gear.
Cooling of the area to be transformed was provided by a single Liebert air-conditioning unit. A range of power configurations (standard 110V/15A to 3 Phase 220V/60A circuits) provided power to the IT equipment. The power and cooling was deemed sufficient to serve the IT requirements for the center’s mission for years to come. The center was built on a raised floor structure with perforated tiles to assist in air circulation.
Over the years the server inventory was continually updated to the latest technologies and additional capacity was added, putting strain on the infrastructure. The IT equipment – including BladeCenter, System p, System i, System x, System z, and TotalStorage – were regularly added to the Design Center. Each of these servers was a foundation for new technologies such as multi-core processors, extremely dense server enclosures, and virtualisation features.
The expansion was routinely handled by introducing new hardware. If needed, new power circuits were added. This trend continued for several years until it was noticed that the ambient temperature of the area was increasing. Some tuning of the cooling infrastructure was performed but this only provided a short-term fix.
By mid-2008, it was clear there was a problem with the server infrastructure in the Design Center; the power and cooling capacities of the facility had been increased to maximum
he IBM Design Center Data Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, was running out of cooling capacity and needed to address continuing IT
levels and there was no further opportunity to add power or cooling without significant costs. Triggered alarms from the cooling unit became a common occurrence as temperatures rose. Something had to be done to fix the problem.
MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES (MMT) The Survey and Analysis module of the MMT service offering is a methodology for assessing the efficiency of the cooling within the entire data center. It is based on detailed temperature, humidity and airflow measurements taken using IBM-developed equipment and software.
MMT captures data using a unique sensor array, scanning all relevant sections of the data center from floor to just above the tops of the racks. A cart, shown in Figure 1, with thermal sensors mounted in a defined 3D pattern, is rolled through the data center while data is logged and mapped onto a co-ordinate grid. Measurements are also made on the air handling equipment, perforated tiles, and IT power levels within the facility.
The MMT cart and associated analysis software have been used in data centers throughout the world to identify inefficiencies, improve equipment cooling performance and save energy.
Along with the temperature and humidity data, the airflow and power information that is collected is then analysed using IBM software. A full 3D map is produced detailing temperature, humidity and airflow, as well as evaluation of the cooling system performance and energy consumption metrics.
Some of the key measurements surveyed in the Poughkeepsie data center include:
• Approximately 9,100 temperature measurements
• Measured airflow from all perforated tiles • Return and discharge temperatures and airflow on the Air Conditioning Unit (ACU) • All relevant data center power levels
Figure 2a and 2b show MMT scans at Z=0.5ft and 7.5ft, respectively, and the associated American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommended inlet air temperature guideline
Figure 2b: MMT Scan at Z=7.5 ft of 64.4 to 80.6 o F. Z denotes the vertical height
above the raised floor. Note that at a height of just 0.5ft there are already very high inlet temperatures on the storage unit directly in front of the ACU. The inlet side of the rack is indicated with a blue line.
The MMT cart collects temperature data in intervals of 1ft, starting at 0.5ft off the floor. Note there is a significant temperature increase at the inlets at the top of the racks as seen in Figure 2b. In addition, there is significant recirculation on the servers in the top-left
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Figure 1: MMT Survey and Analysis cart
Figure 2a: MMT Scan at Z=0.5 ft
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