How do you ensure servers work at full capacity all the time? Temperature control is your answer. Computing equipment generates a lot of heat. Therefore, cooling systems are needed to maintain a lower temperature and ensure safety of the machinery. If not, it can result in a lot of energy wastage and unwanted repair costs.
According to the US General Services Administration, a temperature between 22-26°C is ideal.
There are 3 ways temperature can impact your systems
Systems can shut down; costly server room fires can occur
CPU level errors and errors in applications
Fan equipment is stressed, which reduces equipment life
How do you ensure temperature control?
Without a temperature monitoring system, it is impossible to control the environment. Temperature monitoring technologies in data centers play an important role in avoiding damage, improving performance, and reducing energy expenditure.
Let’s take a look at three ways to increase temperature monitoring efficiency.
Server rack temperature monitoring
Temperature within a single rack (in a non-temperature controlled environment) may vary by as much as 9.5°C, with the top of the rack being the hottest and the bottom the coolest. In this case, it is better to place your temperature sensor at the top of the rack to provide a ‘worst case’ reading. Installing the sensor at the middle will provide an average reading.
Also, avoid direct airflow over temperature sensors as this can cause false readings.
In some instances it may be beneficial to locate a sensor adjacent to hardware that is susceptible to temperature fluctuations.
Another important consideration is to make sure your server rack temperature monitoring setup generates automated alerts in case of temperatures exceeding safe levels.
Ambient room monitoring
For environmental monitoring of the room, one could also place the sensor in potential “hot zones” inside the server room or data center; or near the air conditioning units for early failure detection of the systems.
When using cold corridors inside the data center, then the ambient air temperature outside the corridor should be around 37°C to reduce energy costs. When using hot corridors it is important to monitor temperature across the room to ensure that sufficient cold air gets to each rack.
Temperature sensors need to be placed at strategic locations around the server room to provide data center managers with real-time information about how hot or cool the facility is.
It is also useful to try different locations over set periods of time to see which locations provide you with a reliable and stable reading.
The rack-based Temperature Monitoring System from Hardy Racks is a good example of a rack-based temperature monitoring solution that automates the process of temperature maintenance within a data center. Here, the temperature monitoring system can be fitted with one, two, or three digital thermometers. In the event of any one of the temperature values exceeding the setpoint (that can be customized by the user), the internal buzzer, digital output, and relay contacts are turned on. As a result, the user is notified of rising temperatures and can promptly take corrective action. Want to know more? Contact us today, so we can help!