Espaniol
Deutsch
English
The term Infrastructure in the data center consists of core hardware resources and components including all devices, equipment, and technologies. This includes a complete listing of necessary infrastructure components used to create a data center.
Following are the components which are included in a Data Center Infrastructure
- Computers
- Servers
- Networking equipment like routers or switches
- Storage Area Network(SAN) or backup/tape storage
Non-computing resources include
- Power and cooling devices
- Server racks/chassis
- Cables
- Internet backbone
Reducing E-waste
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), by the year 2100, the amount of global waste generated is expected to surge from 1.3 billion tons a year to 4 billion tons.
Let’s have a look at some points to increase the efficiency and reducing the e-waste in a data center.
Rack Density
The most wasted thing in a data center is space. Are we using it wisely? End-Of-Life (EOL) machines and equipment can take up two or three times more space as compared to new servers. Not only in terms of physical space but power capacity as well. One should make sure that the limited space is used in the best possible way.
Keep Cool By Running ‘Hot’
Usually, a data center has to be maintained at 70 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. But what if you could run in the low 80’s and still remains well within the infrastructure guidelines for temperature? Contrary to common wisdom and as per most hardware protocols would indicate, it has been verified that data centers can be kept at higher temperature. Thus by raising temps to 80°F to 82°F from the standard of 70°F or below can save up to two percent per degree on each power bill.
Fight the Power by Powering Down
When workloads aren’t heavy and traffic is expected to remain low, the data centers can reduce the power consumption of certain servers to limit the energy consumed. DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) tools help to identify server usage which helps data center managers to know periods of time when racks can be powered down until greater usage is required.
DCIM tools monitor, measure, manage and/or control IT and building facilities functions to provide engineers with a holistic approach to data center’s performance. This helps to ensure that energy, equipment, and floor space are used in the best possible way. This is very useful as a typical x86 server consumes 30 to 40 percent of its maximum power even when it’s idle producing no work at all.
Old out and New In
IT equipment manufacturers have introduced a new generation of networking products and data center software tools that are more energy-efficient than preceding technologies. An older server replaced with today’s latest advanced technology can utilize 30 percent less energy. Thus four- year lifecycle of the server can save up to $480 dollars. Thousands of such servers in operation can translate to enormous cost reductions.
More and more companies are adopting green policies and take accuracy as a serious concern considering overall mindfulness of their environmental impact. You can contribute by better managing your data center.
