Advanced Management Solution for Greater Energy Efficiency in Data Centres

As of now, companies can monitor, actively regulate and reduce their data centre's energy consumption by more than 10 percent. This is made possible by the smooth interaction of Rittal RiZone and IBM's MMT (Management and Measurement Tool).

Data centres sometimes account for half the power consumption of a company. On average, a further 37 percent of this proportion is then used for cooling, which means that an ideally customised system saves a lot of money. The integration of Rittal RiZone in IBM's MMT means that server and storage systems can be ideally assigned so they are suited to the needs of the applications. At the same time, cooling is adapted to the environmental parameters.

"Now, for the first time, a comprehensive energy management solution is available for all parts of a data centre", says Bernd Hanstein, Vice-President for Product Management System Solutions at Rittal in Herborn. "To make this possible, the two market leaders Rittal and IBM have coordinated their solutions in a number of steps. Since 2009, we have been offering a comprehensive reporting function for busbars and sensors in racks in the form of Rittal's CMC monitoring solution and IBM's Systems Director Active Energy Manager." Linking Rittal RiZone to the IBM MMT enables cooling power to be adjusted. Climate control is steered actively and automatically based on comprehensive rules and control loops. The energy-efficient arrangement of the dynamic IT infrastructure is performed while the system runs through a systematic diagnosis and analysis of all infrastructure parameters such as temperature, humidity or CPU usage.

Vastly reduced energy consumption
IBM already employs its MMT solution worldwide at more than 80 customers and IBM data centres, and the company has been able to cut energy consumption by more than 10%. For one thing, it has led to savings of over 12 million kWh so far in IBM data centres, while more than 150 climate control units have been shut down.

Before introducing the RiZone-enhanced solution, IBM tested the behaviour of the systems and controls in part of its own data centre containing 84 servers, two blade centres, 10 TB of SAN storage, and four switches. The systems were working at up to 70 percent of their capacity with a constant workload. Through the use of IBM MMT and Rittal RiZone, the energy consumed for cooling has been reduced from 24.1 to 17.8 kWh and it has been possible to change the ideal set point for the ambient temperature from 20°C to 24.63°C on the cooling system by using optimization algorithms. These higher flow temperatures provide greater potentials for saving on climate control.

Perfect interaction
Rittal RiZone recognises IBM MMT as an SNMP-enabled terminal device. While RiZone monitors the data from the data centre, MMT ensures the optimisation. The interaction of both solutions provides a complete view of the entire infrastructure and enables MMT to regulate and control active processes such as the server standby function via IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager or the cooling units. This way, data centre operators can perform integrated trend analyses and evaluations, as well as optimise the load on their system in terms of energy and, for example, assign IT resources to the cooling capacity that is still available in the various data centre zones.
"Right now, no comparable, integrated and modular solution is commercially available. It is technically, environmentally and economically highly promising", adds Dr. Hendrik Hamann, Chief Developer of MMT, at IBM Research in the USA.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Class I Division 2?

Image
A Class I Division 2 is a location: (1) In which volatile flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are handled, processed, or used, but in which the liquids, vapors, or gases will normally be confined within closed containers or closed systems from which they can escape only in case of accidental rupture or breakdown of such containers or systems or in case of abnormal operation of equipment, or (2) In which ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors are normally prevented by positive mechanical ventilation, and which might become hazardous through failure or abnormal operation of the ventilating equipment. Class I Division 2 Classification Class I Division 2 refers to the ANSI/ISA 12.12.01 standard. This standard was previously UL1604 until UL recommended the newer ANSI/ISA standard be used and that all hazardous location products be certified under this standa
Read more

FUSE SIZING CONSIDERATIONS FOR HIGHER EFFICIENCY MOTORS

Image
When selecting the proper fuse for short circuit protection in motor starting applications, it is important to not only ensure that the fuse will not nuisance open during motor start up times, but also that the fuse will coordinate as required with overload relays. When sizing fuses between 125% and 150% of the motor nameplate current, several advantages, including ease of coordination with an overload device, a smaller disconnect, and increased short circuit protection from a lower fuse rating, can be achieved. However, if sizing at this level prevents the motor from starting, it may then be necessary to increase the fuse ampere rating and it then becomes important to know the NEC sizing limitations. As of June 1, 2016, the US Department of Energy has mandated that newly manufactured electric motors will need to meet NEMA Premium® efficiency standards. As motor efficiencies increase, motor locked rotor currents can also be expected to increase. In addition to this, with across-the-lin
Read more

7/8 16UN Connectors that Provide 600 Volts and 15 Amps

TURCK announces new A-Size 3 and 4-pin 7/8 16UN powerfast™ connectors that provide up to 600 Volts and 15 Amps of power. These IP67 rated connectors provide a modular wiring system designed to handle high current applications for machine power distribution, while providing resistance to vibration commonly associated with conveyors, motors and material handling applications. The cordsets are available with a tray rated, exposed run PVC flexlife ® cable, with or without STOOW rating, and 14 AWG wires that allow you to replace hard wiring with a robust, quick disconnect system that saves the time and money spent installing a conduit system. The A-Size powerfast line offers male and female, straight connectors, standard and custom lengths, and pigtails or extensions. To make the system complete, fully encapsulated mating receptacles, with 1/2”-14 NPT mounting threads are available.
Read more