In today’s digital era, data is invaluable. It serves as the cornerstone for research, asset databases, and more. Data itself is stored in data centers. To safeguard this data properly, it is crucial to have well-maintained data center facilities.
Owning and operating a data center is complex and costly. Data center owners must continuously consider how to minimize costs, optimize efficiency, and ensure high availability. Key concerns include cost savings, total cost of ownership, and downtime. These factors are interconnected and significantly impact one another. In this context, we will discuss the challenges faced by data centers and explore strategies to address these challenges.
Challenges in Data Centers
Data centers face various challenges that hinder efficiency and availability. These challenges can be broadly categorized as follows:
1. Design and Supply Chain
Design and supply chain are like two sides of the same coin in data center optimization. On one hand, data center design must meet the evolving needs of IT infrastructure, considering efficient power distribution. On the other hand, supply chain management plays a critical role in ensuring the procurement of high-quality equipment and timely delivery to minimize downtime.
2. Aspirational vs. Actual
Even the best data center designs cannot predict future needs. Changing business and technological requirements over time create a gap between the initial data center design and its actual operational setup. For example, an initial design may allocate space for 100 servers, but over time, the company may need to add more servers. This can lead to congestion, overheating, and other issues that affect the performance and reliability of the data center.
3. Operational Silos
Data centers often operate in silos with different teams responsible for various aspects of the facility. This can lead to miscommunication and conflicts between teams. To overcome this challenge, operators should adopt a collaborative approach, ensuring smooth communication and coordination among teams.
4. Lack of Facility Tracking
Data centers often lack comprehensive tracking and monitoring systems. This can lead to inefficiencies and losses due to poor facility coordination. Implementing good monitoring and tracking systems can help identify and address potential issues before they become major problems.
5. Variable IT on Fixed Infrastructure
Data centers also struggle to balance the needs of IT infrastructure with fixed facility infrastructure. This can lead to inefficiencies and downtime due to facility failures or maintenance issues. To address this challenge, data centers should adopt flexible and adaptable solutions to keep pace with changing IT infrastructure demands.
Addressing Challenges with ACE Performance Score
To tackle these challenges, data centers can implement an approach that integrates efficient design, supply chain management, and good facility management. One key tool that can help data center operators achieve this is the ACE Performance Score.
The ACE Performance Score is a comprehensive metric that assesses data center performance based on the following factors:
- Availability: The ACE Performance Score evaluates data center availability, including uptime and downtime.
- Capacity: It also assesses the data center’s capacity to handle increasing IT infrastructure needs.
- Efficiency: The ACE Performance Score evaluates the efficiency of data center power consumption and cooling systems.
Function and Operation of the ACE Performance Score
The ACE Performance Score works by analyzing data from various sources, including sensors, monitoring systems, and facility management software. It then calculates a score to provide a performance assessment of the data center across the three key factors. Scores are calculated based on predefined criteria and benchmarks to ensure reliability.
Conclusion
Owning and operating a data center is complex and costly. Data center owners and operators must find ways to reduce costs through efficient methods and good facility management. By understanding all aspects and their functions, data centers can operate more efficiently and optimally, ultimately reducing costs.
Prime DCS is part of the solution for developing efficient and integrated Greenship Data Centers. Prime DCS aims to raise awareness of the importance of efficient and optimal data centers. With Prime DCS’s presence, Indonesia can take a step forward in energy efficiency. Contact us now here.
