Early Installation: A Game-Changer for Colocation Data Centers.
Colocation data center providers must monitor temperature in their data centers. It’s just a fact driven by a service level obligation to customers. No surprises there.
Seemingly because it has always been done this way, environmental monitoring solutions are installed very late in the game, and often in a last-minute rush as customers start rolling in.
It shouldn’t be that way because installing environmental monitoring solutions during new data center construction has surprising benefits for colocation data center providers.
Benefit 1 – Budget
The cost of the solution can be included in the construction budget, alongside data center facilities components like electrical, mechanical, cooling, controls and BMS.
Benefit 2 – Work and Resources
The best time to install data center environmental monitoring is when the contractors are on site to install the facilities systems like electrical, mechanical, cooling, controls and BMS.
The the right people with the right tools and are already on site so the installation can be done early, without needing yet another project to manage later.
Benefit 3 – Data Center Testing and Commissioning
The environmental monitoring solution can be used to assist with testing and commissioning of the new data center prior to handover to operations.
The data center and facilities components can be monitored for leaks, correct operating temperature, airflow and more. The results of monitoring can be included in testing and commissioning reports.
Benefit 4 - Readiness
Early installation means the data center can be ready for customers sooner. With the monitoring solution installed early monitoring is operating in readiness for the first customer to arrive.
It’s one less thing that needs to be done after construction and is a benefit that can be sold to customers.
Choosing the right solution matters
Many data center environmental monitoring solutions can only be installed once a data center is handed over to operations.
What makes the wrong solution choice and what makes the right solution choice?
Avoid solutions that require:
- An appliance installed in a rack
- Wired sensors
- Wi-Fi
- Add-on modules for PDUs
- Vendor lock-in to one BMS system
- Vendor lock-in to one DCIM system
Choose the solution that can:
- Be installed early
- Be installed without being rack mounted
- Be installed high and out of the way
- Offer flexible mounting options
- Use wireless sensors
- Work without Wi-Fi
- Use common protocols including Modbus, BACnet, SNMP, and API
- Support data center grey space and white space monitoring
