Environmental Monitoring Channel Feature
What to Consider When Choosing an Environmental Monitoring Solution
For this reason, the majority of forward-thinking companies have deployed environmental monitoring solutions, which notify IT personnel of a number of potentially harmful conditions that can paralyze a data center and set the company back thousands of dollars.
Organizations that have yet to deploy an environmental monitoring solution – or those that wish to upgrade their existing sensors – should look for devices that alert administrators of all unwanted conditions, not just some.
Possibly the most concerning condition for a data center is temperature. Computing and networking equipment generate high levels of heat, which can damage and even destroy sensitive server components.
Data center managers need to worry about more than just extreme heat, however. Even mild upswings in temperature can accelerate the aging of semiconductors, says Marc Bilodeau of Enterprise Networks and Servers in an Enterprise Networks & Servers article. Temperatures will rise quite quickly if a fan or air conditioning unit stops working, so monitoring for airflow is also very important. This can help prevent temperature-related incidents before they occur.
Ambient (News 
- Alert) temperatures can also vary considerably throughout the server room. Therefore, IT decision makers should deploy sensors in multiple locations in a data center, including at the top, middle, and bottom of each server rack. Most industry experts believe that microprocessor-based sensors provide the best results.
Another key capability to look for in environmental sensors is the capacity to monitor humidity. Too much humidity leads to corrosion and rust, while too little humidity creates an excess of static electricity that can fry components through high-voltage electrostatic discharges.
A third factor to consider when choosing an environmental monitoring solution is a comprehensive notification system. Because alarms can go off at any point, it is extremely important to have a number of ways to alert the appropriate personnel. If an alarm is triggered in the evening or during the holidays, a bare-bones notification system simply won't do. Today's top solutions – including those offered by ITWatchdogs – provide users with a secure Web interface and live video feeds. The company's sensors can also alert IT managers of harmful conditions through text message, email or other alarms.
Data centers should also heavily consider deploying solutions that monitor for the presence of water – one of the most damaging elements to networking and computer equipment. Leaks, sprinkler malfunctions and everyday plumbing issues can virtually destroy a data center in minutes. Environmental sensors that monitor for water can save a company’s thousands of dollars in both repair costs and downtime.
Door position – or dry contact – is an underrated but highly necessary condition to monitor. These terms refer to unauthorized entry into a server room or rack enclosure. Malicious attacks and even unintentional disturbances can put a company in both physical and legal peril.
Voltage sensors are also important as they help mitigate the ramifications of power-related malfunctions, including brown-outs, power surges and breaker failures. The absence of line voltage can kill power to vital units like fans, air conditioners and other equipment.
Top-end environmental monitoring solutions also identify the presence of smoke, sound and light.
ITWatchdogs develops a suite of solutions that include the aforementioned sensors. Click here to find out more about the company's lineup of environmental monitoring products.
Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Carrie Schmelkin
Server Room Climate & Power Monitoring
