Environmental Monitoring Channel Feature

Data Center Manager's Cheat Sheet for Proactive Environmental Monitoring

By Carrie Schmelkin
TMCnet Web Editor

Many data center managers might be aware of the importance of having environmental monitoring units in places housing critical infrastructure; after all, a sprinkler burst or busted A/C can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs and replacements for companies.

Other managers might even be aware of the importance of in-row monitoring, or making sure that you are monitoring the top, middle, bottom, side, front, back, etc., of the server rack because temperatures and other enviromentals can vary in different parts of the rack based on how much a server may be processing.

But what are some other easy-to-implement tips that all enterprises and data center managers should put into place? The first is to test sensors on a regular basis.

“Routine testing of sensors is essential,” Mo Sheikh, marketing programs manager for ITWatchDogs, said in a recent article. “Certain sensors, like water detectors or smoke detectors, need to be tested more regularly because unlike temperature or humidity, which can show revealing trends over time, water detectors and smoke detectors are likely to be an all-or-nothing event.  Periodically dunking water sensors in a cup or blowing smoke at a smoke sensor will confirm the sensors are operational.”

For over a decade, ITWatchDogs has manufactured climate and power monitoring systems enabling administrators to monitor server room conditions through a Web browser with a live video feed and current measurements of temperature, humidity, air flow, light, sound, power, water leakage and door position, showing current and historical data through HTTPS and providing SNMP/Email alarming under abnormal conditions.

In addition to routinely testing sensors, the environmental monitoring leader suggests reviewing alarm settings since alarms are often set and then forgotten about. Not only is it possible that as a manager you will have to change your threshold, but it is also possible that alert recipients will have to change.

Moreover, Sheikh recommends keeping firmware current as firmware updates provide additional features along with any bug fixes.

When asked about other cost-effective measures enterprises can take, Sheikh said, “Invest in an environmental monitoring solution that doesn’t have a significant cost of ownership.”

“There are options out there for environmental monitors that come without the cost of a ‘maintenance and support subscription’ charges for tech support and firmware upgrades,” he said. “A long-term data center management and monitoring solution is critical to preserving an IT investment, but it should not generate recurring expenses that degrade ROI.”

In other company news, ITWatchDogs recently sat down with TMCnet to discuss how it stands out amongst the pack in various ways – from its ability to offer a variety of sensor measurements including temperature, humidity, airflow monitoring units to its commitment to helping facility administrators protect critical infrastructure. But there is one other specific element that makes this dog have the loudest bark – its cost of ownership.

Unlike its competitors, ITWatchDogs prides itself on offering free lifetime technical support and firmware upgrades and on not charging for Maintenance Support & Update Service (MSUS) agreements.

“At ITWatchDogs, we believe an environmental monitoring solution should not charge subscription fees for tech support and software updates,” Sheikh told TMCnet. “A long-term data center management and monitoring solution is critical to preserving your IT investment, but it should not generate recurring expenses that degrade ROI.”