DC Infrastructure

The monitoring and management of Data Centre infrastructure is vital to a business for many reasons. The old adage "it can't be managed if it isn't monitored" has never more relevant as the complexity and server density in the modern DC continues to increase.  

By putting the appropriate solutions in place, the DC Manager gains increased visibility and control of the critical infrastructure that support the servers, network infrastructure and applications their clients rely on.

Some of the challenges Data Center Managers Face:

Complexity of Infrastructure: 

Modern data centres are highly complex with thousands of interconnected components. Managing this complexity manually is nearly impossible. Many businesses still rely on spreadsheets to record information relating to critical systems and infrastructure.

These silos of information are almost impossible to keep updated and lead to a fragmented view of the systems they relate to. By deploying a DCIM software solution, these silos of information can be consolidated into 'a single version of the truth' which drive efficiency and resilience in the Data Centre.

DC Environmental Monitoring from Sunbird DCIM.

Rapid Technological Changes:

The pace of technological change means that data centre managers must constantly adapt to new hardware, software, and best practices.

Keeping up with these changes can be challenging. Working with a trusted partner who is expert in these fields means that the DC Manager can focus on their core operational responsibilities.

Energy Management:  As energy costs rise and environmental regulations become stricter, managing power consumption and cooling efficiently can be a significant challenge. Both of these issues can be addressed by retro fitting highly efficient free air-cooling systems in the Data Centre.

These systems typically use 90% less energy than traditional direct expansion cooling. By implementing this type of cooling, valuable electrical capacity is released back to the Data Centre and the added benefit of a layer of cooling resilience is realised.

The Return on Investment (ROI) period for these solutions is often less than 12 months.

Scalability: 

As businesses grow, data centres must scale accordingly. Ensuring that the infrastructure can scale without compromising efficiency,  performance or reliability is a constant challenge.

By identifying stranded capacity, implementing scalable, modular power and cooling solutions, the Data Centre can benefit from best of breed efficiency and scalability with zero disruption to service.

Downtime and Reliability: 

Minimizing downtime is crucial for maintaining business continuity. Any failure can lead to significant financial losses and damage to reputation. With comprehensive monitoring of robust, resilient DC infrastructure, and scheduled planned maintenance where relevant, the chance of any outages and associated downtime can be minimised.

The costs of these solutions are minimal when compared to the financial implications to a business if their Data Centre goes offline.

Budget Constraints: 

Implementing and maintaining an efficient, resilient Data Centre is a costly business. Balancing the budget while ensuring the data centre meets all operational requirements is a constant struggle.

By implementing solutions with a defined, demonstrable ROI, the resulting operational savings can be reallocated to BAU (Business As Usual) requirements.

Regulation and Compliance: 

The Data Centre sector is heavily regulated, with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) applying to all UK Data Centres over half a megawatt (typically 20-50 racks).

Compliance requires reporting on complex systems with numerous interconnected components and data points, necessitating a DCIM tool. 

Choosing the right tool can be challenging and costly!

Capacity, Efficiency, and Cost Reduction:

With a constrained grid, obtaining sufficient power can be problematic. We advise on solutions that enhance efficiency, allowing you to host more hardware without increasing total load.

Improved efficiency also reduces costs while increasing capacity. Our case studies demonstrate how our clients achieved ROIs of 12-18 months while eliminating stranded capacity constraints. 

Reducing Risk:

No one wants a 3am call about a Data Centre overheating or an outage.

Our consultants understand this and work with risk-averse clients in sectors like banking, health, telecoms, broadcast, transport, and defence where unplanned downtime costs money, jobs, or even lives.

Choosing the Right Solution: 

With numerous options available, selecting the right DCIM, Racks, PDUs, power, and cooling solutions is crucial.

Our team provides expert guidance backed by real-world case studies, helping you make informed decisions with measurable ROI.