When it comes to colocation and data centers, bandwidth used to be the major concern and clients needed to make sure they had enough of it. Now, however, there’s a new concern: Power.

The Problem

Power, more than bandwidth or rack space, limits the number of servers that can be placed in any given data center. This is due to the restrictions placed on the data center by the hydro company. There is a physical limit on the amount of power that can be run into the building and that limit is set by the cable going into the building. Because of this, it’s necessary for data centers to limit the amount of power that each server is allocated.

The problem for clients comes in to play when their servers take up too much power. The more power a particular server uses, the less is available for other servers. When all the power is allocated, even if all the rack space isn’t full, the data center is considered to be at capacity because there is no more energy available to power additional servers, even though there is still physical space available.

This creates a problem for the data center’s business model because they will want to fill all the physical space available. One way that many data centers chose to solve this problem is to start limiting the amount of power that each server is allowed. When a client goes over the allotted amount of power, a surcharge is placed on that server in order to encourage clients to use less power. In this way, they have better control over how many servers can be placed in the data center in order to fill the room to maximum capacity.

The Solution

For the client, this creates a problem as well. Surcharges can be expensive, especially when the goal is to limit the amount of power allocated to each server. So what ends up happening is that as surcharges get higher, small servers and servers that use a lot of power get forced out of the data center in order to make room for servers that do not use as much power. No matter where you chose to host your servers, this will eventually become a problem.

In order to avoid these inevitable charges, there is one sure fire solution: get power efficient servers. Not all servers are created equal and some are more efficient with power than others. It’s not even based on the size of the server. You can have a small server that uses up considerably more power than a larger, but more energy efficient one.

When choosing a server, make sure you find one that uses energy efficiently. You’ll be helping yourself in the long run because you won’t use nearly as much power as you would if you chose a less efficient server. This way, you’ll save yourself the additional expense of power surcharges. And, as an added bonus, you’ll become a more valued customer by helping the data center efficiently allocate their energy, which will ultimately result in better rates and better service for you.

Author Resource : Saleh Tousi is the CEO of SmarttNet, a Vancouver IT company offering comprehensive business Internet services including Canada Colocation since 1995. Vistit him on the web at http://www.vancouvercolocation.ca/

Efficient and effective cooling is absolutely essential to data centers. Servers generate heat and the more servers that are in the data center, the quicker the room will heat up and the more likely it becomes that the server room will over heat. That’s why air conditioning and a proper cooling system are necessary for the safety and efficiency of the center.

Computer Meltdowns

In the event that the air conditioning fails, it doesn’t take long for the data center to heat up to dangerous levels. Within 15 to 20 minutes a data center can go from 15 degrees Celsius all the way to 30 degrees. This is completely independent of the temperature outside since the heat is generated from the servers in the room.

If the problem is not caught and remedied immediately it will spell disaster for the computers and servers in the center. Some servers will fail immediately due to the high temperatures of the room. Others will hang on and problems won’t be seen right away. However, that doesn’t mean those servers are in the clear. Sometimes it takes a week or two before any problems occur. It may even take up to three months before you see any effects from the air conditioning failure. This doesn’t mean that there was another cause for these problems, it just means in some servers it takes longer for the problems to manifest.

Quicker Death

There doesn’t have to be a catastrophic cooling meltdown for servers to be negatively affected. One way that data centers try to save money is by keeping the temperature of room at 30 degrees Celsius rather than the much safer (and recommended) temperature of 20 degree. Although this doesn’t actually save the facility any amount of money that’s worth discussing, it does have a negative impact on the hardware in the server room. Computers break down faster when they’re kept in rooms that are too warm. They may not experience a sudden meltdown; however over time when exposed to too high temperatures, their life shortens dramatically in comparison to those that are stored in properly cooled environments.

Proper Cooling

These hardware meltdowns are expensive, not only due to the costs of replacing servers, but also in lost revenue for businesses and in lost time. Proper air conditioning as well as a proper monitoring system is absolutely essential in data centers. In the event of a system failure, there should be fail safe devices in place such a thermal warning system that alerts managers immediately if there is a change in data room temperature. That way the problem can be addressed and remedied before any damage is done.

In an effort to save money, some data centers use not so reliable systems to cool their server rooms. These methods include relying on cold winter weather to cool the room or to turn on fans. The problem is, these methods don’t work. Circulating air or hoping outside temperatures are enough to cool the center aren’t adequate. Heat needs to be removed from the data center, not merely moved around. That is why air conditioning is essential, because it actually takes the air out of the room. Any other method of cooling won’t fit the bill and your servers will be subject to disaster.

Author Resource : Saleh Tousi is the CEO of SmarttNet, a Vancouver IT company offering comprehensive business Internet services including Canada Colocation since 1995. Vistit him on the web at http://www.vancouvercolocation.ca/