1 Session ITM 1.5 Reducing Data Center Risk through Strategic Infrastructure and Maintenance Decisions Randy Bishop

2 Data Center World – Certified Vendor Neutral Each presenter is required to certify that their presentation will be vendor-neutral. As an attendee you have a right to enforce this policy of having no sales pitch within a session by alerting the speaker if you feel the session is not being presented in a vendor neutral fashion. If the issue continues to be a problem, please alert Data Center World staff after the session is complete.

3 Reducing Data Center Risk through Strategic Infrastructure and Maintenance Decisions Learn about the processes that govern best practices to assist in the security and longevity of IT physical assets. By sharing his “Top 10 Most Neglected Data Centers” list, the speaker will provide insight and instruction regarding how to know where your assets are and how to help to ensure they operate at peak performance. Additionally, he will provide a step-by-step overview of how to assure that appropriate cleaning, maintenance and airflow management standards are met in order to keep equipment running reliably and efficiently.

4 Introduction

5 I’m SURE this doesn’t apply to any of you, but just to be safe…

6 Why care? Why do you care? Cost Efficiency Human Health Equipment Longevity Reliability/Uptime Why do I care? ANY service provider should make it their job to ensure that your data center is running optimally

7 Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

8 Cleaning & Airflow – A Perfect Pairing Why optimize with cleaning and airflow? Don’t circulate dirty air/particles Hot spots easily observed in intricate cleaning process Perforated tile and other airflow technologies function best when clean Remove sub-floor obstructions that hinder airflow Once professional cleaners have been “in front of the cabinet,” they better understand airflow needs

9 Physical Maintenance Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

10 To begin, where does the dirt and contamination come from? The human body – dandruff, germs, chemicals Various particles – soil, carpet fiber, food Metallic items – shavings, pieces Biological waste – mold, rust Organic materials – wood, rubber, plastic Raw concrete from the subfloor deck

11 What are manufacturing standards? Requirements YOUR data center must uphold before big names like IBM, HP, Oracle, and Dell will fulfill warranty claims. They often look into: Contaminate levels Wear and tear Overall cleanliness

12 What are some basic best practices I can start on NOW? When contracting out, choose a company that: Specializes in data center cleaning as a core competency Has a thorough training program for all new hires Has a verified certificate of insurance Has a list of references for 3+ years …but, what happens if I don’t?

13 Other Best Practices to Keep in Mind HEPA or ULPA filtered vacuums with % efficiency Plastic or fiber glass buckets and mop handles Cleaning supplies used in/for data centers ONLY Remove tiles before cleaning to minimize loss of static pressure pH neutral cleaning solutions Microfiber cloths/lint-free mop heads Clean to AT LEAST subfloor level with attention to cabinets and floor surface Particle counts, ferrous metal tests, and general inspections are all important Stay secure – account for all items and people entering and leaving Check the filters!

14 Airflow Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

15 Having Cleaned the DC, the Crew is Uniquely Qualified to Optimize the Cooling: Air escapes under the subfloor, through open cable cutouts, floor panel openings, and ANYWHERE it can get through! Only 30% of air actually gets to where it’s needed.

16 How To Fix Major Airflow Issues Rack Level Airflow Management Brush Grommets Blanking/Wall Panels Airblok Cubes Cable Management Why? Improve PUE Extend IT life Save Energy Reduce Carbon Footprint FAST ROI You’d be surprised how many DCs don’t have these! It’s like running your house’s AC with the windows open!

17 Containment Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

18 The Cleaning Crew Knows the Major Challenges in the DC… Wasted cooling legacy data centers Lifespan of CRAC units Real estate cost Overall energy cost

19 First Step to Fix Them: CFD Analysis A typical computational fluid dynamics analysis: Onsite data collection Full inventory of items, room dimensions, temperatures, equipment/machine performance, current obstructions Compilation model reveals patterns/temperatures Experts suggest improvements Deliverables to expect: CRAC unit failure scenarios, thermal load vs. cooling capacity for installation/deinstallation; CRAC unit performance; hot/cold spot analytics; remodeling plans.

20 Benefits of Containment and Smart CFD Analysis Makes existing cooling and power infrastructures more effective Use same or less cooling Save on energy bill – 20-30% EPA estimate Potentially turn off CRAC unit – save on utility/maintenance costs Lower unit fan speeds High chilled water temperature Decommission redundant cooling units Eliminate hot spots FAST ROI Longer IT equipment life Aesthetics

21 Decisions, Decisions: Hot vs. Cold Containment

22 More Decisions: Soft vs. Hard The Cleaning Crew Knows What Works…

23 Soft vs. Hard (continued) Soft includes aluminum snap-together racks, thermal doors, vinyl strips or fiber glass Hard or rigid includes double or single hinged sliding doors, shrink-away ceilings Set and forget setup? Hardwall is good Fluid footprint? Soft is good Soft is more economical, often tool-less, can be used in hot or cold aisle environments Hard provides easy entry/exit, more security, clearer views, and better fits uneven rows/unusual openings, best in cold aisle environments Must seal BOTH with containment Must know fire jurisdiction laws Must note existing infrastructure and requirements – SITE SPECIFIC Consider AC capacity vs. heat load

24 The Cleaning Crew Knows Optimal Location of Virtual Containment… Conventional: Perforated tiles direct air into ambient room air, racks must draw in Directional: 90% of produced airflow directed to the face of cabinets End result: directional uses fewer and is more targeted – efficiency

25 Flooring Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

26 Having Been “Under the Hood,” the Cleaning Crew Knows the Areas at Risk… NOT ALL CREATED EQUALLY Grid, pedestal, and floor tiles must all support weight load Also need weight-rated tiles and other floor structures Heavy and rolling loads need concrete or steel panels as well as extra pedestal reinforcement and plywood Old pedestals are NOT GOOD for today’s heavy equipment New and alternate features are often not interchangeable between systems

27 Fix My Floor – Three Essential Procedures 1.Tuning and Leveling Gaps are trip/fall hazards; air escapes; entire floor could fail Licensed floor inspector should check every few years Realign pedestals; replace bent/damaged ones; re-glue and adjust height 2. Live Floor Replacement

28 Fix My Floor – Three Essential Procedures 3.Zinc Whisker Remediation Coming from: galvanization process, 1950s-1980s particleboard-core floor tiles Zinc-materials under stress, whiskers form, break off, become airborne, ingested into equipment Too small to filter, causes shortages/damage Need to clean, remove deposits, reseal

29 Asset Tracking Cleaning: The Gateway to DC Optimization

30 Leaving the DC Not Only Clean but Orderly by Providing 100% Inventory Accuracy… Basically: assign servers or other data center items to specific locations, run full audits and facility scans, account for extra/missing items, see item paths and chain-of-custody reports. Reduce data entry errors/improve accuracy Increase efficiency and productivity NO MISSING OR MISPLACED ASSETS Faster and more accurate AIDC RFID and barcode options Protection from unauthorized removal via security notifications and identification of movements

31 3 Key Things You Have Learned During this Session 1.There is only a very small percentage of data centers anywhere near the 'perfect mark'. For everyone else, downtime due to environmental issues (contamination, overheating of equipment) are very real concerns. We will have covered ways to both discover where the issues are and how to remedy the problems as efficiently as possible. 2.There are several types of containment options and numerous ways of addressing containment footprints in the data center. Every data center has different dynamics that can dictate the type of containment that is most useful and appropriate. There is no cookie-cutter or one- size/type/design-fits-all scenario. Computational Fluid Dynamics is one way of performing a thorough proof of concept prior to deciding on a containment solution. 3.Not all floors are created equal. There are many legacy data center floors that are too shallow for proper airflow, have zinc whiskers, or are just old and beginning to fail. Replacing these floors can be done with the equipment live, with no downtime, and without disrupting normal business procedures.

32 In conclusion, Most of you don’t even need all this. Your data center is already perfect! Pictured here, the entrance to your data center.

33 Questions?

34 Thank you For more information, please contact Randy Bishop: Critical Facilities Solutions, e-Systems Group Phone: ext. 701 Mobile: Also available in-person consultations at IDC Booth