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Columbus, Ohio – Heat density is once again becoming a top-of-mind issue for data center managers, according to a spring survey of data center users from Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE:EMR) and a global leader in maximizing availability, capacity and efficiency of critical infrastructure.
The spring installment of the biannual survey, sponsored by Emerson Network Power, polled members of the Data Center Users’ Group® (DCUG), an association of influential data center, IT and facility managers, and captured input from more than 100 respondents across North America. The questions covered a variety of data center topics including data center monitoring and management, capacity constraints, third-party colocation providers, energy efficiency and heat and power density.
The survey results show that, for the first time in two years, heat density is again one of the three biggest concerns for data center professionals. When asked to identify their top three facility/network concerns, 42 percent of respondents cited heat density, ranking it third, behind energy efficiency (49 percent) and adequate monitoring (51 percent). Heat density was cited as the number one concern for the first four years of the survey, starting in 2005. In the spring 2012 survey, it dropped to fourth place, and adequate monitoring, availability and energy efficiency remained in the top three until this spring’s survey.
“Throughout the past few years, much emphasis has been placed on availability, infrastructure monitoring and efficiency; and rightly so,” said Bob Miller, vice president, Liebert global solutions, Emerson Network Power in North America, and a member of the DCUG board of directors. “As data center professionals continue to struggle with growing capacity needs and tightened budgets, attention is turning back to one of the most fundamental aspects of the data center infrastructure – effectively and efficiently managing heat. If not addressed, heat density issues threaten to negatively impact performance levels of the data center.”
The trend toward consolidation and growth is reflected in the plans data center professionals have for their data centers throughout the next 12 months. When asked the question, 65 percent plan to consolidate or replace existing servers, 64 percent plan to add additional servers, 27 percent plan to consolidate multiple data centers and 19 percent plan to build a new data center. While 26 percent expressed plans to move at least part of their operation to colocation or hosting providers, there are still some perceived drawbacks to the option. Seventy percent cited lack of control as the primary drawback of utilizing a colocation or hosting provider; this was followed by increased cost (53 percent), a setup not unique to specific needs (29 percent) and security concerns (22 percent).
When asked how the professional skill set demanded of data center managers is changing, 75 percent said it’s increasingly important to understand how various data center systems work together to support overall objectives. In addition, 73 percent of respondents indicated that a greater ability to ‘see the big picture’ is a necessary skill. “It’s no longer enough for data center managers to know that all the lights in their facilities are green,” said Miller. “They need to understand the interconnectivity of systems and how they collectively support the business’ abilty to grow and change. This is also likely why we’re seeing data center monitoring and management rank as the top concern, since these data center infrastructure management systems can provide a window to those valuable business insights.”
Additional results include the following:
Fifty-six percent believe their existing data center capacity will suffice for three years or less.
Twenty-seven percent reported experiencing hot spots within the past 12 months, while 15 percent reported experiencing an outage.
Thirty percent cited a lack of capital expenditure as the primary limiting factor on their organization’s ability to accommodate growth.
The average power density per rack was 5.94 kW, up slightly from 5.92 kW in the fall 2012 survey.
The top operational and efficiency-related metrics being measured in the data center are temperature (93 percent), power utilization (88 percent), humidity (79 percent) and cooling utilization (72 percent). Fifty-six percent of respondents currently measure power usage effectiveness (PUE).
Founded in 2003, the DCUG consists of approximately 1,000 members across North America; the group meets semi-annually to collaboratively discuss best practices, share experiences and address the most relevant issues affecting the reliability, availability and cost of operation for critical installations. The group’s membership comprises executives with a wide variety of IT and facilities management expertise from numerous companies and industries, including board member companies Vanguard, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions and Delta Air Lines, Inc., among others.
For more information on the DCUG, visit www.DataCenterug.org. For more information on technologies and services from Emerson Network Power, visit www.EmersonNetworkPower.com.
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About Emerson Network Power
Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE:EMR), delivers software, hardware and services that maximize availability, capacity and efficiency for data centers, healthcare and industrial facilities. A trusted industry leader in smart infrastructure technologies, Emerson Network Power provides innovative data center infrastructure management solutions that bridge the gap between IT and facility management and deliver efficiency and uncompromised availability regardless of capacity demands. Our solutions are supported globally by local Emerson Network Power service technicians. Learn more about Emerson Network Power products and services at www.EmersonNetworkPower.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Sales in fiscal 2012 were $24.4 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
