It is important to realise that only 30% of energy used in a data centre is expended on the actual IT equipment and storage units. The rest of the energy is required to power an array of other devices such as UPS systems, lighting, humidifiers/dehumidifiers, computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units, units for electricity distribution, and, not least, cooling. Once the energy required just to cool the data centre reaches 33% of the total energy bill, you’ll realise that cooling has to be efficient and a high-precision system.

Datacenter airflow management planning is the process of clearing paths for hot and cold air, including monitoring the temperatures in these regions. A primary concern is preventing the hot and cold air from mixing, being stranded by obstructions, or bypassing the IT equipment. ASHRAE recommends a range between 20°C (68°F) to 25°C (77°F) inlet air temperatures. Maintaining this creates an optimum working condition for the equipment.

The ideal data center airflow management plan segments the room into four major areas. These are called the 4R’s of airflow management, which consists of the following:

Raised Floor – the perforated tiles are placed in the cold aisle. The standard size is 6″ x 18”. It is an aluminum or Lexan insert allowing the airflow distribution from under a raised floor. Additionally, the openings where the cables or pipes are positioned should be sealed. This ensures that the supply air won’t leak to these openings and come out only in front of the servers.
Racks – the servers need to be placed on the racks ensuring just the right space for air circulation. The unused space on and between the racks should be filled in with blanking panels. This prevents the air from passing through the gaps preventing the mixing of hot and cold air.
Rows – The racks are to be arranged in a row according to the hot and cold aisle layout. Adding a containment system will further improve this method. The placement of rows is based on the space availability while considering the existing rows. Additionally, each row should maintain a maximum of 10 racks.
Room – The room temperature ensures that the data center is operating in full efficiency. Un-regulated temperature can put the data center at risk of equipment failure. This can cause downtime, which can cause the data center millions of dollars. More than this cost, it can make the business completely end its operations.

The benefits of a DCIM solution can be found in time savings, people productivity, and cost savings. Employees no longer need to be on-site to identify what assets are in the data center and what space, power and cooling is available. Data Center Managers can have access to accurate data in real time at a click of a button. Understanding asset details and their physical power and network connections enables highly accurate capacity planning, down to the single port or 1 rack U level. Critical path capacity points are automatically and easily identified, reducing risks of failures. Reservations, moves, adds, and changes are accomplished with ease. Employee productivity and morale dramatically increases as processes and workflows are implemented to ensure high quality changes in the data center.