DATA CENTERS

Gabriel Williams
 WHAT IS A RACK UNIT?

• A rack unit is a unit of measurement used to measure the

height of rack-mounted computer equipment.
• One rack unit, abbreviated as “U”, is equal to 1.75 inches.
• A standard rack is 42U, although 48U racks are becoming
increasingly popular.
• You can convert rack units into inches by multiplying the
number in front of the U by 1.75.
• So, for example, 1U = 1.75in, 2U = 3.5in, 4U = 7in.
 ESTIMATING POWER USED

• Some ways to guess how much power a system will consume when
executing at full load are to look at the maximum power consumption rating
of the system's components, look at the system's power consumption when
idle, and look at similar systems' power consumption.
• There are also data center power calculator websites that can assist in
estimating your power consumption.
• TDP specifications can help give you a rough estimation of how much
power a component will use, but they should never be completely relied on.
• The reported TDP isn’t necessarily a maximum.
• TDP is self-reported by the manufacturer, so it may not be completely
accurate.
 POWER DELIVERY

• The power distribution system in a data center typically

includes a main power supply, one or more backup power
supplies, one or more power distribution units (PDUs), and
one or more uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs).
• The steps of power delivery are:
1. The main power supply provides power to the data
center from the utility grid.
2. The backup power supply provides power to the data
center in the event of a power outage from the utility
grid.
3. The PDUs distribute power from the main power
supply and the backup power supply to the data center
equipment.
4. The UPSs provide power to the data center equipment
in the event of a power outage from the main power
supply or the backup power supply.
 POWER FACTOR

• The Power Factor is used to account for the fact that some
types of electrical loads draw more current than others for
the same amount of power being consumed.
• This is because the current drawn by these loads is not always in
phase with the voltage, resulting in a lower Power Factor.
• To convert from Watts of consumption to the size (in Volt-
Amps) of a UPS, we use the following equation:
• Size (in Volt-Amps) = Watts of consumption / (Power Factor *
Efficiency)
 COOLING

• A ton of air conditioning is a unit of

measurement for cooling capacity.
• One ton of air conditioning is the equivalent of
12,000 British thermal units (BTUs) per hour.
• To calculate the number of tons of cooling
required for a total load in Watts, divide the
total load in Watts by 12,000.
• If using only one air conditioning unit, it
must be sized appropriately to meet the
cooling needs of the data center.
 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS

• There are many different types of fire suppression systems that can be used in a
data center. The most common type of system is a sprinkler system, which uses
water to extinguish fires.
• Sprinkler systems are generally very effective at extinguishing fires, but they
can also cause extensive damage to equipment and data if they are not properly
designed and installed.
• Another type of fire suppression system that can be used in a data center is a clean
agent system. Clean agent systems use a variety of agents, such as Halon, to
extinguish fires.
• Clean agent systems are generally more expensive than sprinkler systems, but
they are much less likely to cause damage to equipment and data.
• One of the biggest advantages of clean agent systems over sprinkler systems is that
they are much more effective at extinguishing fires. In addition, clean agent systems
do not require the use of water, which can further damage equipment and data.
 WORKING SAFELY

• When working in a data center, it is important to be aware of your surroundings

and take precautions to avoid accidents.
• If the fire suppression system activates, you should immediately evacuate the
area and call the fire department.
• If you see a piece of equipment catch fire, you should shut off the power to the
equipment and use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire.
• If you see someone else being electrocuted in the data center, you should shut
off the power to the equipment and call 911.
 WORKS CITED

• "Data Center Power Infrastructure." Smart Data Center Insights, 25 Apr. 2020,
dc.mynetworkinsights.com/data-center-power-infrastructure/.
• Heslin, Kevin. "A Look at Data Center Cooling Technologies." Uptime Institute Blog, 30 July
2015, journal.uptimeinstitute.com/a-look-at-data-center-cooling-technologies/.
• "How To Measure Power Factor." Ergon Energy, 6 2015, www.ergon.com.au/network/manage-
your-energy/business-resources/understanding-power-factor.
• Murray, Mike. "What Does 1U, 2U, 3U Mean? Rack Units Explained." The Geek Pub,
www.thegeekpub.com/8613/1u-2u-3u-mean-rack-units-explained/.
• "Rack Mounting NVRs Tutorial." IPVM, 14 Mar. 2018, ipvm.com/reports/nvr-rack-mount.
• "What Is Thermal Design Power? Explained." MUO, 8 Apr. 2020,
www.makeuseof.com/tag/thermal-design-power-technology-explained/.