With limited investment capital available, how do you decide and prioritize the investments that you make into your data center?
This has been a more common question for me recently and I wish it was a one-size fits all response. However, I do have some strong opinions on the minimum if you absolutely need to have critical IT infrastructure on-premise.
Invest in a UPS that supports your infrastructure (For the rated amount of time)
Invest in good switch gear and breaker space to support adding a right-sized generator in the future
A dedicated electrical panel for your IT room that is large enough for expansion
Switched PDUs that are monitored remotely
I typically get asked about a generator and why that isn't in the top list. The reality is that for most businesses, the cost of buying, permitting, installing, and maintaining a right sized generator (Properly) gets very close to the cost of a colocation agreement. But that doesn't mean investing in a generator is bad, I would highly recommend you do so if your business has the money and wants to prioritize that site's uptime. To get started though, the top 4 above are exactly what you should focus on.
Right Sized UPS
Too many times do I see companies over-invest in a larger UPS to support extended run time. DO NOT DO THIS. The number one cause of data center outage is due to power failure. And the number one cause of power failure in the data center is due to UPS failure. And guess what, the number one cause of UPS failure is battery failure due to cell dry out. And, the leading causes of cell dry out are extended run-time of batteries and over-charging.
UPS systems are rated to run for a specific length of time. All of their components are purpose built and architected for high discharge over a short period of time (most commonly 7 - 15 minutes). Extending the run-time on your environment is what causes battery and component failure, along with lowering the expected life-span of your system.
Switch Gear
Getting good switch gear and enough breaker space for your electrical room up front, gives you the most flexibility and is only fractionally more expensive. You will also want to ensure you have proper generator hookups built in. This will enable you to either get rental generators in time of need or emergency, hold a disaster recovery rental contract with a generator company, or add a generator down the road without redoing the electrical or having to rip-and-replace the electrical infrastructure in a few years time. Make sure to look into permitting for type of generators that can be installed. For rentals, you typically have diesel engines on trailers that are rolled in and connected. If your township, county, or city only permits natural gas, then be sure to look into adding those gas lines early, too.
Dedicated Electrical Panels
Do not hook up your critical IT infrastructure to a shared system or building electrical panel that is operating other "facility" based equipment, such as HVAC. Get a dedicated panel that is fed from the electrical room. This will avoid accidental breaker trips and larger fluctuations in the panel's electrical use throughout the year. These are relatively inexpensive and an easy way to mitigate simple risks.
Switched PDUs with Monitoring
You live in 2023. You need to have PDUs and for an extra $1,000 you can make sure you have switched PDUs, which allow your team to remotely monitor and power cycle individual outlets or pieces of IT equipment. They also have breaker redundancies built into the individual unit to help further prevent all of your equipment failing should a PDU have a critical issue.
For a comprehensive investment guide and types of equipment your team should be looking into, please reach out to sales@alucidsolutions.com or get in touch with your dedicated Alucid Sales Representative.
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Written By: Mackenzie Perry