Introducing AUDIT- BUDDY

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I. Introduction

Data centers require tightly controlled temperature and humidity levels to be cost effective and energy efficient. Site dynamics change after the initial CFD assessment and the limited number of sensors within server racks make it difficult to determine the true air profile of a facility. In order to track temperature and humidity variations, or detect heat leaks and cold air loss, facility managers resort to additional wired or wireless sensors, or centralized data collection systems. These sensors do not yield true air temperature and humidity as they are physically mounted inside the equipment away from the free air in the white space. Furthermore, they require additional manpower for operation and yield volumes of data to analyze, complicating the daily workings of a busy facility manager.

AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is a stand-‐alone temperature and humidity monitor that measures true air quality in data centers. Consisting of three TH1 modules and an adjustable carbon fiber rod, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™

measures temperature and humidity values to provide a quick and accurate air profile of a facility. With AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ users get data to act on, not volumes of data to sift through.

Designed with the user in mind, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ allows users to define temperature and humidity thresholds or choose from pre-‐ defined ASHRAE TC9.9 2004, 2008 or 2011 limits. The custom

designed adjustable carbon fiber rod allows simultaneous thermal air monitoring at different heights – up to 48U, so that facility managers can measure airflow at three different heights in multiple locations within the facility. The weighted base allows AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ to be placed as close as 1 inch away from the server rack, allowing the patent pending fan design to draw in air and measure true air quality. Powered by 3 AA alkaline batteries, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ can be installed in minutes and requires little back-‐end management. It can be used on demand, and stored when not needed.

II. The Need for Efficient Monitoring at Server Racks

As data centers age, site dynamics change. The initial CFD analysis is rarely valid after a couple of months in an active data center due to virtualization and redeployment, and refresh of servers. Ideally, each server would be equipped with sensors with an intelligent back office system to signal whenever there were changes in the environment. Unfortunately, such systems are extremely costly and hard to justify on a ROI basis. Most data center managers are forced to compromise—sometimes installing sensors every third rack at different heights in order to get a “sense” of the environment and extrapolating data from those reading to discern if the center is in control. Another possible solution is to deploy wireless sensors. This assumes the mission-‐critical facility would permit deployment of unplanned RF devices in the white space. In an already crowded infrastructure, the logistical

issue of keeping track of the sensors, and moving them as needed adds to the complexity of the task.

Figure 1: AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ in a Cold Aisle

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The key strength of AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is its inherent simplicity and portability. The adjustable carbon fiber rod allows the TH1 modules to be positioned at different heights (48U/84”) one inch away from the server thanks to the weighted base. The TH1 Module has a unique fan design that draws in external air, rapidly measuring outside air quality. The unit does not need to reach the thermal ambient of the outside air, an innovative feature given the airflow of the data centers.

AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ weighs 5.5 pounds, and can be deployed within minutes anywhere in the facility, and easily stored when not needed. Rather than create an overhead by having an RF connection (WIFI/Bluetooth) the system is designed to provide the data in the ubiquitous flash drive, allowing the facility manager to process data off-‐line.

III. QuickScan to the Rescue

AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ has two sampling modes-‐ QuickScan and LongScan-‐ that facility managers can choose to best suit their facility needs. The QuickScan mode is a reliable way to gather air profile information of multiple locations rapidly. In this mode, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ collects 6 temperature and humidity measurements per minute in one location. Facility managers can capture temperature and humidity information for up to 32 locations before transferring data to a USB flash drive for analysis. Assuming there are 32 stacks in a given aisle, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ can be programmed to provide data for 96 locations, at the base, middle and top of every rack, or wherever the facility manager chooses. The TH1 Modules can be programmed with different names for each location so data is organized and easily to understand. If pre-‐configured, the TH1 Module will prompt users to move to the next location by name, minimizing chances for mix-‐up.

Sample Case Study: When do you use AUDIT-‐BUDDY™?

Facility Manager Mark Oversham suspects there is a hot spot in a particular aisle, but doesn’t have enough data to support his suspicion. The sensors on rack 1 and 5 indicate that the temperature and humidity levels are under control. Mark has been under pressure from the CFO to reduce his Operational Expense, and his discretionary budget is limited. He has considered the following options:

• install wireless sensors, which while cheap require extra manpower to monitor the data

• install a DCIM system, which is expensive and hard to justify on a limited budget, especially with no confirmation there is a problem

• commission another thermal site survey, which is prohibitively expensive

Mark needs a simple and inexpensive solution to help determine if his facility is under control. Mark decides to try AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ to survey the aisle with the suspected hot spot. He sets it to QuickScan mode and takes one-‐minute samples in front of the seven servers in aisle 1. He finds that at Rack 1: 73.7°F; Rack 2: 74.1°F; Rack 3: 75.6°F; Rack 4: 72.4°F; Rack 5: 71.8°F.

In less than 15 minutes, Mark was able to identify the hotspot, collect data to show to his CFO, and justify his purchase. of a containment system.

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Once locations have been sampled, data is made available in a .CSV format to effectively present a temperature profile graph for the entire aisle. Since each sample takes a minute (1 sample every 10 seconds or 6 measurements per 1 minute), facility managers are equipped with comprehensive information, not just spot samples. If 32 locations were sampled, users can potentially have data for one cold aisle of 32 stacks in 96

minutes. Of course, users would be able to shrink the amount of time required if they used multiple TH1 Modules.

QuickScan data is particularly helpful for facility managers who

need the information right away. It can help rapidly identify potential red flags such as:

• Hot spots; • Cooling leaks;

• Unexpected temperature fluctuations; • Unexpected humidity conditions.

For the facility manager who wants to ensure that his or her facility is under control on a continuous basis, this process can be repeated throughout the facility on a schedule convenient for them. The data collected can be compared from the previous set to find out what has changed. This will be particularly helpful for facility managers looking for

opportunities to improve the PUE further and reduce the OpEx cost.

In summary, the QuickScan feature offers an efficient way for the facility manager to benchmark the data center air quality variations in the air outside the server rack. The low current consumption feature of the TH1 module makes it ready to operate instantly from storage. No battery change is required.

IV. The benefits of LongScan

The AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ LongScan mode gathers in-‐depth

information about airflow trends in one location. Modern data centers are not static entities. Depending on the server load, virtualization and server scale back, the air profile changes significantly over the course of one day. The LongScan feature in AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ has been designed to collect the

temperature and/or humidity information of one location,

Creating a Thermal Map using AUDIT-‐BUDDY™

Step 1: Move AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ from one server front

to the next. Collect data in each location for 1 minute.

QuickScan Data: Six Samples T & RH for each

location

Step 2: Average QuickScan data temperature data.

Match sample location to Aisle position. Generate Contour Map.

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data for one hour to seven days.

Once the collection process has started, the facility manager or site manager can walk away and let AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ collect the data. No further attention is required. The collected data can be transferred to a USB drive to be converted to a .CSV file for further processing.

The LongScan mode permits the facility manager to collect true air quality measurement anywhere in the facility. While conventional loggers would require a place to be mounted, AUDIT-‐BUDDY ™ allows users to conduct the LongScan in front of the server, near the CRAC units, in the battery room, in the Switchgear Room, Cold Aisle, Hot Aisle, or any other containment area – without any set-‐ up.

V. Alarms and Cautions in LongScan Mode

The TH1 module also allows the facility manager to set a Control Band percentage. With the combination of the Upper and Lower Limits and the Band Percentage, the TH1 module allows the user to define 4 caution levels and 4 alarm levels for each of

Temperature High, Temperature Low, Humidity High and Humidity Low parameters.

Once data collection has begun, three high visibility LED indicators on top of the module indicate the status of the air quality. As long as the air quality remains in the normal zone, the Green LED will flash every 10 seconds. Should any parameter enter the caution zone, the Yellow LED will begin to flash instead. Even if the air quality becomes normal again, the Yellow LED will continue to flash. Should the air quality for any parameter enter the Alarm zone, the Red LED will begin flashing. Even if the air quality returns to normal or go back to the caution zone, the Red LED will

continue to flash.

In the LongScan mode, the facility manager can set the unit up for long-‐term collection, and periodically monitor the unit to check the collection status. The LEDs are designed for long viewing capability, and can be seen from up to 20 feet away. The facility manager just needs to look for the color of the LED to decide on the course of action. There is no need to inspect the unit up close

Using AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ LongScan Mode to track trends

Step 1: Position AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ in front of one

server. Collect data for 1hr to 7 days.

Sample LongScan Data: [Sample No. Date & Time, Temperature and Humidity]

Step 2: Import data to excel, using the AUDIT-‐MATE

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or push any buttons to determine the air quality.

The facility manager can also abort the data collection process any time if he or she so wishes to. The TH1 module will display the individual parameter and the extreme value encountered, the time when it occurred as well as the Alarm/Caution/Normal status using a “R,” “Y,” or “G” indication via the LCD display. The TH1 module is also designed to accommodate the facility manager who wants the information immediately on the server floor and does not want to wait to examine in-‐depth information using .CSV data.

VI. Conclusion

AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is a simple and portable method to determine the true air profile. An innovative and inexpensive tool, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is a stand-‐alone device, which leaves no additional footprint in the facility and provides the facility manager with detailed information needed to improve the overall efficiency of the data center quickly and reliably.

AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is designed for temporary monitoring and removal when data collection is complete. It gives the data center manager information to know if his or her facility is out of control. Use AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ to determine how close to the alarm zone the inlet air temperature is without adding sensors, monitoring devices or additional monitoring overhead. Use AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ when needed, and store it until the next time you want to use it.

VII. About Purkay Labs

Founded in 2012, Purkay Labs specializes in temperature and humidity monitoring devices. Our first product, AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is an inexpensive temperature and humidity monitor that provides a quick and accurate air profile of your facility. AUDIT-‐BUDDY™ is designed with the simplicity and portability in mind. We proudly provide

personalized and knowledgeable customer service for our products.