The Data Center Temperature Debate

But never directly expressed by any data center authority, the prevailing practice surrounding these critical facilities has often been "The colder, the better." However, some server manufacturers and experts in data center efficiency share the opinion that data centers can run much hotter than today, without sacrificing uptime and huge savings on cooling costs and CO2 emissions. A server maker recently announced that their rack of servers can work with inlet temperatures of 104 degrees F.

Why did you feel the need to push the envelope? The infrastructure is a pig cooling energy. This system, which operates 24x7x365, consumes a large amount of energy to create the optimum computing environment that can float anywhere between 55-65 degrees F. (The current "recommended" range from ASHRAE is 18-27 C or 64.4 ° F to 80, 6 degrees F)

To achieve efficiency, a number of influential end users run their data centers hotter and encouraged his contemporaries to follow. But the process is not as simple as picking up the thermostat in your home. Here are some of the main arguments and considerations:

Group: Increased server inlet temperature will realize significant energy savings.
Arguments for:
or Sun Microsystems, a hardware manufacturer both important and data center operator, estimated 4% savings in energy costs for every one (1) one-degree increase in the temperature of the incoming server. (Miller, 2007)
o A higher temperature may mean several hours of "free cooling" is possible through air-side or water side economizers. This information is particularly compelling for an area of ​​San Jose, California, where outdoor air (dry bulb) temperature is at or below 70 degrees F for 82% of the year. Depending on geography, economization annual savings exceed six figures.
Arguments against:
infrastructure or cooling setpoint has certain design. How do we know that the server inlet temperature will not result in raising a false economy, causing additional and unnecessary consumption of other components, such as fans, pumps or compressors server?
or free cooling, while ideal for new data centers are an expensive option for existing. The cooling infrastructure would require re-engineering and can be cost prohibitive and unnecessarily complicated.
o Costs of thermal equipment failures or downtime related outweigh the savings obtained from a higher temperature.
Position: Raising server inlet temperature complicates guarantees reliability, and recovery equipment.
Arguments for:
or inlet and exhaust air are mixed in a data center. Temperatures are kept low to make this mixture and maintaining the server inlet temperatures within ASHRAE recommended range. Increased temperature can exacerbate existing access points.
or Cool temperatures and fresh air on in the room, a benefit in the event of a cooling system failure. Employees can have more time to diagnose and repair the problem, and if necessary, shut down the computer properly.
o For Server 104 degrees F, what is the probability of each piece of equipment-from storage to network reliability would be done? The guarantees apply to 104 degrees F?
Arguments against:
Increased temperature in the data center or part of a program efficiency. The temperature rise must follow best practices in managing airflow: blank panels, sealing cable cuts, eliminates cable obstructions under the raised floor, and to implement some form of containment air. These measures can effectively reduce the mixture of hot and cold air and allowing an increase safe, convenient temperature.
or 104 degrees F server is an extreme case that encourages thoughtful discussion and critical review of data center operators. In their study, perhaps a plant that once operated at 62 degrees now operating at 70 degrees F. These changes can improve energy efficiency without compromising availability or security team.
Position: Servers are not as fragile and sensitive as one might think. Studies carried out in 2008 showed tolerance of modern hardware.
Arguments for:
or Microsoft servers running in a tent in the Northwest Pacific moisture from November 2007 to June 2008. They experienced no errors.
or The use of an air side economizer, Intel 450 exhibit high density server articles temperatures as high as 92 degrees and relative humidity of 4-90%. The server failure rate in this study was only slightly higher than that of Intel's business establishment.
or data centers can operate at temperatures in the 80s and still meet ASHRAE. The upper limit of the recommended temperature range increased to 80.6 degrees F (compared with 77 ° F).

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