Preparing to Drive Efficiency at the Data Center
Posted in Service Management Update on May 10th, 2009 No Comments »
The issues surrounding the need to drive efficiencies within the Data Center are clear. Pressures on budget, on energy consumption, on physical space are forcing organizations to look for new ways to better use what they already have.
The task of driving efficiencies is not the responsibilities of a single group. In an interwoven campus of support groups, the path must a collaborative effort. For example in many companies, the IT group and Facilities group are two separate entities, often under different management structures. Particularly in saving space and energy, the two groups need to work closely to support any improvements. Striving for cooperation requires that departments start breaking down the walls that separate them and build some mutually beneficial goals. Then working together to identify improvements that will fulfill on those goals.
Just a warning though. Make improvements that can be measured. With the pressures to conserve and save, many businesses are even more critical of spending. If an improvement cannot be measured before, during and after its implementation, whose to say it ever happened or was needed.
To prepare for improving the efficiency of the data center, start with finding the right metrics for the components that you are improving. The more historical information that is available will only serve to strengthen any case that needs to be built for what needs to be done or has been done. Clearly identify the influences on the metrics that you use. For instance, the cost of electricity is has three influences: price, consumption, and component usage. If the utility pricing increases per unit consumed, then the price of electricity rises as well. If more electricity is consumed in a single period of time which often happens with the degradation of equipment, than the cost rises. If the usage of the device requiring power increases, than more electricity is consumed in total. It’s not enough to simply measure the cost of electricity, all the variables have to be understood and measured as well.
The request to be more efficient is present for most managers already. Now is a good time to reevaluate that the proper preparations are being made to fulfill that request. Build relationships with peer managers and put the right metrics in place to drive improvements to the environment.
