Model Data Center Changes Before You Make Them

Posted: February 26, 2010 in Technical Guides
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ABSTRACT

Future Facilities 6SigmaDC Lets You Analyze What-Ifs, Troubleshoot Hot Spots & More

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NASA has long used computer modeling to simulate the effects of thrust and heat on aerospace vehicles. Likewise, aircraft and automobile manufacturers make extensive use of simulators as less expensive, more flexible alternatives to mockups and wind tunnels. It’s only natural that such sophisticated modeling is now available to a major component of the modern economy: your data center.

Future Facilities’ goal with its innovative 6SigmaDC software suite is to help you build a Virtual Facility, or an interactive 3D model of your server rooms. Before you build, 6SigmaDC lets you plan an intelligent layout with an optimal thermal solution and room for future growth.

During day-to-day operation, 6SigmaDC gives you a bird’s-eye view of temperatures and other critical data points, as well as a training tool to familiarize new IT staff with the facility. And when it’s time to scale your company’s operations, 6SigmaDC lets you simulate the effects of density changes and equipment moves with drag-and-drop ease. By using your Virtual Facility as a test platform, you’ll gain immediate insight and better intelligence on the effects of potential physical changes before they “go live.”

Major Components

The 6SigmaDC software suite has several major components. The 6SigmaRoom feature provides a holistic sandbox for the design and layout of the server room itself. It comes with premade building blocks, such as server cabinets based on real-world examples, and of course you can customize these or create your own. You can configure your Virtual Facility with a raised or solid floor, drop ceilings, ventilation grilles, PDUs, ACUs, and more. Not only is 6SigmaRoom a great tool for preliminary design and “what if?” testing, it’s also suitable for trouble-shooting hot spots and other problems that may not have readily apparent causes.

In contrast to 6SigmaRoom, 6SigmaRack focuses on the setup of individual server racks and enclosures. From shelf to rack devices, from fan trays to perforated shelving, this cabinet configurator lets you try out unlimited combinations of virtual gear based on real-life offerings. Through experimentation, you’ll be able to eliminate dead spots and warm air recirculation to arrive at the best ventilation solution for each individual rack. And of course, you can integrate the results into 6SigmaRoom so you can fine-tune the big picture of your data center.

6SigmaFM, targeted toward facilities managers, takes the trial and error out of changes to equipment and physical infrastructure. When it’s time to upgrade to higher-density storage units, move a ventilation grille, or redistribute power, management can turn to 6SigmaFM for assurance that proposed changes won’t affect the server room in adverse ways. 6SigmaFM is a sort of crystal ball, but one based on solid scientific principles instead of gut feelings and rules of thumb. In an industry with continual advances in processing and storage density, what worked for heat management during the last upgrade cycle may not necessarily be the ideal approach for the next refresh.

With finer granularity than 6SigmaRack, 6SigmaET facilitates thermal optimization of individual servers and rackmount devices right down to their chips and capacitors. Move parts around, and you’ll see accurate feedback on changes to component temperatures and airflow through the device. Future Facilities says that 6SigmaET can become a key communication bridge between equipment vendors and the management of your data center.

6SigmaViewer lets you show, not tell. It displays your Virtual Facility and its modeled parts in an easy-to-understand, colorful GUI, so you can demonstrate proposed changes and equipment moves to vendors, contractors, coworkers, and budget decision makers.

Support For Modules

6SigmaDC also supports various modules, such as 6SigmaCAD, which acts as an import/export tool between the suite and AutoDesk’s AutoCAD. 6SigmaDatAq allows the importation of real-world data center measurements via Thermacron iButtons. 6SigmaPower simulates the primary and secondary effects of power interruptions and highlights single points of failure around the room so you can proactively address them. And finally, 6SigmaWeight gives administrators of raised-floor facilities a comprehensive overview of the structural loads at any point.

Future Facilities 6SigmaDC can provide a real impact on your company’s bottom line. After all, an efficient data center means lower cooling bills and reduced equipment failure, not to mention IT staff that can be proactive, rather than reactive, with operational issues.

by Marty Sems