Server Room Research Articles

Method of cooling server rooms

Objective. In today's world, where the amount of data is growing every day, the importance of reliable and efficient data centers (DPCs) is becoming increasingly clear. One of the key aspects of maintaining data center availability and reliability is ensuring adequate cooling of server rooms. This scientific work is devoted to the study and analysis of various cooling techniques used in server rooms. Method. The study is based on thermodynamic analysis methods to optimize cooling systems to improve their efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Result. The work examines both traditional cooling systems and modern innovative solutions that improve cooling efficiency while reducing energy consumption. The authors compare different cooling methods, evaluate their advantages and disadvantages, and analyze the potential economic and environmental benefits of introducing advanced technologies into server room management practices. Conclusion. The choice of the optimal cooling method should take into account the specifics of the server equipment, thermal loads, room size and other factors. It is also important to pay attention to maintenance and selection of the optimal cooling system in accordance with the needs and characteristics of the server equipment.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Airflow Organization in Modular Data Centres Utilizing Floor Grid Air Supply

Under the background of “dual carbon” development goals, the rapid expansion of internet data centers driven by advancements in 5G technology has led to increased energy consumption and elevated heat densities within the server rooms in these facilities. In this study, the modular data center is taken as the research object for the purpose of figuring out a way to improve the thermal environment of the computer room, reduce power consumption, and ensure the safe and stable running of servers. To this end, this study established an airflow organization model for the modular data center and verified this model through experimental methods. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were employed to investigate the effects of raised floor height, floor opening rate, and cold/hot air channel closure on airflow organization. Furthermore, the efficiency of airflow organization was evaluated using entransy loss metrics. The results show that optimal airflow conditions are achieved when the height of the raised floor is 600–800 mm, the opening rate is 40%, and the combined opening is 40%. Additionally, the closure of either the cold channel or both the cold and hot channels significantly improves airflow performance. Specifically, cold channel closure is recommended for new data centers with underfloor air supply systems, while combined cold and hot channel closure is suitable for data centers with high power density and extended air supply distances.

An experimental study on improving the thermal environment of data centers by optimizing fan wall arrangement

For a fan-wall data center, a large number of fans can be installed on one side of the server room to facilitate the introduction of outdoor cold air into the server room for effective heat dissipation, thereby accomplishing the objective of energy conservation. However, fewer researches are currently available on optimizing the fan array layout of fan-wall data centers to improve the thermal environment. This study aims to explore the impact of fan array layout parameters, including the area, distance, and height of the fan array, on the cooling efficiency of server rooms through both single-factor experiments and orthogonal experiments. The results indicate that: (1) In a fan-wall cooling system, racks closest to the fan wall have high temperature fluctuations and less orderly airflow organization. (2) The optimization of the fan array layout in a data center is primarily influenced by the height, area and distance of the fan array. (3) For a DC, the fan array layout, with an area of 4320 cm2, a distance of 81 cm, and a height of 18 cm, can achieve optimal conditions and effectively enhances the overall thermal performance of the rack. By optimizing the layout of the fan array, a more efficient combination of parameters for air distribution can be achieved, providing a reference for the arrangement and layout of fan arrays in actual engineering applications.

Performance Analysis of Lake Water Cooling Coupled with a Waste Heat Recovery System in the Data Center

Data centers (DCs) require continuous cooling throughout the year and produce a large amount of low-grade waste heat. Free cooling and waste heat recovery techniques are promising approaches to reduce DC energy consumption. Although previous studies have explored diverse waste heat utilization strategies, there is a significant gap in combining waste heat recovery with lake water cooling in DCs. Therefore, this study proposed a system integrating lake water cooling with waste heat recovery for DCs. To evaluate the energy-saving performance of the suggested system, the influence of waste heat recovery locations and volumes has been investigated. An analysis of the improvement in system parameters is also conducted. The study’s findings highlight that targeted recovery of waste heat from sources like chilled water or air in server rooms can significantly reduce the cooling energy demand of the system. The results show that recovering heat from the return air of IT equipment can yield a remarkable power usage effectiveness (PUE) and coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.19 and 10.17, and the energy consumption of the cooling system is reduced to 10.06%. Moreover, the outcomes reveal the potential for substantial energy savings of up to 26.05% within the proposed system by setting the chilled water and air supply temperatures to 16 and 20 °C, respectively.

Analysis of Cooling Technologies in the Data Center Sector on the Basis of Patent Applications

The cooling of server components has been developed over the past few years in order to meet increasing cooling requirements. The growth in performance and power density increases the cooling demand. To gain a better understanding of the evolution and possible future technology developments in the field of data center cooling, a patent analysis method was used with a focus on the server and computer room levels. After the patent extraction from the European patent database for the period 2000–2023, the search results were classified and analyzed. Most of the patents deal with air or liquid cooling. Since 2015, a technological shift from air to liquid cooling can be identified on the level of patent activities. In conclusion, from the patent analysis, it can be derived that liquid cooling will continue to gain in importance in the future and could also be combined with other approaches in the form of hybrid cooling. However, air cooling may still be relevant, even if the main cooling load is handled by liquid-based approaches. At the same time, the optimization potential for air cooling seems to have been largely exploited in comparison to liquid cooling, as can be seen from the falling number of the patent applications.

L2A Cdus Performance and Considerations for Server Rooms Upgrade with Conventional Air Conditioning

Abstract As web-based AI applications are growing rapidly, server rooms face escalating computational demands, prompting enterprises to either upgrade their facilities or outsource to co-located sites. This growth strains conventional HVAC systems, which struggle to handle the substantial thermal load, often resulting in hotspots. Liquid-to-Air (L2A) Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) emerge as a solution, efficiently cooling servers by circulating liquid coolant through cooling loops mounted on each server board. In this study, the performance of a 24-kW L2A CDU is evaluated across various scenarios, emphasizing cooling effect, stability, and reliability. Experimental tests involve a rack with three thermal test vehicles (TTVs), monitoring both liquid coolant and air sides for analysis. Tests are conducted in a limited air-conditioned environment, resembling upgraded server rooms with conventional AC systems. The study also assesses the impact of high-power density cooling units on the server room environment, measuring noise, air velocity, and ambient temperature against ASHRAE standards for human comfort. Recommendations for optimal practices and potential system improvements are included in the research, addressing the growing need for efficient cooling solutions amidst escalating computational demands.

Optimalisasi Infrastruktur Jaringan dengan Teknologi Fiber Optic di PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries

PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries is a manufacturing company that produces famous building materials. One of the important divisions in the company's operations is the Information Technology (IT) division that is responsible for network infrastructure. Currently, the company uses UTP cables for the network, but the distant inter-building distance leads to connectivity instability. To address this problem, the study proposes replacing the UTP cable with fiber optics from the server room to the finished product warehouse (GPJ) to improve the network infrastructure at PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries. This research uses the PPDIOO method (Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Operate, Optimize) to ensure each step is done in a structured manner. Research results show that the use of fiber optic cables increases network speeds from 100 Mbps to 300-500 Mbps and improves the stability and reliability of remote connections. The implementation also utilizes fast connectors to facilitate connectivity without splicing, making it more effective. Thus, this move is expected to improve network performance and security in PT. Sinar Nusantara Industries

Energy Saving Research on Temperature Control in Data Center Server Rooms

Abstract To tackle the challenge of inefficient traditional control methods and energy wastage caused by temperature disparities within the data center’s server room cooling system, this research initiative initially installed temperature and humidity sensors in each cabinet to gather comprehensive data. Subsequently, a detailed mathematical model of the room’s temperature system was formulated to assess the influence of air supply airflow distribution on the temperature distribution. Following this, through the integration of fuzzy theory with the PID control strategy, a sophisticated fuzzy PID controller was developed. Utilizing Simulink, an in-depth simulation analysis of both PID and fuzzy PID temperature control strategies was executed. The outcomes of the simulations underscored that fuzzy PID control effectively addresses the time delay and stability concerns present in conventional PID temperature control systems. Lastly, empirical validation confirmed that the fuzzy PID control algorithm can proficiently manage the server room’s temperature while concurrently decreasing the intake of cold air, thus promoting energy conservation. This control approach showcases commendable adaptability and robust performance characteristics.

Sistem Monitoring Suhu Dan Kelembaban Pada Ruang Server Berbasis Internet Of Things

Temperature and humidity are inseparable from server rooms. This is important because server rooms consist of computers that provide services 24 hours a day without stopping. After collecting all the supporting data, the author found that the temperature was too high and the humidity did not meet the standard, causing the computer to not function properly. The author finally created a tool that can monitor the temperature and humidity in the server room and applied it to the server room of Roemani Muhammadiyah Hospital in Semarang. The tool works by reading the temperature and humidity using a DHT22 sensor. After the data is read, the ESP32 will process the data, which will then be sent to a database and stored. The data can be viewed directly from anywhere. The tool not only monitors but also performs other functions, such as turning on the AC/fan when the temperature rises above the predetermined limit and sending notifications via Telegram to the staff so that they can take further action.This device will help the staff because all information about temperature and humidity will be recorded well, so the staff does not need to check the server room all the time.

A scalable platform for acquisition of high-fidelity human intracranial EEG with minimal clinical burden.

Human neuroscience research has been significantly advanced by neuroelectrophysiological studies from people with refractory epilepsy-the only routine clinical intervention that acquires multi-day, multi-electrode human intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG). While a sampling rate below 2 kHz is sufficient for manual iEEG review by epileptologists, computational methods and research studies may benefit from higher resolution, which requires significant technical development. At adult and pediatric Stanford hospitals, research ports of commercial clinical acquisition systems were configured to collect 10 kHz iEEG of up to 256 electrodes simultaneously with the clinical data. The research digital stream was designed to be acquired post-digitization, resulting in no loss in clinical signal quality. This novel framework implements a near-invisible research platform to facilitate the secure, routine collection of high-resolution iEEG that minimizes research hardware footprint and clinical workflow interference. The addition of a pocket-sized router in the patient room enabled an encrypted tunnel to securely transmit research-quality iEEG across hospital networks to a research computer within the hospital server room, where data was coded, de-identified, and uploaded to cloud storage. Every eligible patient undergoing iEEG clinical evaluation at both hospitals since September 2017 has been recruited; participant recruitment is ongoing. Over 350+ terabytes (representing 1000+ days) of neuroelectrophysiology were recorded across 200+ participants of diverse demographics. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a research integration within a hospital setting. It is a promising approach to promoting equitable participant enrollment and building comprehensive data repositories with consistent, high-fidelity specifications towards new discoveries in human neuroscience.

Analysis of Anthropogenic Waste Heat Emission from an Academic Data Center

The rapid growth in computing and data transmission has significant energy and environmental implications. While there is considerable interest in waste heat emission and reuse in commercial data centers, opportunities in academic data centers remain largely unexplored. In this study, real-time onsite waste heat data were collected from a typical academic data center and an analysis framework was developed to determine the quality and quantity of waste heat that can be contained for reuse. In the absence of a comprehensive computer room monitoring system, real-time thermal data were collected from the data center using two arrays of thermometers and thermo-anemometers in the server room. Additionally, a computational fluid dynamics model was used to simulate temperature distribution and identify “hot spots” in the server room. By simulating modification of the server room with a hot air containment system, the return air temperature increased from 23 to 46 °C and the annual waste heat energy increased from 377 to 2004 MWh. Our study emphasizes the importance of containing waste heat so that it can be available for reuse, and also, that reusing the waste heat has value in not releasing it to the environment.

Abstract 2337: Accelerated optical genome mapping analysis with Stratys Compute and Guided Assembly

Abstract Background Optical genome maps (OGM) from Bionano enable the detection of genomic structural and copy number variants that cannot be detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and are often missed by conventional cytogenetic techniques. Bionano has developed bioinformatics pipelines for calling structural and copy number variants including the Bionano Solve de novo assembly pipeline for constitutional analysis and the Rare Variant Analysis (RVA) pipeline for low-allele-fraction cancer applications. Both pipelines are computationally intensive and currently take 5-10 hours on the latest generation of the Bionano Saphyr® Compute which is deployed as a four-node compute cluster and requires significant IT resources. Methods To increase throughput and simplify the deployment of the compute resources needed to support the Stratys™ optical genome mapping instrument, Bionano has developed Stratys™ Compute. Stratys Compute improves both compute and analytical performance by adapting compute-intensive stages in the Solve pipeline to run on GPUs and by developing the Guided Assembly pipeline. Stratys Compute is powered by state-of-the-art NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada generation cards and CUDA-optimized refinement, alignment, and structural variation detection kernels to accelerate OGM analysis. Stratys Compute is a standalone workstation placed adjacent to Stratys instrument. This will minimize the IT footprint and bypass the integration with the customer site’s data center. We have incorporated these optimizations into the new Guided Assembly pipeline, which aims to combine the low-allele fraction detection capability of the RVA pipeline with the whole genome coverage and ability to detect smaller structural variants enabled by the de novo assembly pipeline. The Guided Assembly pipeline uses the reference genome as an initial seed followed by extension, refinement, and structural variant calling. This new analysis method has been evaluated through comparison to previous results from both existing pipelines and standard benchmarking datasets used to estimate structural variant calling performance and is deployed on Stratys Compute for both constitutional and low allele-fraction applications. Results Guided Assembly has been adapted to run on GPU hardware in a simplified compute tower that can be deployed to a lab along with the Stratys instrument without the need for a dedicated server room. We found concordance between the guided assembly results and our previous de novo and RVA pipeline results. We also found increased sensitivity at low allele fractions for detecting insertion variants smaller than 5 kb and larger than 200 kb while finding equivalent performance for other variant types with the updated methods. The accelerated Guided Assembly for constitutional and low-allele-fraction applications will be available to early access customers in Q4 2023 with full commercial release in Q2 2024. Citation Format: Damla Senol Cali, Thomas Anantharaman, Martin Muggli, Samer Al-Saffar, Charles Schoonover, Neil Miller. Accelerated optical genome mapping analysis with Stratys Compute and Guided Assembly [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2337.

Development and Implementation of an FPGA-Embedded Multimedia Remote Monitoring System for Information Technology Server Room Management

Conventional data acquisition systems face challenges in achieving high acquisition speeds and rapid storage of large data volumes using microcontrollers. In contrast, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) offer numerous advantages, including high clock frequencies, minimal internal delays, fast operational speeds, abundant internal RAM resources, and simplified control of complex peripheral circuits. This study presents the design of an FPGA-based multimedia remote monitoring system for information technology server rooms. The proposed system utilizes an FPGA as the primary controller and incorporates environmental sensors, electrical energy sensors, carbon monoxide sensors, smoke sensors, and A/D converter modules to monitor multiple locations within the server room. Simultaneously, the FPGA transmits the collected data from each monitoring point via a serial port to an LCD serial screen for display. An alarm is triggered if any environmental anomalies are detected, indicating abnormal statuses. Additionally, the system employs the fast Fourier transform algorithm and butterfly operations to derive voltage and current AC quantities, while utilizing relative temperature differences to identify equipment faults within the server room. The system is evaluated in terms of functionality, user-friendliness, and reliability. Experimental results demonstrate that all performance measures align with expectations, fulfilling the initial design objectives and highlighting the potential applicability and relevance of FPGA technology in the monitoring field. In addition, a comparison between FPGA and traditional microcontroller systems is performed, showcasing the superior processing speed and performance of the FPGA-based system. This comparative analysis further validates the advantages of using FPGA technology in high-speed data acquisition and monitoring applications.

Optimization of airflow organization in fan-wall data center via baffles

The utilization of natural fresh air for cooling server rooms in fan-wall data centers effectively reduces the operational duration of air conditioning, resulting in enhanced energy efficiency. Nonetheless, there are few researches available on the optimization of airflow organization in fan-wall data centers. In this study, baffles are installed at the inlet of racks to achieve uniform airflow distribution. The thermal performance of rack is investigated with respect to the influence of the arrangement direction, width, angle size, and angle direction of baffles. The results reveal that: (1) The heat distribution in the racks near the air inlet is uneven, with heat accumulating in the middle and lower parts, leading to significant fluctuations in inlet temperature. (2) Placing baffles vertically on both sides of racks inlet can effectively improve the thermal distribution within the rack in fan-wall data center. (3) The optimal working condition is achieved when baffles are arranged on both sides of the rack inlet, with a width of 7 cm and an angle of 15°, and the angle direction is the same as the airflow direction. This effectively mitigate hotspots within the rack, with the maximum temperature drop within the rack hotspot reaching approximately 13.66 °C.

Quality of Service and Security on Cisco Network Devices, Coupled with the Development of a Mobile Application Prototype Software for Server Room Temperature Monitoring

Quality of Service and Security on Cisco Network Devices, Coupled with the Development of a Mobile Application Prototype Software for Server Room Temperature Monitoring

Sistem Pemantauan dan Pengendali Suhu Ruangan Server Berbasis Internet Of Things Dengan Notifikasi Alarm dan Telegram

Server room is a room that is usually used to store network equipment such as routers, personal computer servers, and other important items. These spaces require special attention and proper maintenance, and must be monitored effectively to protect the equipment located there. The impact of not paying special attention to the server room is that the temperature rise of network activity above normal can cause less than optimal hardware performance due to device overheating.In this research, a server room control and monitoring system based on the Internet of Things will be designed with alarms and telegram notifications to measure temperature, humidity, vibration and electrical energy conditions in the server room. The methodology used in this study is the Research and Development system. The system is designed to achieve results, namely monitoring the server room, controlling the temperature of components in the server room, and the system can issue warnings when room conditions are abnormal.The system can send sensor data from slave to master via Modbus RTU connected to RS485. The system can then send data on the 16x2 LCD to the device and issue alarms such as low, high and critical alarms as well as alarms when abnormal room conditions are detected. When the system detects abnormal room conditions, fans cool hot components in the server room.

Environmental impacts of a digital health and well-being service in elderly living schemes

Over the past decade, digitalization and digital technologies (DTs) have undergone rapid evolution, transforming how goods and services are produced and consumed in modern societies. Health and well-being sectors have embraced this digital revolution. Besides the economic and social benefits, digitalization can significantly enhance patient diagnostics and prognostics while improving overall service efficiency. To ensure long-term sustainability, it is important to assess and reduce the environmental impacts of digital services. This article examines the life cycle impacts of a digital service implemented in three elderly living schemes (ELSs) located in the United Kingdom (UK). The digital service consists of six electronic devices (EDs) that enable communication between residents, visitors, staff, and offsite monitoring (OM). The equipment is connected using Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, which includes smart network switch and uninterruptable power supply units. The digital service's global warming potential (GWP) was estimated at 718–741 kg CO2 eq./resident for two of the ELSs and 1509 kg CO2 eq./resident for a third ELS, considering a service period of 20 years. The reason for the significant difference is the greater use of air conditioner (A/C) units to cool down server rooms and fewer residents in the third scheme. The consumption of electricity was found to be the main contributor to most of the environmental impacts. However, in certain categories such as mineral resource scarcity, freshwater eutrophication, and freshwater and marine ecotoxicity potentials, printed circuit boards (PCBs) were the main contributors. A sensitivity analysis considering different national electricity mixes demonstrated that the French electricity grid promoted the reduction in 14 impact categories, whereas the German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese grids increased on average impacts on most categories. Another sensitivity analysis demonstrates that reducing A/C unit running time by 28% resulted in an average impact reduction of 5.5%, becoming equivalent to the results obtained for the French electricity grid. Finally, extending the expected lifespan of electronic equipment by 20% yielded the highest average decrease in environmental impacts (8.1%). While digitalization has the potential to enhance patient healthcare and reduce costs, it is crucial to carefully assess its environmental impacts and implement mitigation strategies to ensure sustainable development in the healthcare sector.

Sistem Monitoring Ruang Server Berbasis IoT Menggunakan Komunikasi Lora Ebyte E32

The critical issue in server room management, emphasizing the potential damage caused by elevated temperatures to hardware within the server room environment. The proposed solution involves leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology, specifically utilizing LoRa (Long Range) communication, to monitor key environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and fire incidents. The sensors chosen for this purpose are the DHT11 for measuring temperature and humidity, and a Fire sensor for detecting potential fire hazards. The research focuses on three main aspects: testing the transmission distance, evaluating data delivery, and integrating sensor data into the Blynk dashboard, which serves as the central monitoring system. The testing process involves assessing the performance of the system under different conditions. Firstly, the transmission distance is tested, presumably to determine the maximum distance over which the sensors can reliably communicate with the monitoring system. Secondly, data delivery is examined, likely to ensure the timely and accurate transfer of information from the sensors to the monitoring dashboard. Lastly, the research involves the integration of sensor data into the Blynk dashboard, indicating a comprehensive approach to visualizing and interpreting the collected data. The results of the testing reveal that the optimal performance is achieved when the transmission distance is below 600 meters. This distance is achieved using a 5dBi antenna, connected to the Blynk dashboard, which is identified as the preferred monitoring system. The findings suggest that this IoT-based solution utilizing LoRa communication and specific sensors effectively addresses the challenges associated with server room management, providing a reliable and real-time monitoring mechanism to mitigate potential hardware damage due to environmental factors.

Digital Twin Technology in Data Center Simulations: Evaluating the Feasibility of a Former Mine Site

Mining activities often deem mine sites as temporary, leading to their eventual reclamation, rehabilitation, or abandonment. This study innovates by proposing the re-purposing of the disused Osarizawa mine in Akita, Japan, leveraging its consistently low tunnel temperatures to establish a data center, thereby offering a sustainable economic avenue to offset reclamation costs. We assessed the feasibility of this transformation by gathering comprehensive environmental data from the site and conducting meticulous ventilation simulations. These simulations explored various scenarios encompassing diverse ventilation configurations, data server room dimensions, thermal outputs, and the inherent cooling capabilities of the proposed humid rooms. By juxtaposing the simulation outcomes with the criteria set forth in the ASHRAE 2011 Thermal Guidelines, we pinpointed the optimal parameters that satisfy the stringent temperature and relative humidity prerequisites essential for a data center’s operation. This research underscores the potential of reimagining abandoned mine sites as strategic assets, providing economic benefits while adhering to critical data center infrastructure standards.

Design of a Temperature Control and Object Motion Detection System in the Server Room Using IOT-Based Wemos D1

Servers play an important role in managing information and managing network traffic within an agency. It contains various types of network devices that must be kept on every day to provide the best service. This leads to the importance of maintaining server presence, such as paying attention to room humidity, regulating temperature and monitoring server room movements to keep it under control. The air temperature in the server room is set within 20 - 25 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 40 - 55%. In this context, the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) emerges as a potential solution by connecting physical objects via the internet. This research designs and builds an IoT-based temperature control and object motion detection system using a DHT22 sensor to measure the temperature in the room and a PIR sensor to detect human movement. Hardware components such as Wemos D1, Buzzer, Relay 2 channel 5v, and others are used to control the system via a smartphone. The software used includes the Arduino IDE. This system aims to monitor and control room temperature and object movement detection systems intelligently, prevent overheating, reduce the risk of loss and combine the advantages of IoT technology to create a temperature control and motion detection system that is responsive to room temperature and the movement of objects in the room.