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Synapsense targets CFD modeling with real time wireless monitors
May 30th, 2008 by mstansberry
Folsom, Calif.-based data center monitoring company Synapsense is looking to targeting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software with its wireless data center monitoring system. The startup is two years old and has been shipping commercial products for six months. The company currently has 15 proof of concept projects at unnamed “Fortune 50” companies, plus support from the data center energy efficiency engineers at Lawrence Berkley National Labs (LBNL), according to Ray Pfeifer, vice president of business development at Synapsense.
Synapsense’s battery powered monitors track data center environmental conditions and use low power wireless [2.4 gigahertz] to communicate that data to a server. Synapsense’s software synthesizes that information and displays it as a live image [example below], which allows data center managers to look at real time maps of their data center and view air pressure distribution, humidity and temperature.
The following is an excerpt of a Q&A with Pfeifer:
Why wireless sensors? Why not wired?
Pfeifer: The majority of the data centers are not new. The IT equipment refreshes every 3-5 years. The facility is there 15-20 years. Low power wireless becomes the first practical way to get in to monitor legacy data centers unobtrusively.
We can deploy in a 10,000 sq ft data center in a day to two days. It takes you weeks or months to do that with a wired solution. Because of the flexibility of wireless, as your data center changes, racks come and go, you can very easily reconfigure the wireless to match the environment. Some data center operators are moving 10-20% of their IT equipment in and out every month.
What specifically do the sensors monitor?
Pfeifer: Our standard installation measures the temperature on inlet and discharge of the racks, the temperature at the inlet and discharge of the Computer Room Air Coniditoner (CRAC) units, humidity at the CRAC units, and sub-floor air pressure.
But what we do with all this data is the interesting thing. A typical data center supplies anywhere two to three times the air that it needs because the majority of the air is being wasted. The strategic placement of the sensors allows you to adjust your airflow methodology. When you raise the return temps on the CRAH units, they become more efficient, you can shut units off.
The LiveImaging gives you a visual map: you can see where your hot spots are, you can see where you’re over-cooling. It enables a data center operator to reconfigure the data center and understand what they need to do to reconfigure it.
How does real-time imaging stack up against CFD analysis?
Pfeifer: There is some great CFD software out there, but the expertise to build a good model is pretty significant, so the people using CFD models are generally professional services folks. A full data center assessment is a $50,000 event for a 25,000 sq ft data center. The problem is, that’s a one time snapshot. They take your readings and they leave. In 90% of those instances, the facility guy looks at it, and it goes on a shelf. A year later, they hire someone else to do another one. If you put sensors cost effectively, do the analysis, collect data real time, you can present it visually to non-eningeering staff. Look at color. If it’s red, it’s hot. This is a dynamic tool that allows continuous commissioning the data center.
What’s the next step for Synapsense?
Pfeifer: The next piece that will complete the full solution will be energy metering, for both infrastructure and IT equipment, down to branch circuit level monitoring. We will also provide real-time DCIE/PUE and overlay it on your existing data center. We’re also working with the LBNL team as they develop DC Pro, the Department of Energy’s data center assessment tool. We’re putting those assessment tools into our software solution.
Posted: May 30th, 2008 under Data center power efficiency, Data center standards and metrics.