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Data Center Design and Operation for the Internet of Things

Data Center Design and Operation for the Internet of Things

 From European Update, Winter 2020

Full-day ASHRAE training on trends and considerations in data center design and operation was organized by the Portugal Chapter and held in Lisbon in November. Developed by ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment, the course presented content from ASHRAE’s DataCom series of 14 books.

Attendees learned that IT hardware is rapidly evolving in response to customer need and demands. This makes IT loads in data centers difficult to predict.


Mark Seymour, Member ASHRAE and member of ASHRAE TC 9.9, explains how ASHRAE guidance is essential for efficient and secure data center operation.

The maximum load is a hardware-driven metric while the average load or maximum operating load is a software-driven metric. The training explained that software workload is a moving target (ranging from idle to maximum operating load). Today’s data center environments have an infinite number of combinations, increasing the risk of overgeneralizing by designers and operators.

Demand for IT services that are lower-cost, more energy-efficient, provide more storage, and offer more computing capabilities is resulting in continued, significant changes in hardware, and as a result, its operating conditions.

This ASHRAE course examined best practices by focusing on ASHRAE’s evolving thermal guidelines for data processing environments, telecommunications, and actual high-density data centers in operation today. While there are opportunities to save energy in data centers, an understanding of equipment trends, performance measurements and effectiveness are critical to the principal objective: data integrity.

Topics covered in the course included: Design Basics; ASHRAE Thermal Guidelines; IT Hardware Trends; Data Center Networking Equipment; DataCom Air Cooling Architecture; Metrics and Evaluation of Data Center Facility Efficiency; Data Center Infrastructure Management; Convergence of IT and Building Facilities Functions; DCIM Connected Framework; Using Measured and Modeled Data Analytics; and Modeling.

For information about how companies and chapters can schedule the course or to be added to the mailing list to receive notice of upcoming training for you or your employees, contact Brusselsoffice@ashrae.org.

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