If the fundamentals of their physical IT infrastructure systems are ignored, companies modernizing their data centers face the risk of unexpected downtime, which could result in serious disruptions to critical business processes. Uptime Institute found that nearly one-third (31%) of businesses have experienced light outages or severe service degradation in the past year. Unplanned downtime is also expensive.
Neglecting the modernization of data centers also means that organizations cannot leverage technological advancements to make data centers simpler, more efficient, easier to manage, and more cost-effective to operate. With changing IT demands and aging infrastructure, there are opportunities to gain significant benefits from modernization.
As the physical infrastructure system approaches its service life, the risk of downtime increases. The choice for data center managers is to modernize or outsource business functions to cloud or hosting service providers. When considering the modernization of data centers, three key areas must be addressed: equipment hardware (electrical and mechanical), software management systems, and operation and maintenance plans. In this article, we will focus on introducing uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
1. Adjust your data center UPS
Just like replacing an old stove at home, upgrading the UPS in a data center can not only improve reliability, but also increase efficiency and save costs. The workload (and therefore capacity requirements) of data centers 10 years ago may have been vastly different from today. They may significantly increase or decrease due to various factors, including mergers and acquisitions that increase workloads, virtualization technologies that reduce physical server space usage, and cloud migration that enables companies to integrate their on premises data center operations.
Organizations need to adjust the size of their UPS based on current and future capacity requirements. We have developed a tool – Schneider Electric’s three-phase UPS modernization operating expense calculator – to help organizations determine whether to retain aging UPS or replace it based on their current UPS costs and new capacity requirements.
With the help of an easy-to-use drop-down menu, data center managers can input the name, model, and size of their existing UPS, taking into account maintenance and electricity costs, and switch scales to measure 10 by turning towards smaller and/or more efficient models.
For example, companies that migrate applications and storage to the cloud may consider reducing their existing 240KWUPS to smaller, more efficient 100KW models. This tool demonstrates how the company saved nearly $150000 within 10 years. Below is a screenshot of the UPSOpEx calculator. If your load demand decreases in this situation, it usually saves a lot of growth.
In many cases, new technologies simplify operations and provide functional enhancements that should be incorporated into decision-making. Compared to I-day UPS using VRLA batteries, UPS using lithium-ion batteries (li ion) is an example of technological improvement. Lithium ion technology can provide longer battery life, which means lower maintenance and parts costs, and a 50-80% reduction in footprint and weight.
2. Tactical considerations for replacing UPS
For example, companies that migrate applications and storage to the cloud may consider reducing their existing 240KWUPS to smaller, more efficient 100KW models. This tool demonstrates how the company saved nearly $150000 within 10 years. Below is a screenshot of the UPSOpEx calculator. If your load demand decreases in this situation, it usually saves a lot of growth.
In many cases, new technologies simplify operations and provide functional enhancements that should be incorporated into decision-making. Compared to I-day UPS using VRLA batteries, UPS using lithium-ion batteries (li ion) is an example of technological improvement. Lithium ion technology can provide longer battery life, which means lower maintenance and parts costs, and a 50-80% reduction in footprint and weight.
2. Tactical considerations for replacing UPS
Once the company decides to replace its aging UPS with a more efficient, modern, and suitable model, it needs to consider various practical issues in order to smoothly replace it. These considerations should include selecting an alternative UPS that matches the existing infrastructure in terms of physical footprint (it must be suitable for available space), as well as ensuring that it has the correct input/output voltage to connect to the on-site switchgear. Additionally, please ensure that UPS supports the Internet of Things. By equipping UPS with IoT sensors and connecting them to your data center management software platform, administrators can remotely monitor and manage devices. Of course, notify everyone who may be affected and arrange for replacement within the planned maintenance window. Ensure that there is a plan to transfer critical task workloads to another power source upon completion of the work. Finally, don’t forget to update these assets in the management software and operation documentation.