In this day and age, most every SMB and large enterprise has some type of environmental monitoring solution installed in their data center. With servers being the lifeblood of most organizations, it only makes sense for IT administrators to do everything in their power to ensure that their company's data center is not in danger of suffering a catastrophic event.  

However, too few data center managers deploy environmental monitoring solutions that are capable of detecting all of the adverse conditions that can destroy their servers and cost their company hundreds and thousands of dollars.

When selecting an environmental monitoring solution, it is critical to find one that observes a variety of conditions and relays those measurements back to administrators in real time.

Temperature: The ideal solution will be capable of monitoring the ambient temperature in the server room along with the temperature in certain areas, preferably top, middle, and bottom of each server rack, around any heavy machinery and various hot spots among the facility. Data center managers should employ multiple sensors to monitor for adverse temperatures because "hotspots" are exceedingly difficult to identify. Temperatures can vary by as much as 10 degrees in different areas of a server room, and by as much as 20 degrees inside server cabinets.

Because heat builds up in specific areas of a data center, it is very possible for pieces of equipment to be damaged while the ambient temperature in the room appears to be static. Adverse temperatures can damage or destroy data center equipment in less than an hour.  [citation?]

Without adopting a solution that can monitor temperature in various areas around the IT facility, IT managers are taking a huge risk.

Humidity and Dew Point: Failing to monitor the relative humidity of a data center is a common occurrence, and one that often results in severe damage to servers and other IT equipment. High humidity and sudden temperature drops can result in the accumulation of condensation on data center hardware, which commonly leads to hardware corrosion and general equipment failure. The dew point is the temperature at which condensation will begin.

Low humidity in a data center can also be detrimental to an organization. When humidity levels are below 35 percent, high-voltage electrostatic discharges will often occur. These occurrences lead to dire equipment-related consequences.

Airflow: Airflow is another major concern for data centers, and is a condition that needs to be closely monitored. The majority of electricity that is consumed by computer equipment is converted into heat, which means that air conditioning units need to be running at top efficiency to prevent equipment meltdowns and other failures. Measuring airflow can detect fans or units that are failing, and may help prevent catastrophic events well before they occur. If a fan breaks down or other issues arise, a server room's temperature can increase 10 degrees in less than 30 minutes.

Water: Effective environmental monitoring solutions are capable of alerting IT administrators of the presence of water, which is an extremely corrosive element that can damage server equipment in the blink of an eye. If a water leak ever occurs in a server room, the news needs to be relayed to appropriate personnel immediately. Water leaks are often related to plumbing problems, sprinkler malfunctions, roof leaks and unauthorized access to the server room. Real-time environmental monitoring tools can help minimize or even negate the impact of water leaks.

Power Failures, Voltage Concerns and Amperage Issues: Power-related incidents – including black-outs, brown-outs, power surges and breaker trips – can immediately shut down a data center. Ideal environmental monitoring solutions can help identify these concerns, monitor the voltage supplied by the local power company and mitigate the effects of the power problems.

When the power goes off in most data centers, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) will kick in to keep the equipment running. However, a UPS will stop working once its battery dies down. Environmental monitoring solutions can alert IT workers of power disruptions the minute they occur, giving employees ample time to shut down the equipment properly.

Meanwhile, keeping a watchful eye on electrical current can ensure that a circuit breaker isn't about to trip or a device hasn't recently failed.

Some solutions come equipped with built-in Power over Ethernet (POE) functionality, which allows an environmental monitoring device to draw power from an Ethernet cable if the main source has been shut down. This way, companies can know if their data center air conditioners are not running. High-end solutions also monitor battery voltages. 

Smoke: The presence of smoke can cause direct damage to IT equipment. Moreover, it often foretells a more disastrous happening, like a fire or electrical issue. While most businesses have their own smoke detectors, alarms routinely go off when the office is closed and no one is around to respond to them. Connecting smoke alarms to a comprehensive data center monitoring solution can alert IT personnel of smoke via email or text message, and can also provide users with live, Web-based video feeds of the rooms themselves.

Door Position: Failing to adequately prevent intrusion can cripple data centers. Whether the act is malicious or not, unauthorized entry into a server room or cabinet can result in equipment damage and severe legal concerns. Door position sensors can alert the appropriate parties in case of  intrusion. Real-time video feeds of the room can help supplement these sensors.

Light and Sound: Monitoring how bright or dark a data center is can enable IT managers determine whether the room's lights are on when they shouldn’t be, or vice-versa. This can help identify whether an unauthorized person is in the server room. With the graphing and logging of light levels, users can detect certain patterns.

Sound is also a key indicator of trouble. A sudden drop in sound is often related to fan failure or other equipment problems that predict costly outcomes.

ITWatchDogs offers a variety of solutions that monitor the aforementioned conditions through a secure Web interface and live video feeds. The company's equipment can notify personnel of adverse conditions through text message, email or other alarms. To learn more about these solutions, click here.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Patrick Barnard