BMS Integration: Managing the Systems within the Data Center Environment

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BMS Integration

• Managing the Systems within the Data Center
  Environment

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BMS Integration

• BMS integration addresses the complexity,
  flexibility and scalability features required for
  data centers. In fact, BMS, or Building
  Management System integration optimizes these
  mission-critical facilities by proficiently
  incorporating and monitoring all the required
  physical components of the data center.

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BMS Integration

• For example, BMS integration involves servers
  and other IT equipment, physical security, energy
  efficiency, power usage, cooling solutions and
  more. As data centers increase equipment density
  within existing floor space, more energy will be
  required to run it and new cooling solutions will
  be necessary to deal with the increase in
  generated heat.
• This trend alone requires expert BMS
  integration, given cooling is already an issue in
  most data centers. Operating costs for power and
  cooling have escalated to a point that they now
  exceed the cost of servers.

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BMS Integration

• Factors Driving Increased Power and Cooling
  Requirements
• Industry experts estimate data centers can
  consume 25 to 50 times the power of an average
  office building. Of the total power required to
  run a data center, an estimated 40 to 50 percent
  is devoted to the cooling systems. Therefore,
  its not a surprise that energy efficiency has
  become a primary focus in BMS integration.
• Also contributing to this increased attention is
  the rising costs of powering and cooling data
  center systems. But its not only the cost of
  energy thats escalating. Demand for data center
  energy is at an all time high and growing.

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BMS Integration

• Several factors are driving this increased
  demand. Online video, commerce, gaming and other
  computing technologies require more and more
  server resources. As the amount of generated
  data continues to rise, additional data storage
  is needed.
• In addition, regulatory compliance also plays a
  role in power and cooling requirements.
  Government regulations dictate certain
  performance levels and safeguards must be
  maintained. To comply, data centers need to
  incorporate additional systems to accommodate
  more data storage.

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BMS Integration

• Guidelines for Managing the Data Center
  Environment
• The first step and best way to manage the data
  center environment is to fully understand all the
  systems and components operating within the
  facility. This knowledge, along with proactive
  monitoring, help create a highly reliable,
  cost-efficient operation.
• BMS integration is an important tool data center
  managers use to monitor and control every
  function of the data center facility. If data
  center managers understand the mechanical,
  electrical and security components of the
  facility, they can develop best practices to
  protect assets, minimize costs and eliminate
  downtime.

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BMS Integration

• Data center facility managers must work as a
  team with IT managers. BMS integration
  facilitates cooperation between these two
  departments. They can work together to leverage
  investments, reduce costs and increase
  reliability. One way to accomplish these
  benefits is to follow strict maintenance
  schedules and complete all necessary and
  associated tasks.
•  
• Another guideline for best management practices
  is standards adoption. BMS integration helps
  data center managers select products that meet
  industry standards. The result is a smarter
  procurement policy and streamlined expansion.

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BMS Integration

• Data centers are complex, ever-changing
  environments that continually must meet
  increasing demands. As a result, theyre a
  challenge to manage and optimize. BMS
  integration leverages monitoring and control to
  improve data center operations. In particular, a
  BMS helps reduce operating costs and increase
  performance levels for the data center facility.

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About the Author

• Arnie W. Evdokimo is Chief Executive Officer of
  DP Air Corporation, a leading provider of data
  center design, build and maintenance services
  based in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information
  about BMS integration, visit http//www.DPAir.com
  today.