Server room or real-time monitoring is the active monitoring of your critical IT spaces, to ensure systems that your organisation relies on, continue safely and efficiently. This is predominantly environmental monitoring but also covers power monitoring, intruder detection and camera surveillance.
The real-time monitoring solutions can detect a range of environmental factors which otherwise could cause disruption for your business. For example, IT equipment overheating, fluids or leaks, high humidity or fire or smoke. This real-time monitoring is recommended by hardware manufacturers to ensure your IT systems are not disrupted.
There are also access control risks to your server room or data centre. This could be related to staff accidentally leaving doors open either to the server room itself or to rack enclosures, or IT equipment becoming unplugged. There is also the risk of unwanted intruders or intentional damage to the IT spaces.
Therefore, a combination of effective access control measures, on doors and at rack level, along with surveillance cameras that can provide a visual record of what happened when breaches occur, can provide protection for your server room.
Additionally, power spikes or outages can cause costly downtime for your business and mean data is lost. Power distribution units and UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems can ensure power is managed efficiently across your IT equipment and there is a back-up if power is lost.
Most UPS devices have the capability to house network cards that can report on information that is relevant to the integrity of the system, such as battery condition, run-time remaining, load levels, input voltage etc. In addition to this, environmental parameters such as room temperature and humidity can also be measured and reported on.
Effective real-time monitoring software will ensure you receive any alerts, alarms or notifications via SMS or email. This allows you to act quickly if there is any disruption within your server room that could interrupt business continuity.
As well as your normal business operations, security and access control systems rely on the maintenance of your IT networks and hardware. Therefore, if you want to ensure your organisation is properly protected server room monitoring is recommended.
We offer a range of Schneider Electric solutions, including monitoring software, APC Netbotz monitoring devices and sensors and can advise you on the right solution for your organisation. To request a server room monitoring audit, or for more advice, please get in touch.
