White Paper describes elements for data centre O & M programme

According to a new white paper from Schneider Electric human error and inattention can compromise the performance of any data centre design. Mitigating these threats and their effects requires an effective and efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) programme.

70% of data centre outages are directly attributable to human error according to the Uptime Institute’s analysis of their “abnormal incident” reporting (AIR) database. The figure highlights the critical importance of having an effective O&M programme.

White Paper #196, “Essential Elements of Data Center Facility Operations”, describes unique management principles and provides a comprehensive, high-level overview of the necessary programme for operating a mission critical facility efficiently and reliably throughout its life cycle.

The methodology focuses on twelve distinct elements that ensure a properly designed, implemented, and supported operations and maintenance (O&M) programme. However, Schneider Electric says that the very foundation of an effective O&M programme rests on having a facilities operations team that manages and acts with a “mission critical mindset”. Such an operational philosophy is focused on risk mitigation, preparedness, standardized processes, and continuous improvement.

The importance of an effective and efficient O&M programme is further highlighted when considering that the majority of data centre TCO is operational expense, not Capex – it is also where the majority of potential costs savings reside. Additionally, energy costs represent the largest single opex cost.
Accelerating OPEX costs have driven the need for higher facility efficiency, which has resulted in reduced capacity safety margins and system redundancy. At the same time as driving a need for proactive maintenance, increased levels of equipment performance data provide the opportunity to utilise data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) software and higher levels of automation to enhance reliability and save costs when properly managed.

While the topics covered in the new White Paper by no means represent a complete list of every process, task, procedure, or system involved with critical facility Operations andMaintenance, Schneider Electric offers a perspective on the most critical elements to consider when developing or evaluating programmes of new or existing data centres.