'Roll Your Own' Thermal Monitoring

Austin colocation provider Core NAP has built a system of low voltage thermal sensors tied together over Cat5 cable, which is summarized at IT Knowledge Exchange: "The monitors report back to a database that can map data center temperatures in real-time. (Core NAP) plans to be able to put multiple monitors in cabinets, under floors, and in the cable runs above of the racks. The sensors from Maxim IC report to USB readers plugged into Linux hosts. The hosts log data to a local web server, and Core NAP plans to combine that info with Visio maps of the data center." Jeremy Porter, the Senior Internet Data Center Architect at Core NAP, says this approach will save money compared to off-the-shelf solutions.

Fast-growing San Francisco colocation provider United Layer is using forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, as noted by Allen Leinwand recently at GigaOm. An excerpt: "United Layer rents a FLIR camera, the kind typically used to help pilots see at night or in dense fog, to create an infrared thermal image of equipment racks in which inefficient configurations can be easily detected. Once they're found, United Layer works with the customer to redesign their rack layout, improving equipment performance, lifetime and total cost of ownership. Of course, this process also makes it easier to cool the data center, which helps control United Layer's operational costs."