Last month in Dickson Insights, our feature story focused on server room and data center temperature. We outlined an issue that happened at Yale University, and talked through the different temperature and humidity nuances that a data center provides. What we did not touch on, were the benefits of any one data logger over another. That is what this article is for. We will obviously be speaking about Dickson products, and one Dickson product in particular, but feel free to use this guide to help you navigate the large (and sometimes overwhelming) data logger market. If you are in the IT world, this guide should help you better understand our world: the data logging one.
The easiest way to narrow down your data logger search, is to know what you will be measuring. For data centers, that usually means temperature, humidity, and maybe water detection. For Dickson products, that means you will be looking to our temperature and humidity ambient sensors. These sensors and their associated data loggers provide two channels of measurement: temperature and humidity, each extremely accurate and calibrated to your needs.
Temperature rises fast in a data center. With energy costs and HVAC concerns, managing the temperature of a data center has become more robust, but the rapidness with which temperatures can rise when there is a power or HVAC malfunction remains constant. For that reason, your data logger should have a thorough alarming system. That means more than just an annoying beep at the source. You should want to be notified of rising or falling temperatures when you are away. For Dickson products, that means the DicksonOne family of data loggers. These loggers give you the option of customizable phone call, text, or email alarms, along with that annoying beep at the source.
Next up, is how you want to access your data logger’s data. If you opted out of the robust alarming system above, you are stuck with a manual USB download. If you didn’t, you have options. Many companies offer WiFi, Ethernet, Cellular, and Radio Frequency connectivity of your data loggers. Data centers and server rooms usually have WiFi or Ethernet connectivity, so that is what we would suggest. Choosing between the two is a matter of preference. There is a certain amount of security that comes with Ethernet (less likely to have a lost connection) but snaking Ethernet cord everywhere can be inconvenient. Either way, our DicksonOne system has you covered. And now, with our DicksonOne Touchscreen having the option of Power over Ethernet, you can decide to not have to find a wall outlet for your data logger.
Finally, we have the number of data loggers that you will need. Some server rooms are made up of one simple rack of computer servers, and others are entire data center campuses. As for our products, the data logger in the picture above is perfectly scalable. And we think it’s exactly what you need.