Where extended power outages are a likelihood, a generator is often used to provide power beyond the life of a battery powered UPS.

The transfer between UPS power and generator power can be handled either manually or automatically by a transfer switch.

Zella DC sensors can be a powerful ally in monitoring or controlling the transfer of power and also the return to normal mains power.

USE CASES:

• A vibration sensor can be used to sense that the generator motor has been started and is running, through the change in vibration. If the generator has not stared, actions can be triggered, such as:
  • Alerts to key staff
  • Shut down non-essential equipment to extend UPS time
• Where the transfer switch has external control, the Zella DC can extend generator time after mains restoration to allow for UPS recharging. This helps when power is dropping in and out and there is a risk of not enough UPS power for a generator re-start.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Vibration sensor module
• UPS  monitoring via relay contact card or SNMP
  

SEE ALSO:

AUTOMATION: Equipment Power Down – Power Outage

MONITORING: Power 

In many cases IT equipment is not always required to be powered on for 24/7 operation.

Significant power savings can be gained if non-essential equipment is powered down when not required - this is called "Load Shedding".

In the Zella DC micro data centre, each power outlet can be classified as “Non-critical”, marking it as a candidate for power savings.

USE CASES:

• One or more groups of outlets can be created in the Zella DC micro data centre. Event rules can then be created to turn these groups of outlets off and back on at specific times to further improve operating efficiency of the micro date centre.
• Load shedding also is of benefit if the micro data centre contains equipment with high power requirements. Rather than risking tripping a current breaker, load shedding can activated during high demand periods.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

This is a standard feature of the Zella DC micro data centres; it can be easily enabled through the configuration interface.

In regions where earthquakes and tremors are an on-going risk to be managed, the ability to proactively protect IT equipment is a valuable tool.

With the aid of a vibration sensor, the Zella DC micro centres can shutdown key pieces of equipment in the event of a tremor. The optional vibration sensor module has two thresholds that can be configured to suit the environment, equipment and any other counter measures in place.

As Zella DC micro data centres are often in remote locations sensing vibrations can also be a valuable tool in environmental monitoring.

USE CASES:

• Upon detection of a vibration above the upper threshold (configurable) a shutdown of sensitive and/or non essential equipment could be initiated
• Upon detection of a vibration above the critical threshold (configurable) a shutdown of all equipment could be initiated
• The Zella DC micro data centre will continue to operate even if all the IT equipment has been shutdown - this will provide on-going monitoring of vibrations
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Vibration sensor module
• Internet connection (for alerting)
  

SEE ALSO:

AUTOMATION: Equipment Power Down – Power Outage

Just as the Zella Pro can be configured to release the maglocks upon failure of the incoming mains, the same function can be enabled for a high temperature.

When enabled, reaching a critical temperature threshold will trigger opening the front and rear doors. This will allow the external air to flow into the micro data centre, resulting in additional cooling.

The Zella Pro has this option OFF by default.

USE CASES:

• If the micro data centre cooling is not on essential power, they will shutdown with a power outage. Whilst equipment may continue to run, temperatures within the micro data centre will rise. This automation will open doors, allowing airflow to cool the micro data centre.
• If the cooling unit in the Zella DC micro data centres is disabled or fails, this option provides a fallback that will assist in passive cooling.

Note: this is only recommended when the area the MDC is located is secure.

REQUIREMENTS:

This is a standard feature of the Zella DC micro data centres

It can be easily enabled through the configuration interface.

Later model micro data centres have a more advanced door control module and keypad, which allows additional functionality.

When this feature is enabled, turning on additional functionality can be as simple as entering a custom PIN number.

This is very beneficial as on-site staff don’t need to be given access to the Zella DC micro data centre configuration portal to enable or disable functionality. This adds an extra level of security by keeping configuration passwords private.

By providing unique PINs, functions can be enabled staff of your choosing.

USE CASES:

Some examples of PIN enabled functionality are:

• Rotate cooling systems in a dual cooling micro data centres
• Turn of alerting whilst maintenance is under way
• Disable video snapshots when doors are opened during maintenance
• Disable UPS alerts during maintenance
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Keypad with door control module
• Additional sensor modules as required by the enabled automations
  

As Edge IT installations are often in remote locations and unattended, supplementing physical security can provide an extra deterrent to vandalism and theft risks.

As the Zella DC micro data centres can easily incorporate additional environmental sensors, the ability to build in extra security easily and effectively be added.

Additional sensors can detect vibration and movement of the micro data centres. Up to two webcams can be added to take video footage and still photos when a tampering event is detected.

USE CASES:

• A micro data centre equipped with a vibration sensor and webcams can be configured to act in a number of ways when vibrations or movement / proximity events are detected:
  • Take photos and videos
  • Sound a siren
  • Flash a warning light
  • Email alerts with photos and videos
• When an invalid PIN number is entered, take photos and video and send them to security and support staff.
• When a door is opened outside a certain time frame, take photos and video and send them to security and support staff.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Webcam(s)
• Vibration sensor
• Proximity sensor
• Dry contact module
  

SEE ALSO:

• Email photo on door open
  

The Zella DC micro data centres can be configured to power down nominated or non-essential equipment in the event of high temperatures being recorded in the micro data centre.

When enabled, reaching a critical temperature threshold will trigger the power down of nominated power outlets. This will allow the temperatures to return to normal, providing safe operating conditions for the remaining powered equipment.

The Zella Pro has this option OFF by default.

USE CASES:

• If a piece of essential IT equipment is in a high temperature state cooling gradients can be impacted or reduced. Shutting down other non-essential equipment provides valuable additional time to investigate and remedy any faults in the equipment
• Automated door opening can be added to trigger at a higher temperature for further protection.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• This is a standard feature of the Zella DC micro data centres, simply requiring non-essential equipment to be nominated and the automation then enables
• Internet access is a desirable option to expedite remote fault finding
  

SEE ALSO:

• Open doors on high temperatures
  

The Zella DC micro data centre can monitor servers via a Server Reachability function that is included in each Zella DC micro data centre.

Equipment is pinged at a regular interval and after a number of consecutive failed pings, the device can be rebooted.

The reboot can be power cycle or if remote power control is possible a shutdown command issued. Linux, Windows and custom commands are supported.

USE CASES:

• Monitoring of servers using ping commands to provide health / availability of key infrastructure.
• Perfect for non-responsive devices that have become unreachable over the network.
• Automatic reboots save travel time and cost for human intervention.
• Supplement with a remote KVM facility to see BIOS level information when rebooting or to conduct a manual reboot.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

SEE ALSO:

• Server monitoring
• KVM
  

The inclusion of a UPS in a remote environment is almost an essential inclusion. However, a UPS has finite capacity and the more equipment is supports, the less time it can run on batteries.

Battery run time can be extended by turning off non-essential equipment.

The Zella DC micro data centres are able to interact with the incoming supply mains and UPS to initiate a shut down of non-essential equipment. This ensures that precious UPS run time is extended when it is most important.

USE CASES:

• Stage 1 – shutdown non-essential equipment as soon as there is a power outage.  This will immediately extend battery life.
• Stage 2 – if mains power has not been restored and the UPS has signalled a low battery (requires UPS integration option), then further equipment can be shut down to maximise the last remaining power.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Optional UPS to provide power in the case of an outage and UPS monitoring sensor
• This automation is a standard feature of the Zella DC micro data centres
• It can be easily enabled through the configuration interface.
  

Whilst we all hope our IT infrastructure will never be subject to a fire event, it is still important to ensure that a fire can be put out if it occurs.

The Zella DC micro data centres can be provided with an optional fire suppression that acts quickly to extinguish any detected fires.

In the event that a fire occurs it’s important to ensure that notifications occur and any actions to preserve equipment taken.

Thanks to the automation capabilities of the Zella DC micro data centres, this can all be achieved.

USE CASES:

• In the event of a fire a number of actions can be triggered:
  • The fire suppression system will automatically deploy and communicate to the micro data centres
  • Alerts can be sent to remote monitoring (requires an internet connection)
  • Equipment can be powered down
  • Any external warning devices can be triggered
• The fire suppression unit is also monitored so if an error condition occurs, staff can be notified to investigate and remedy.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Optional fire suppression unit
• Internet connection for monitoring and alerting
  

The Zella DC micro data centres can be equipped with one or two web cam cameras. These cameras are capable of taking both video and image snap shots.

The cameras can be configured to take footage as an action as part of an automation.

A video or image snapshot becomes a useful addition to the audit trail in the life of the IT equipment.

The camera actions can be configured to send the files to storage or send an email of the snapshot, even with the ability to specify times between a succession of snapshots. Log information can also be included in snapshot emails.

USE CASES:

There are a large number of uses cases, including:

• Snapshot on every door opening
• Take a photo when equipment is disconnected
• Take photos when an incorrect PIN is entered
• Take footage in response to sensor events like vibration, proximity and more
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Webcam (USB)
• Powered USB hub if two webcams are used
  

SEE ALSO:

• SENSORS: Camera
  

Just as automations can be programmed to occur in response to a sensor event, they can also be programmed to occur as a scheduled event.

Schedule actions can be configured to occur every:

• Minute (every 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 mins)
• Hour (every 1 – 59 hours)
• Day (specific time)
• Week (selecting time and days of the week)
• Month (selecting time and days of the month)
• Year (selecting time, days & months of the year)

Multiple actions can be defined and assigned to each schedule.

USE CASES:

• Schedule exterior lighting to be turned on / off
• Schedule equipment to be turned on / off
• Take a video snapshot every hour for time lapse photography
• Email sensor reports and logs
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• The scheduling action facility is standard in the Zella DC micro data centres
• Additional sensors and items may be required depending on the action
• An internet connection is required for sending emails
  

Where a Zella DC micro data centre has been purchased with the dual cooling option, customers get the additional peace of mind of a secondary cooling unit to provide redundancy and additional capacity if required.

Cooling units typically run one unit at a time but can be configured to run concurrently if required.

USE CASES:

• Rotate operation of the cooling units for 2 weeks at a time -this ensures that the units have similar run times.
• In cases of high temperatures, the secondary cooling unit can be started to provide additional cooling capacity; when the internal temperature has dropped, the secondary unit can be placed back into standby mode.
  

REQUIREMENTS: