Online calculator assists virtual environments

APC helps businesses calculate power usage online

One of the most significant issues around virtualisation is that while it will undoubtedly reduces energy use as the physical number of data centre servers is consolidated, the facility’s power usage effectiveness (PUE) is likely to go off the scale.

PUE is a metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data centre and is determined by dividing the amount of power entering a data centre by the power used to run the computer infrastructure within it.

“This PUE issue can be de-motivating and costly for data centre professionals who are working hard to improve facility efficiency and meet environmental concerns,” says Rodney Callaghan, MD: Southern Africa at APC by Schneider Electric.

To help companies make decisions regarding the physical requirements for virtualising IT loads, APC by Schneider Electric has developed a free online tool available from the company’s data centre efficiency portal. The calculator can be used at an early stage of planning for informed decision-making and to experiment with different scenarios and approaches.

In line with the recommendations in the EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres Efficiency, the tool encompasses both IT and physical infrastructure considerations.

“The Virtualisation Energy Cost Calculator is an easy-to-use tool that allows the user to make and alter a number of inputs, such as the number of servers, rack space utilisation, system design and energy use in order to assess pre- and post-virtualisation environments,” explains Callaghan. “It was developed by APC to enable data centre and IT managers to make a ready assessment of the impact of virtualisation upon data centre energy and space.”