5 STEPS for Turning Data into Actionable Insights

Transcription

1 5 STEPS for Turning Data into Actionable Insights

2 Today, nearly every piece of equipment in a data center has at least one sensor attached to it. In fact, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends no less than 6 temperature sensors per rack. These types of monitoring systems have the autonomy to alert operators in the event of any abnormality by constantly collecting and storing data throughout each individual asset s lifecycle. Even locally monitored battery systems, for example, produce and collect thousands of data points every day. However, data in itself is not knowledge, and monitors do not have the capability to generate any actionable insight without proper in-depth analysis and comparison to past readings. Without proper monitoring and analysis, facility operators don t know the true status of their assets; instead, they depend on quarterly maintenance, regular replacements and unreliable alarms. In addition, data center managers must manually set thresholds for each sensor, which is a tedious process that often results in false alarms. For example, an alarm may be triggered based on a high ohmic reading, which would normally indicate a bad battery, but in reality may be just a loose sensor connection. By analyzing data within the context of system trending, a battery operator would know whether the alarm indicated a need to tighten connections or replace a failed battery. By exploring current and historical data, facility managers have the ability to improve performance, prolong asset life and maximize ROI in data centers through prediction and prevention. We know a thing or two about analyzing data at Canara. Every day, our team of expert analysts turn thousands of uninterruptible power supply (UPS), generator and switchgear battery data sets into actionable insights for data center operators, such as Cologix and CenturyLink. For more than 20 years, we have applied the following 5-step process to help facility managers fully realize the value of their data. Step 1: Record the Data Step 2: Compare the Data Step 3: Identify Patterns Step 4: Apply Experience Step 5: Make Decisions CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 02

3 STEP 1 RECORD THE DATA To retrieve any actionable insight from data you first must have the data. Fortunately, with the proliferation of sensors, information is already being collected constantly from nearly every asset in an IT environment, monitoring everything from power to moisture to airflow. Today, sensor data is used primarily to sound an alarm, yet storing and reviewing data post-collection throughout an asset s lifecycle can reveal valuable insights, such as how different variables impact performance and lifespan. Recording and keeping all data generates a comprehensive view of an asset that can actually help facilities ensure uptime by predicting and preventing equipment failures before they happen. For over two decades, Canara has been remotely monitoring and recording battery performance data from around the world. Originally, this was solely to identify failing units to eliminate downtime due to battery string failure. Over time, the data gathered has evolved into arguably the world s largest database for batteries and now this information gives Canara a unique outlook on specific battery behavior and performance. CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 03

4 STEP 2 COMPARE THE DATA Data center operators have the opportunity to look at current data and compare it to historical data collected throughout assets lifecycles. Instead of relying on generic industry standards or blindly replacing equipment every few years, they can compare an asset against data collected from the exact same brand to identify patterns and apply past experience to their current situation. By servicing data centers across the world for over two decades, Canara has a comprehensive portfolio of performance data of critical systems. Canara s analyst can compare and assess hundreds of different models of batteries, UPSs and generators, giving facility managers specific and actionable insights into their specific piece of equipment. For example, the lifespan of a battery differs by brand. Comparison to Canara s big data analytics platform provides an understanding into performance differences and gives operators additional flexibility in how they schedule replacements as assets approach end of life. CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 04

5 STEP 3 IDENTIFY PATTERNS In order to identify problems before it s too late, data must be analyzed with proper logic and perspective, which requires an understanding of how current data relates to variables that are already well understood. This context enables the development of trending heuristics, and defines the typical impacts of various metrics. From there, a predictive model can be created that takes into account all relevant information. By constantly reading, recording and analyzing performance data, a facility manager can identify rising or falling trends that indicate impending problems, as well as identify assets that are reaching end of life. Analyzing system performance over time with context enables Canara s analysts to determine patterns that can be used to predict an outage long before an alarm is triggered. Each battery has a lifecycle signature profile that Canara maps against data from existing batteries from the same make and model unit. As a result, Canara can accurately predict the remaining useful life. This not only helps with budget forecasting and planning purposes, but also allows customers to schedule the optimal maintenance windows. CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 05

6 STEP 4 APPLY EXPERIENCE Outsourcing asset management is perhaps the most efficient use of a monitoring system, as a specialized expert can look at the data every day and use predictive analytics to provide earlier warning of possible issues, assure greater uptime, eliminate false alarms, flag issues, extend useful life, enable better asset management and assist with warranty claims. Presenting current battery performance against known, historical trends, Canara s battery analysts provide customers with weekly health reports of their assets. Each report identifies immediate maintenance needs, as well as periodic aging and predictive failure analysis, which prioritizes and forecasts future replacement recommendations. In addition, by reducing the resources required for manual battery inspections and asset management, Canara s customers are able to optimize their resources to continue to drive innovation in pursuit of the perfect data center. CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 06

7 STEP 5 MAKE DECISIONS Once data is recorded, compared, analyzed and accurate predictions are made by an expert, the data center operator is empowered with the awareness of the true health of the assets, the confidence to present the findings to senior executives, and the knowledge to make informed decisions. There is no avoiding the fact that assets fail, but monitoring and predictive analytics can have a dramatic effect on identifying warning signs early and eliminating problems before they occur. In addition to maintaining uptime and correct operation, proper monitoring and analysis can guarantee that the maximum life is extracted from any asset in a data center. Looking back at historical data helps set a baseline to look forward, ensuring uptime, prolonging asset life and maximizing ROI. By partnering with Canara, data center operators reduce the resources required for battery management and maintenance and improve their level of forecasting and budgeting. In fact, Canara s proactive and conditioned-based replacement approach has helped CenturyLink make better decisions in order to extend the life of its batteries by 30% and reduce maintenance costs by 75%. CANARA: 5 STEPS FOR TURNING DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PAGE 07

8 CANARA INSIGHT+ FOR BATTERIES FULLY REALIZE THE VALUE OF MONITORING The most common cause of data center downtime is UPS failure, and an estimated 85 percent of UPS incidents are due to battery failure. However, the responsibility for looking at this vital piece of equipment is often given to someone who has several other roles within the facility and someone who is not a battery expert. Therefore, batteries are often overlooked and, when an issue does come up, it is inevitably too late the facility is already recovering from an event. Leveraging Canara s 20+ years of critical power expertise, as well as the largest historical database of battery performance data and predictive analytics, Canara Insight+ for Batteries is the first-ever allinclusive predictive monitoring service for data centers. Eliminating all upfront capital, the subscription-based model bundles monitoring hardware, hardware replacement, and Canara s predictive monitoring service to provide a complete solution. As a result, facility managers can focus on business priorities with peace of mind instead of the headaches of reviewing and analyzing performance data knowing Canara s expert power analysts are interpreting their data, predicting failures and providing condition-based corrective actions. LET US HELP YOU DRIVE BETTER OUTCOMES WITH PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS AND SIMPLIFY YOUR OPERATIONS. Visit for more information ATLANTA (HEADQUARTERS) 2077 Convention Center Concourse Suite 425 Atlanta, GA SAN RAFAEL 181 Third Street Suite 150 San Rafael, CA ONLINE inquiries@canara.com TEL FAX 2016 CANARA INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CANARA AND THE CANARA LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF CANARA. ALL OTHER TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.