Machine Learning & AI power data centre sector’s first software-embedded thermal advisory capability

Available as part of EkkoSense’s innovative EkkoSoft Critical SaaS-based M&E optimization and capacity management solution, Cooling Advisor is the industry’s first process-driven embedded advisory capability available as part of a thermal optimization solution. By following the clear recommendations offered by Cooling Advisor’s algorithms, data center teams can keep on track in their journey to secure an average 30% cooling energy savings.

“Data center rooms are constantly changing, especially with the constant addition and removal of IT equipment and associated cooling – so it’s really hard for operations team to make sure their critical facilities stay fully optimized,” explained EkkoSense’s Chief Product Officer, Paul Milburn. “That’s where Cooling Advisor helps, providing a range of powerful self-optimizing capabilities that enable data center teams to ensure continuous year-round performance optimization.

“However, unlike thermal consultants who may just suggest potential improvements, Cooling Advisor processes machine learning insights drawn from over 15 billion EkkoSoft Critical data points to provide a clear recommendation of the next best action that the data center team can take to improve their thermal performance, And because advisory actions are structured to ensure support for 100% ASHRAE rack thermal compliance, facilities managers can be confident that they will be protected against thermal risk across their operations.”

Cooling Advisor’s actionable changes include suggested optimum cooling unit setpoint adjustments, fan speed points and standby settings, changes to floor grille layouts, checking that cooling units are running to specification as well as advice on optimum rack locations. Recommendations are presented each time for human auditability before data center operations team members make the suggested changes. They can then use EkkoSense’s data center performance optimization solution to confirm that Cooling Advisor recommendations are delivering the expected results. Cooling Advisor operation is particularly intuitive, with potential risk mitigated by the defining of clear action steps, the provision of obvious back-out mechanisms, as well as the ability to flag and unflag items so that optimization suggestions aren’t repeatedly given for changes that cannot be implemented.

Key Cooling Advisor features include:

•      Clear Guidance on Cooling Adjustments

Thanks to EkkoSoft Critical’s round-the-clock monitoring of temperatures, Cooling Advisor can offer focused guidance around adjustments to cooling unit setpoints, cooling unit standby and cooling unit fan speed adjustments

•      Identify Floor Grilles that should be removed or relocated

Simply by acting on Cooling Advisor recommendations, data center teams can take control of thermal optimization – for example, by identifying a better floor grille layout to target air delivery only where it is needed

•      Full Risk Mitigation and Governance

Cooling Advisor ensures mitigation of risk by defining clear steps, providing obvious back-out mechanisms and offering clear logging of all user inputs and engagements within Cooling Advisor

•      Streamlined Optimization Process

Key features here include the use of tasklists to group related tasks together, the ability to flag and unflag items that cannot be implemented in a specific site, as well as visible countdown timers to prevent potentially overlapping changes prior to confirmed optimization

EkkoSense delivers an average 30% data centre cooling energy saving, significantly reducing cooling equipment capex investment requirements and delivering a quantifiable carbon usage reduction to help data centers contribute towards corporate net zero commitments.

The EkkoSense solution provides an attractive business case for midsize, enterprise, and larger hyperscale data centres as it enables true real-time M&E Capacity Planning for power, cooling and space - at a fraction of the cost of more expensive and complex DCIM solutions. Interest in the software is growing internationally.