Are You as Resourceful as Mark Watney in ‘The Martian’?

In the Oscar-nominated film “The Martian,” astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, uses his wits and available resources to attempt survival on a hostile planet. With a limited supply of food, water and air to breath, he optimizes his immediate resources to mitigate risks posed by the dangerous forces surrounding his space station. 

Similarly, data center operators must maximize their resources within the data center to prevent potential threats, such as power outages, which could diminish uptime and, thus, result in a major revenue loss. 

Today’s hostile business environment, even if tame compared to the one Watney faced, presents significant risks to data center uptime, efficiency and reliability. For instance, if energy consumption within the data center isn’t used efficiently—even if from a renewable resource such as solar or wind—cabinets could overheat. The resulting loss of power could cut off access to the network, leaving customers stranded without access to mission-critical applications and connectivity. 

What’s more, inclement weather can directly affect data center soundness. For instance, in the event of a hurricane or tornado, power could be lost—or worse, the building could become physically damaged. As such, data center operators ought to consider laying a sturdy foundation of intelligent rack-level power solutions to ensure durability and reliability in such situations. 

To maximize resources within the data center, operators should consider implementing power management and measuring solutions that afford real-time reporting. A reporting feature is essential for tracking up-to-the-minute power efficiency in the data center so operators can be alerted to potential risks and mitigate them. Click here to learn more about optimizing your resources so that your data center is fit for survival.