Environment monitoring is a crucial supplement to any business, whether your IT hardware consists of a server closet or whether it extends to a dozen data centres. In the hospitality field, where the focus is on the guest experience, it is therefore vital to monitor your server rooms and data centres in order to prevent an out of line condition escalating. Even half an hour of your Guest WiFi being down can lead to a negative TripAdvisor review, which every hotel owner wants to avoid.
In order to ensure the smooth running of a hotel there are many IT elements which need to be working consistently. Guests need to be checked in and out, the restaurant and bar need to be able to correctly bill guests, WiFi speed should meet the expectation of the modern guest and should be available in all rooms. With so many fundamental aspects being used by so many people, it is essential that your business employs environment monitoring to protect your hardware and minimise the risk of failure.
Viruses and network threats usually get most of the attention, but environmental factors such as temperature, airflow, humidity, water ingress and power can be just as damaging to your hardware and consequently your hotel operation.
It goes without saying that temperature monitoring is vital to server functionality. The room where they are kept should be air conditioned and kept cool. In the unseasonably warm February we’ve had, it’s particularly easy to get caught out and fail to ensure that the room is cool enough. An overheated server is not only likely to fail, but it can quickly become a fire hazard and it is therefore crucial for an appropriate temperature to be maintained. Temperature monitors can be placed at different points on the racks in order to measure heat being generated by equipment and ensure that it is within safe limits. It is also important to ensure that the equipment is well ventilated as proper airflow through the racks will help prevent overheating.
Needless to say, when moisture gets into your hardware, you have a big problem. The recent heatwave aside, England as we know it is cold and rainy and consequently, many properties have problems with damp and leaks. Indeed, the recent unusual rainstorms in Los Angeles have had the same effect. Humidity and water ingress can, therefore, be a problem in server rooms. This can especially be an issue when the servers are stored in basements, which are often liable to flooding. A humid climate can cause corrosion on electronic equipment and water ingress will cause failures. Water ingress sensors should be placed near cooling equipment, such as air conditioning units, which can begin to leak. They should also be placed by any exposed piping which may leak and they should be placed at a low level where water is prone to form puddles on the floor. By monitoring the humidity and water ingress levels one can prevent irreversible and expensive damage.
Effective power monitoring allows you to ensure that the load is within safe limits and is the first step to prevent overheating. Determining the power metrics of every Power Distribution Unit (PDU), allows you to ensure efficiency and balance by helping you observe the overall power usage of a particular device.
Without a monitoring system, a simple problem can escalate into a difficult and costly situation. As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure, so ensure that you have a hotel monitoring system in place in order to prevent a business-threatening disaster.
There are great benefits to having a monitoring system. Firstly, it is cost-effective; there are no unnecessary server room visits. It also saves time; you are able to view every device being monitored on a single screen, meaning you can concentrate on other, more important tasks. Finally, it gives you peace of mind to know that your technology is protected using multiple sensor types.
Cardonet have a great deal of experience rolling out IT environmental monitoring solutions in hotels. We know what is crucial and, as part of a support agreement with us, you will enjoy comprehensive 24×7 environmental monitoring ‘as-a-service’.
If you are not monitoring your hotel technology, call us on +44 203 034 2244 or +1 323 984 8908 Alternately, you can contact us online. We will be happy to provide you with 24×7 monitoring, protecting your hotel from disaster and keeping you operational.
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