3 Most Common Causes of Data Center Outages
Cloud adoption and digital transformation are witnessing tremendous growth fuelled by the AI boom. Businesses rely on data more than ever, with global data projected to reach 200 Zettabytes by 2025.
As a result of this strong reliance on data, Data center outages can have huge potential impacts and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for the businesses. Data center owners and operators are focused on minimizing downtime and increased data center resilience.
Data center outages can be caused by a variety of factors. While some of these causes like natural disasters and weather anomalies are unavoidable, a significant portion of outages are preventable. By understanding the most common causes and adopting preventative strategies, Data Center operators can minimize downtime and ensure business continuity.
3 Most Common Causes of Data Center Outages
According to a report by the Uptime institute, over 71% of all Data center outages are caused by Power or Cooling system failures. Human error, accounting for four out of every five outages is another significant factor. Together, these are the 3 most common causes of Data center outages.
Power Failure
Power failures are often the most damaging incidents that can occur at a data center. Even a short power outage could cause equipment failure, data loss and considerable downtime. According to a survey by the Uptime institute, 52 percent of respondents named power as the primary cause of outages with the most impact.
While power outages could be due to the failure of any power related infrastructure such as local grids or generators, the most common cause is UPS failure. UPS failures are often caused due to battery malfunctions, overloading or inadequate capacity planning. They can trigger immediate outages or damage equipment that demands a constant power flow.
Cooling system failure
Over the last three years, only about 13 percent of outages were due to cooling system issues. While not the most common cause of Data center outages, cooling system failures can be very expensive when they do happen. Failure of cooling systems might lead to permanent equipment damage from overheating, fires and coolant leaks.
With global demand for computing power at an all-time high, data centers are looking to maximize server density and performance. The resultant heat generation is pushing conventional cooling systems to their limits, making it even more important to have robust cooling systems that are less susceptible to failure.
Human Error
Human error is a significant contributor to data center outages, accounting for approximately 70% of all problems. This can range from simple mistakes like misconfigurations to more serious issues like accidental power outages. The Uptime Institute estimates that human error is a factor in up to 80% of all outages, and IDC estimates that it costs organizations over $62.4 million annually. These costly errors often stem from a lack of understanding of the equipment or failure to follow procedures.
What is the cost of Data Center Outages?
Outages are expensive. According to Gartner, Data center outages cost US$5,600 per minute on average. Severe outages usually last anywhere between a few hours to a few days, putting the losses incurred at millions of dollars. In a 2023 survey, roughly 54 percent of data center operators said their latest most significant outage cost over 100,000 U.S. dollars.
Apart from monetary losses, outages can also cause business and customer disruption, reputational loss, or even loss of life. Data center outages also leave a window of opportunity for cyberattacks that might lead to data loss and breaches.
Essential Strategies to prevent Data Center Outages
By understanding the causes and implementing the right procedures and policies, most Data center outages are preventable. A comprehensive strategy would include robust policies, advanced testing, monitoring and automation.
Clear guidelines, regular reviews, and well-defined emergency response plans are crucial. These procedures should focus on critical workloads and potential outage causes. Regular drills can ensure staff are prepared to respond effectively.
One of the biggest factors, i.e., human error can be minimized by rolling out automation using tools such as Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Software. DCIM software reduces the need for human intervention, thereby greatly reducing human error as a factor in the causal of outages. They also aid in better monitoring of the Data center and help in the early identification and restoration of power or cooling failure.
How Newtech solutions can help?
New technologies offer powerful tools to monitor, manage, and optimize data center operations, significantly reducing the risk of outages. DCIM software like Newtech’s iNAV provides comprehensive monitoring and control, enabling proactive issue resolution and optimized resource utilization.
Advanced cooling solutions, such as immersion cooling, can handle high-density workloads and prevent overheating. Additionally, robust UPS systems ensure uninterrupted power supply, safeguarding critical operations. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, data center operators can significantly reduce the risk of outages and maintain business continuity.
Conclusion
Data center outages, once a mere inconvenience, have evolved into a significant threat to business continuity. By understanding the root causes and implementing proactive strategies, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of downtime and safeguard their critical operations.
Don’t let data center outages disrupt your business. Take decisive action today to protect your critical infrastructure and secure your future.
