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LISA 2000 Abstract

Designing a Data Center Instrumentation System

Bob Drzyzgula, Federal Reserve Board

Abstract

This paper describes the author's efforts in designing an external, out-of-band hardware monitoring and control system for use with microcomputer-based server, storage and communications systems deployed in a data center environment. This system, when complete, will consist of a collection of microcontroller-based monitoring nodes, one per monitored device. Each of these intelligent monitoring nodes will be able to keep track of several temperatures, power supply voltages, fan speeds, and various indicators of system activity. In addition, they will have the ability to control a monitored system under the direction of an administrator sitting at a web browser. As of this writing, much of the initial research and architectural planning is complete. One prototype board has been built and shown to function as expected, and most of the required development tools and licenses have been procured. The hardware design for the first pilot/production board is largely complete. It is expected that these first boards will be built and assembled by late 2000, and software development for this project will extend into 2001.

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Last changed: 16 Jan. 2002 ml
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