Welcome to Keep Your Cool – a series tackling simple cooling optimization strategies for busy data center operators by former busy data center operator, Gregg Haley. 

If you're a seasoned pro like me, you may remember the classic game show Beat the Clock, where contestants scrambled to finish tasks before time ran out. The challenge was clear, the clock was visible, and the pressure was intense. Some players succeeded, while others ran out of time and left empty-handed.

Now, imagine that same pressure applied to managing a data center cooling system failure. Operators are racing against time to restore cooling before service-level agreements (SLAs) are breached or, worse, critical IT equipment suffers permanent damage. However, unlike game show contestants, facility managers don’t have the luxury of knowing exactly how much time is left on the clock before disaster strikes.

The Hidden Time Bomb of Cooling Failures

Most data centers have redundancy built into their infrastructure—backup systems designed to take over in case of a failure. But today’s IT environment, with high-performance computing and GPU-dense servers, creates challenges. The heat output of these systems has skyrocketed. The question is: can your redundancy handle the heat load from these heavily populated racks or rows?

This is where Purkay Labs steps in. We have a Resiliency Test, which is a safe, scripted cooling system shutdowns that gather critical data from targeted areas within the data center. By collecting temperature data every minute, we can predict how long your systems can operate without active cooling before temperatures hit dangerous thresholds.

What's more, this testing approach is entirely risk-free. The tests are carefully designed to ensure that cooling systems can be restored well before any SLAs are violated or equipment is jeopardized. Think of it as pushing your cooling system to its limits without ever crossing the point of no return.

The Benefits of Scripted Cooling Shutdown Exercises

1. Precise Failure Window Analysis
The primary benefit of these exercises is understanding exactly how long your cooling system can maintain safe temperatures during a failure. This window of time is critical for making decisions under pressure.

2. Hotspot Identification
By monitoring key areas, we can identify parts of your data center that are particularly vulnerable during a failure. Perhaps a specific row is overloaded with heat-generating servers, or airflow in certain zones is inadequate. The data gathered during these exercises helps pinpoint areas that need immediate attention, whether it’s redistributing workloads or adjusting cooling configurations.

3. Hands-On Training for Staff
A real-world test allows your team to practice mitigation strategies without the panic of an actual emergency. They can identify and prioritize actions to take in the event of cooling failure—whether that’s powering down certain racks or activating backup systems.

4. Validation of Redundancy Systems
Most importantly, these tests give peace of mind. Once you see the results, you’ll know whether your redundancy is truly resilient. No more second-guessing or running around in a panic when a failure happens.

Testing, Not Simulating

When we talk about resiliency testing, it's important to make a distinction: we are not running a simulation. These are real tests—conducted safely and under controlled conditions—that actively challenge your cooling system. A better term might be stimulate, rather than simulate, because we’re driving the system to real-world conditions while maintaining full control over the situation.

The goal is to gather actionable data, not just theoretical insights, so you can plan effectively for real-world failures. Testing your cooling infrastructure in this way provides the best form of preparedness, ensuring that your data center can continue running smoothly, no matter what challenges arise.

Conclusion

By conducting scripted, safe cooling system shutdowns, Purkay Labs helps data center operators identify vulnerabilities and prepare for real-world failures. The predictive analysis gathered during these tests provides essential information on how long your infrastructure can sustain cooling loss and helps train your team in proper mitigation strategies. Most importantly, these exercises validate your redundancy systems, ensuring that they will hold up when you need them most.

About Purkay Labs:
With over 50 years of combined expertise in data center cooling solutions, Purkay Labs specializes in data-driven approaches to ensuring thermal stability and operational resilience. Our advanced monitoring systems, like the AUDIT-BUDDY, provide real-time temperature insights, giving data center operators the information they need to optimize airflow and mitigate cooling risks before they impact performance. VisitPurkay Labs to learn more about our comprehensive solutions for maintaining uptime and peace of mind.

About Gregg Haley

Gregg Haley is a data center and telecommunications executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. Most recently served as the Senior Director of Data Center Operations - Global for Limelight Networks. Gregg provides data center assessment and optimization reviews showing businesses how to reduce operating expenses by identifying energy conservation opportunities. Through infrastructure optimization energy expenses can be reduced by 10% to 30%.
In addition to Gregg's data center efforts, he has a certification from the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII) as Business Continuity Planner. In November of 2005, Gregg was a founding member and Treasurer of the Association of Contingency Planners - Greater Boston Chapter, a non-profit industry association dedicated to the promotion and education of Business Continuity Planning. Gregg had served on the chapter's Board of Directors for the first four years. Gregg is also a past member of the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). Gregg currently serves as the Principal Consultant for Purkay Labs.