Remote data centre management leaves users with security fears

From the comfort of your couch, maybe via a tablet in hand, you can now turn on and off a data centre generator that could be as large as a house.

This capability isn't really surprising. Remote access to data centre functions, including server and network operations, are now routine in many facilities. Anyone using a cloud service to manage environments is doing it remotely. But the ability to remotely manage critical power systems at data centres using megawatts of power, and to also back those systems up with massive generators, still makes some people uncomfortable. They see the capability as a potential security risk.

Emerson Network Power has taken consumer-like capabilities, touchscreens and support for multiple devices and made it part of its Asco Powerquest, a power monitoring, control and reporting system. What were once hardwired connections in a control panel have now been made digital with a touchscreen. The system, on display at a recent Afcom data centre conference, offers a system overview, with primary colours used to indicate the system status.