Physical Security and Sustainability of Data Centers

R. Vijayakumar and N. Duraimutharasan

AMET University, Chennai, India

Keywords: Techno-Economic & Hybrid Renewable Energy, Sustainable Data Center, Fuzzy Logic, Data Center Physical

Security.

Abstract: Data centers, which are centralized locations to manage and store data and applications, house network

infrastructure and computers, also known as information technology (IT) equipment. The network

infrastructure consists of gateways, routers, switches, servers, firewalls, storage systems, and application

delivery controllers. At data centers, a substantial volume of data is distributed, processed, and evaluated.

Businesses can connect with service providers by using a data center. Hardware and software within

commercial buildings with on-site data centers must be protected. Physical security and software security are

the two categories of security. Protecting people, property, and networks from threats such as terrorism,

burglary, theft, natural disasters, and other events that could cause injury or financial loss to a company or

organization is known as physical security. Techniques for preventing unauthorized access to the data kept

on the servers are part of software security. Security measures must be updated frequently because new

dangerous software (malware) is created each year to bypass numerous firewalls guarding the data. This

conceptual study explores socio-techno-economic elements of more sustainably utilizing data centers. The

macro- and micro-analyses of technological and economic change are compared in this essay. There is a

chance to lessen the impact on the environment and the cost of power in data centers with the advent of

microgrids. This study suggests a grid-tied hybrid solar-wind-hydrogen system that uses a fuzzy logic control

(FLC) algorithm and a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system to lower the load demand of

buildings. Global warming is a serious environmental issue that the planet is now facing. The best solution to

this issue is to use renewable energy. Using a campus-installed experimental setup, the model results of the

proposed Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) were confirmed. The dynamic simulation of the HRES

was carried out in MATLAB-Simulink. In order to determine the best configuration for the proposed HRES

while still meeting the annual load requirements for the university campus, a techno-economic analysis (TEA)

of the proposed system was conducted. The analysis revealed that by using the FLC-based MPPT system,

there is a potential for 2% extra power output from the anticipated HRES. This can guarantee a lower

Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for the anticipated HRES and significant savings of $2.17 million.

1 INTRODUCTION

Data centers, which are centralized locations to

manage and store data and applications, are where

network infrastructure, computers, and other IT

hardware are kept. Networks require infrastructures

such as gateways, routers, switches, servers,

firewalls, storage systems, and application delivery

controllers. A substantial amount of data is

distributed, processed, and analyzed at data centers.

Businesses can connect with service providers by

using a data center. Hardware and software within

commercial buildings with on-site data centers must

be protected. The two types of core data center

security are physical security and software security.

Physical security is the defense of people, assets, and

networks against dangers like terrorism, burglary,

theft, natural disasters, and other occurrences that

could result in harm or financial loss to a business or

organization. Techniques for preventing

unauthorized access to the data kept on the servers are

part of software security. Security measures must be

updated frequently because new dangerous software

(malware) is created each year to bypass numerous

firewalls guarding the data.

An analysis of the socio-techno-economic benefits

of more sustainably using data centers is provided in

this conceptual study. In this essay, the macro- and

micro-analyses of technological and economic change

are contrasted. The potential to lessen the cost of

608

Vijayakumar, R. and Duraimutharasan, N.

Physical Security and Sustainability of Data Centers.

DOI: 10.5220/0012603300003739

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Artiﬁcial Intelligence for Internet of Things: Accelerating Innovation in Industry and Consumer Electronics (AI4IoT 2023), pages 608-610

ISBN: 978-989-758-661-3

power and the environmental impact of data centers

emerges with the advent of microgrids.

A hybrid grid-tied solar, wind, and hydrogen

system with an MPPT system and a fuzzy logic

control (FLC) algorithm is recommended in this paper

as a way to reduce the load demand of buildings.

Global warming is a serious environmental issue

that the planet is now facing. One of the best solutions

to this issue is to use renewable energy.

The suggested hybrid renewable energy systems

(HRES) model results were validated using an

experimental setup deployed on campus. In

MATLAB-Simulink, the HRES' dynamic simulation

was completed. A techno-economic analysis (TEA)

of the proposed system was carried out in order to

identify the best configuration for the planned HRES

while still satisfying the annual load needs of the

university campus. The analysis revealed that by

using the FLC-based MPPT system, there is a

potential for 2% extra power generation from the

anticipated HRES. This can guarantee a reduced

Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the

anticipated HRES and significant savings of $2.17

million

2 SUNSTAINABLE DATA

CENTER

Our daily lives are significantly impacted by

information systems. Although we rely on

technology, it consumes a lot of resources to calculate

our needs. Data centers serve as the foundation of

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

networks. ICT boosts GDP growth, but the

environmental costs cannot be disregarded. Since

data centers use a significant quantity of energy,

technology pioneers improved power efficiency in

the previous ten years. The phrase "sustainability" is

broad. Human, social, economic, environmental, and

technical sustainability will be assessed along five

different axes. This ought to give people a more

comprehensive understanding of the term

"sustainable" and help them comprehend the data

center's operating principles and environmental

effects. Following a quick definition of the term "data

center," the broad term "sustainability" will be

divided into dimensions in the section "Overview of

Data Centers." In this essay, we'll talk about five

aspects of sustainability. The section Topics of Data

Centers lists issues relating to sustainability in the

context of data centers. These are divided into seven

categories: facility, productivity, expanding data

production, heat management, energy utilization, and

zero waste. A data center architecture based on fuzzy

logic control should be able to address those

problems. By using values between 0 and 1, fuzzy

logic, a sort of multi-valued logic, can represent

linguistic variables in a manner similar to how people

think. Figure 1 depicts the three components of the

fuzzy logic controller: fuzzification, rule interface,

and defuzzification. Fuzzification is the process

through which linguistic variables are created from

numerical input variables. It is common practice to

use the error (E) and variation of error as the

controller's input variables (CE). The fluctuation in

the error illustrates how the MPP operating point of

the PV system, which should be zero, varies

throughout the power-voltage curve. It has a value

between 0 and 1, and the transformation is finished

by using the membership functions offered for

different input variable ranges. The interface must

carry out the rule-based operations that define the

controller's behavior. The controller will create a

language variable that establishes the duty ratio of the

converter and incrementally reduces the error to zero.

During the defuzzification phase, the membership

functions are employed to obtain the numerical output

values.

The HOMER program was used to conduct a

techno-economic study of the proposed system in

order to identify the best configuration for the

planned HRES while still fulfilling the required

annual load for the Chikushi campus. According to

the results, the estimated COE value for the HRES

equipped with the FLC-based MPPT was lower. A

sensitivity study that considered the market prices of

renewable energy technologies in 2030 was used to

further assess the viability of the projected HRES.

The results demonstrated that lowering the market

cost of the solar system—the primary source of

energy in the HRES—is essential for increasing the

COE. Larger systems can be created, as shown by this

analysis, if installation and maintenance costs for

renewable energy systems decline as projected. Using

two inputs, the FLC evaluates the operating point

(OP) location.

These are the operating point's displacement

direction and the slope of the tangential line of the

power-voltage (P-V) curve. Table 1 shows the fuzzy

rule that was applied in this study. These 25 rules

define the fuzzy outputs. The three segments of the

power-voltage curve are shown in Figure 2. In region

1, E(k) is positive. This indicates that the operational

point is on the left side of the MPP. To reach the MPP,

reduce the duty ratio. For example, OP will approach

MPP from the side where CE(k) is NS and E(k) is PS.

Physical Security and Sustainability of Data Centers

609

For the time being, the fuzzy controller outputs ZE to

avoid oscillations. In region 2, OP is rather close to

MPP and E(k) is zero. When CE(k) is NB, the OP

moves to the right.

The controller increases the duty cycle currently

to bring the OP closer to MPP. The duty cycle D(k) is

then calculated from the fuzzy controller's outputs

(D), which are converted into numerical form. In this

case, the cost analysis of the HRES parts is discussed

using projected pricing. The starting capital costs for

solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, and

electrolyzes in 2020 are listed in the below table,

along with the projected costs for 2030. The number

of renewable energy plants built during the past

several years has increased significantly as a result of

the laws, funding, and research and development of

each major nation. Solar power is one of these

technologies that is regarded as being the most

competitive. The overall installed cost was reduced

by 74% between 2010 and 2018.

To reduce its reliance on energy imports and

transition the economy away from fossil fuels in order

to meet climate goals, India is proposing a significant

increase in the generation of green hydrogen. By

2047, New Delhi wants to have a 25-million-ton

yearly manufacturing capacity, according to sources

familiar with the plans who asked to remain

anonymous because the information has not yet been

made available. However, they warned that the figure

can vary in the future depending on technology and

the prospects for demand in the nation. Email

inquiries for comment from electricity and renewable

energy ministry media representatives went

unanswered right away.

3 CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested putting in a grid-tied hybrid

solar-wind system at Chennai's university. An FLC-

based MPPT, which offers quick power regulation

with reduced oscillations in a variety of weather

circumstances, is a feature of the planned HRES. In

MATLAB-Simulink, the suggested HRES system's

dynamic simulation was carried out. The study's

findings suggested that the FLC-based MPPT

performed better when it came to HRES power

regulation. The results demonstrate that by utilizing

the FLC-based MPPT, each KW installed capacity of

solar panels on the university campus may provide an

additional 26.2 kWh/y of power.

REFERENCES

C. Shailaja is the technology principal and discipline head

(instrumentation and controls) for TATA Consulting

Engineers Ltd in Chennai, India. Physical security of a

data center. https://www.isa.org/intech-home/2020/ma

rch-april/departments/physical-security-of-a-data-

center

Data Center Physical Security Measures by Maria Baeza on

April 2020 (https://www.colocation

america.com/blog/physical-security-of-a-data-center )

McLellan, B.C.; Zhang, Q.; Utama, N.A.; Farzaneh, H.;

Ishihara, K.N. Analysis of Japan’s post-Fukushima

energy strategy. Energy Strat. Rev. 2013, 2, 190–198,

doi:10.1016/j.esr.2013.04.004.

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. J. Japan’s

Energy 2019. Available online: https://www.enecho.

meti.go.jp/en/category/brochures/pdf/japan_energy_

2019.pdf (accessed on 14 January 2021).

Farzaneh, H. Devising a Clean Energy Strategy for Asian

Cities; Springer Nature: Singapore, 2018. Esteban, M.;

Portugal-Pereira, J.; McLellan, B.C.; Bricker, J.;

Farzaneh, H.; Djalilova, N.; Ishihara, K.N.; Takagi, H.;

Roeber, V. 100% renewable energy system in Japan:

Smoothening and ancillary services. Appl. Energy

2018, 224, 698–707, doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.

2018.04.067.

Yoshida, Y.; Keisuke, N.; Farzaneh, H. Optimal Design and

Operation of a Residential Hybrid Microgrid System in

Kasuga City. In Sustainable Production, Life Cycle

Engineering and Management; J.B. Metzler: Stuttgart,

Germany, 2021; pp. 499–512.

Takatsu, N.; Farzaneh, H. Techno-Economic Analysis of a

Hybrid Solar-Hydrogen-Biomass System for Off-Grid

Power Supply. In Sustainable Production, Life Cycle

Engineering and Management; J.B. Metzler: Stuttgart,

Germany, 2021; pp. 483–497.

Roth, A.; Boix, M.; Gerbaud, V.; Montastruc, L.; Etur, P. A

flexible metamodel architecture for optimal design of

Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES)–Case

study of a stand-alone HRES for a factory in tropical

island. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 223, 214– 225,

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.095.

Yoshida, Y.; Farzaneh, H. Optimal design of a stand-alone

residential hybrid microgrid system for enhancing

renewable energy deployment in Japan. Energies 2020,

13, 1737.

AI4IoT 2023 - First International Conference on Artiﬁcial Intelligence for Internet of things (AI4IOT): Accelerating Innovation in Industry

and Consumer Electronics

610