EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
- System availability for data centre operators is all about getting the balance right between MTBF (mean time between failures) and MTTR (mean time to repair)
- Troubleshooting for control cabinets can be time-consuming and often requires specialists as the cause of a fault is frequently not obvious
- HARTING’s Han® Protect is a new connector that simplifies protection and reduces installation space in the control cabinet, enabling reduced MTTR and increased system availability
The Uptime Institute’s 2024 Global Data Center Survey notes that, for the fourth year in a row, the frequency and severity of data centre outages on a per-site basis is decreasing. Yet more than half (53%) of operators polled admitted their organisation had experienced an outage over the past three years, with around a quarter of these being described as significant, serious, or severe.
Given downtime will never be entirely avoidable, system availability therefore comes down to high reliability of IT infrastructure – in the MTBF (mean time between failures) performance indicator – as well as short average repair times after system failures, in the MTTR (mean time to repair) metric.
For buildings like data centres, a building automation system (BAS) is required to control heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, power supply, and core IT and security systems, and utilise control cabinets to help with protection. Troubleshooting for control cabinets can be time-consuming and often requires specialists. To add to the complexity, the cause of a fault is not always obvious. It can be either in the control cabinet or on the device itself, meaning both parts have to be checked.
With Han® Protect, HARTING have developed a new connector that simplifies protection and reduces installation space in the control cabinet. Inside the connector, there is an insulation body that adapts an M12A-coded five-pole connector and integrates a 5×20 mm miniature fuse. In the event of a short circuit, the fuse ensures that the supply to the connected units is quickly interrupted.
A red LED on the Han® Protect clearly identifies the blown fuse and enables quick, tool-less replacement without opening the cabinet. The main advantage of Han® Protect is that extensive fuse terminal blocks are no longer required. The control units remain protected, Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) is reduced and system availability is increased.
To learn more about Han® Protect and request your free sample, please click here.
