Server rack for improved data center management

A managed rack comprising:

• one or more assets, each having an associated asset tag;
• one or more sensors configured to collect environmental data at the rack, said one or more environmental variables is selected from the group consisting of light intensity, temperature, pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration, pollutants, audio and video;
• and
• an integrated communication mote, comprising:
• a sensor module configured to collect sensor data from the one or more sensors;
• an asset module configured to determine a location and identification information for each asset in the rack using the assets' associated asset tags, to communicate with the asset tags in the rack, and to activate a visual or audio indicator in the asset tags;
• and
• a communication module configured to communicate, over a mesh network, said sensor and asset location data to a control module and to relay an instruction received from the control module to a component within the managed rack, the instruction including a command to the component to perform an action at the rack, to associate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form the mesh network, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to a neighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location data received from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, wherein the asset module is further configured to activate the visual or audio indicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command.

A data center management system, comprising:

• a control module configured to monitor an operating status of a data center;
• and
• a plurality of racks, each having one or more assets, a managed service unit, and a communication mote integrated with the rack that is configured to collect sensor and asset location data and to transmit said collected data to the control module, wherein the integrated communication mote comprises:
• a sensor module configured to monitor one or more environmental variables at the respective rack;
• an asset module configured to determine a location and identification information for each asset in the rack, to communicate with one or more wireless asset tags associated with the assets in the respective rack, and to activate a visual or audio indicator in the one or more wireless asset tags;
• a communication module configured to communicate said sensor and asset location data and to relay an instruction received from the control module to a component within each rack, the instruction including a command to the component to perform an action at the rack, to associate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form a mesh network, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to a neighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location data received from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, wherein each asset module is further configured to activate the visual or audio indicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command,
• wherein the managed service unit is configured to provide a service to the assets in the rack and wherein said managed service unit is controlled by the integrated communication mote in response to receipt of the command from the control module.