Overview of UCC’s Data Centres
University College Cork (UCC) operates two primary data centres – one in the Western Gateway Building and another in the Kane Building. These facilities house the bulk of the university’s virtual machines, storage solutions, and critical infrastructure that support both staff and student services. Understanding how these centres function is essential for IT professionals who want to manage similar environments.
Leadership Behind the Scenes: Sean O’Mahony
Since joining UCC in 1999, Sean O’Mahony has overseen the transition from a traditional IT help desk to a sophisticated data‑centre-first organisation. In 2015 he became the lead engineer for Microsoft services, eventually stepping into the role of Data Centre Services Manager. His career trajectory demonstrates the importance of continuous learning and adaptability in IT roles.
Key Responsibilities of a Data Centre Services Manager
- Ensuring uninterrupted, secure operations across all virtualised workloads.
- Overseeing a portfolio of 400+ virtual machines, balancing performance and cost.
- Planning and managing large‑scale projects such as disaster recovery drills.
- Collaborating with stakeholders to refine Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and incident response protocols.
Disaster Recovery Planning – A Case Study
In early 2025, the UCC team executed a rigorous Disaster Recovery (DR) test that simulated a complete failure of the Western Gateway data centre. The test required three months of preparation, coordination across multiple IT groups, and a detailed fail‑over to the Kane site. Key outcomes were:
- Verification of RTOs and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) in a live environment.
- Updated incident‑management playbooks that include decision‑making criteria for automated fail‑overs.
- Improved communication scripts for stakeholders and staff during outages.
- Refined documentation to aid faster restoration in future incidents.
Lessons Applied to Everyday Operations
While the test addressed a worst‑case scenario, the insights gained translate directly to routine operations:
- Regular validation of backup integrity ensures quick restoration after any interruption.
- Automated monitoring reduces manual intervention, allowing IT staff to focus on proactive enhancements.
- Clear escalation paths reduce downtime and improve stakeholder confidence.
Sustainability in Modern Data Centres
The energy consumed by data centres is a growing concern worldwide. UCC has deployed several sustainability initiatives that reduce both energy usage and environmental impact. Below are the most significant measures implemented:
- Heat Recovery in the Western Gateway Building – Heat generated by servers feeds into the building’s water heating system, reducing the need for separate boilers.
- Free‑Air Cooling at Kane Building – By drawing exterior air, water‑cooled outside air is filtered and reused, cutting cooling power requirements.
- Extensive Virtualisation – Consolidating workloads onto virtual machines has significantly lowered the number of physical servers, leading to a smaller carbon footprint.
- Energy‑Efficient Storage Solutions – UCC prioritises storage appliances with Power‑Factor‑Efficient ratings, further trimming electricity usage.
Benchmarking Sustainability Success
UCC tracks key metrics, such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and total kilowatt‑hour consumption, to gauge the effectiveness of these initiatives.
Applying These Practices in Your Own IT Environment
IT leaders can extract several actionable steps from UCC’s strategy:
- Start with a comprehensive audit of current cooling methods and identify opportunities for heat recovery.
- Plan a quarterly disaster‑recovery drill to keep staff and stakeholders prepared for real failures.
- Track PUE before and after deploying new virtualisation frameworks to assess impact.
- Encourage cross‑department collaboration so that sustainability goals align with business objectives.
Choosing the Right Tools for Measurement
There are open‑source and commercial options to monitor PUE, RTO, and RPO. Example tools include:
- OpenCPU – For real‑time thermal monitoring.
- CrownPeak Web Performance – Offers RTO simulations in cloud environments.
- Grafana + Loki – Aggregates logs and metrics for comprehensive dashboards.
Why Sustainable IT Operations Matter
Sustainability goes beyond corporate social responsibility; it directly influences operational cost, regulatory compliance, and brand reputation. By adopting the strategies highlighted above, organisations can:
- Reduce energy bills, freeing budget for future projects.
- Meet evolving environmental standards and avoid penalties.
- Attract talent that values responsible corporate practices.
- Enhance resilience against unpredictable climate‑related disruptions.
Get Started with Your Data Centre Transformation
Whether you’re managing a campus‑wide server environment or a small business data hub, the following next steps can help you transition to a more sustainable, resilient setup.
- Conduct a PUE audit and set realistic improvement targets.
- Implement heat‑recovery loops where feasible.
- Schedule a DR test within the next six months.
- Invest in virtualization platforms that support energy‑efficient scaling.
- Educate staff on the importance of sustainable practices.
Learn more about upgrading your data centre sustainability practices with UCC’s detailed guide.
Further Resources and Opportunities
Engage with UCC’s community through:
Connecting with UCC IT Services
For questions about data centre operations, sustainability, or any IT infrastructure needs, email support at [email protected] or call +353 (0)21 490 2120.
Take the Next Step in Your Data Centre Management Journey
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