Performing Effective MTBF Comparisons for （执行有效的平均比较）.pdf

Performing Effective MTBF Comparisons for Data Center Infrastructure By Wendy Torell Victor Avelar White Paper #112 Executive Summary Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is often proposed as a key decision making criterion when comparing data center infrastructure systems. Misleading values are often provided by vendors, leaving the user incapable of making a meaningful comparison. When the variables and assumptions behind the numbers are unknown or are misinterpreted, bad decisions are inevitable. This paper explains how MTBF can be effectively used as one of several factors for specification and selection of systems, by making the assumptions explicit. 2005 American Power Conversion. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced, photocopied, transmitted, or 2 stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright owner. Rev 2005-0 Introduction Avoiding failures in a critical data center is always a top priority. When minutes of downtime can negatively impact the market value of a business, it is crucial that the physical infrastructure supporting this networking environment be reliable. How can one be sure that they are implementing reliable solutions? MTBF is the most common means of comparing reliabilities. However, the business reliability target may not be achieved without a solid understanding of MTBF. The fundamental principles of MTBF are introduced in APC White Paper #78, “Mean Time Between Failure: Explanation and Standards”. Ultimately MTBF is meaningless if the definition of failure is not clear or assumptions are unrealistic or misinterpreted. This paper explains how MTBF should be used and the limitations in using it