DATA CENTERS

Data Center Monitoring

Fiber optic monitoring for thermal safety, cooling and infrastructure security.

CONTINUOUS FACILITY INSIGHT

Continuous Monitoring for Critical Data Center Infrastructure

Data centers depend on uninterrupted power, effective cooling and secure connectivity. Higher rack densities and growing use of UPS and battery systems place greater pressure on the facility.

A localized hot spot, cooling imbalance or cable fault may affect service availability before it becomes visible during routine inspection. Risks also extend to site boundaries and external fiber routes.

FOTAS combines Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for continuous data center monitoring. DTS provides thermal monitoring and linear heat detection; DAS protects perimeters and cable routes against intrusion, excavation and physical interference. Each technology may operate independently or within one integrated architecture.

Data center thermal monitoring with FOTAS distributed temperature sensing

KEY CHALLENGES

Key Data Center Monitoring Challenges

Data center infrastructure combines high electrical loads, dense cable routes, cooling systems and strict security requirements within one high-availability environment.

Increasing Thermal Loads

High computing density increases heat generation and places additional stress on cooling systems, power cables, busways and electrical connections.

Electrical & Battery Risks

UPS systems, battery enclosures, cable terminations and high-load equipment may develop abnormal heating before a visible fault occurs.

Complex Cable Infrastructure

Power and communication cables run beneath raised floors, above server aisles, and through trays, ducts and external corridors.

Cooling & Security Risks

Uneven airflow creates isolated hot zones, while perimeters and external fiber routes remain exposed to digging, tampering and unauthorized activity.

DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE SENSING

FOTAS DTS — Thermal Monitoring & Linear Heat Detection

FOTAS DTS uses optical fiber as a continuous linear temperature sensor. The control unit sends laser pulses through the fiber and analyzes Raman backscatter to calculate temperature along the monitored route.

The system measures thermal behavior across the whole sensing path rather than only at isolated points. Alarm zones, temperature thresholds and rate-of-rise criteria are configured according to rooms, equipment groups or risk areas.

Power cable trays and busway routes
Raised-floor and overhead cable pathways
UPS systems and battery rooms
Cable joints and electrical terminations
Generator and electrical support areas
Cooling infrastructure and equipment rooms

FOTAS DTS thermal monitoring across data center cable routes and racks

Localized Hot Spot Detection Identifies abnormal heating along cable routes, connections and electrical infrastructure.

Linear Heat Detection Uses temperature thresholds and rate-of-rise criteria to detect developing thermal events.

Cooling Analysis Reveals persistent hot zones and uneven thermal distribution within the facility.

FOTAS DAS perimeter and fiber route protection along a data center fence line

DISTRIBUTED ACOUSTIC SENSING

FOTAS DAS — Perimeter & Fiber Route Protection

FOTAS DAS turns optical fiber into a distributed acoustic and vibration sensor. It detects disturbances associated with intrusion, excavation, mechanical impact and unauthorized activity.

In data center environments, DAS is installed along perimeter fences, buried approach zones, external fiber corridors and protected utility routes. FOTAS AI-based analytics classify patterns such as digging, vehicle movement, fence climbing and cutting, while filtering environmental noise that may cause nuisance alarms.

Fence climbing, cutting and lifting
Digging and ground disturbance
Vehicle movement near restricted areas
Tampering around protected infrastructure
Construction activity near fiber routes

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

System Architecture and Integration

A typical deployment includes sensing fiber installed across thermal assets, cable routes or security zones. DTS and DAS control units remain in a protected technical room or control center, where analytics and alarm software process the data.

Cable selection, routing, mechanical protection, thermal coupling, alarm zoning and redundancy are defined during the design stage.

Measurement range, channel configuration and location performance depend on the selected FOTAS model and project requirements.

BMS

DCIM

Fire Systems

Security Platforms

Network Monitoring

Alarm Management

FOTAS data center monitoring architecture combining DTS and DAS with BMS, DCIM and security platforms

KEY BENEFITS

Passive Fiber Sensing and Operational Benefits

The sensing fiber is passive, so it needs no electrical power along the monitored route — and optical measurement makes the cable immune to electromagnetic interference.

Suitable for Electrical Environments

Fiber sensing operates reliably around busways, high-current cables, UPS systems and battery rooms.

No Powered Field Sensors

DTS and DAS control units stay in protected technical locations rather than along the sensing route.

Continuous Thermal Visibility

Identifies temperature anomalies between isolated monitoring points and across extended cable routes.

Precise Event Localization

Directs maintenance or security teams toward the affected infrastructure section.

Integrated Monitoring

Thermal events and physical disturbances surface through existing facility and security platforms.

Explore the Technology

See how DTS and DAS are engineered together for a complete data center monitoring architecture.

Technology guide

FOTAS DTS and DAS fiber optic monitoring across a data center facility

DATA CENTER MONITORING

Protect Critical Data Center Infrastructure

Talk to our engineering team about a FOTAS DTS or DAS configuration designed for your data center, cable infrastructure or secure facility.

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