AKCP sensors: Comprehensive monitoring for data centres, server rooms and remote locations

Around-the-clock IT security begins with the right sensors and a reliable monitoring system. AKCP sensors and the associated monitoring platforms such as sensorProbe and securityProbe form a proven foundation for monitoring data centers, server rooms, and remote technical sites.

This comprehensive manual explains in detail which AKCP sensors are available, how AKCP SNMP monitoring works, the benefits of integrating it into existing network management systems, and how AKCP solutions help you detect and counteract risks such as rising temperatures, humidity issues, water damage, smoke, or power failures at an early stage.

What are AKCP sensors and what are they used for?

AKCP sensors are specialized measuring devices that capture physical or electrical conditions in IT environments and transmit this data to central monitoring units. Typical applications include monitoring temperature, humidity, water ingress, smoke, and power supply. By detecting deviations at an early stage, AKCP sensors enable proactive operations management and minimize the risk of outages or damage.

The sensors can be used in both small server rooms and large-scale data centers and are suitable for applications in industry, healthcare, logistics, and cold storage areas such as warehouses. AKCP offers a wide product range—from simple temperature sensors to specialized solutions such as thermal map sensors or cabinet analysis sensors.

Key sensor types at a glance

AKCP provides a wide variety of smart sensors that cover different environments and use cases. The key types include:

• Temperature sensors: These sensors measure ambient temperature at specific points or as a measurement network within a rack to detect hotspots in the data center.
• Humidity sensors: They monitor relative humidity and help prevent condensation or electrostatic risks.
• Water sensors (Rope Water Sensor, Spot Water Sensor): These sensors detect liquid contact along leak detection cables or at critical points and immediately report water ingress.
• Smoke and fire detectors: AKCP smoke detectors can be linked to the monitoring system to send early fire alarms to staff or external systems.
• Power monitoring sensors: Sensors for power failure, AC voltage, current, and power measurement enable monitoring of the power supply and detection of load peaks or outages.
• Thermal map sensors: With multiple measurement points, these sensors create temperature distributions (heatmaps) within racks and allow detailed analysis of cooling efficiency.
• Cabinet analysis sensors: They record temperature and airflow profiles inside server cabinets and help optimize cooling.
• Airflow and air velocity sensors: These sensors measure airflow to identify cooling interruptions or blocked ventilation paths.

AKCP hardware platforms: sensorProbe and securityProbe

The sensorProbe and securityProbe series are the core of many AKCP monitoring solutions. Both platforms are designed for SNMP-based remote monitoring and support numerous smart sensors that can be connected directly to the devices.

The sensorProbe series is available in various models and is particularly suitable for environments requiring cost-effective, reliable monitoring. sensorProbe units are often compact, PoE-capable, and compatible with a wide range of AKCP sensors. They offer standard features such as alarms, relay control, and easy integration with existing network management systems.

The securityProbe series is aimed at more demanding applications and combines environmental monitoring with advanced security features. securityProbe devices often support more sensors, provide extended automation scenarios, and can be integrated with cameras, access control, and advanced alarm management interfaces.

SNMP integration: Why AKCP SNMP monitoring matters

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the standard interface for monitoring and managing network devices in many IT departments. AKCP SNMP monitoring means that sensor values and alarm states can be provided as SNMP traps or SNMP queries. This allows seamless integration with existing network management systems (NMS), monitoring solutions, and DCIM platforms.

Using SNMP provides several benefits: centralized visualization of measurement data alongside network metrics, automated alerting rules integrated into existing monitoring systems, and the ability to display sensor states in dashboard views and reporting solutions. This makes operations more efficient and standardizes incident management.

AKCPro Server and DCIM capabilities

For large installations, combining AKCP hardware with AKCPro Server software is recommended. AKCPro Server acts as a central database and visualization platform for sensor data and provides additional DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) functions.

With AKCPro Server, operators gain access to heatmaps, long-term trend analysis, configuration management, and detailed alarm histories. The software enables the creation of reports for capacity planning, energy efficiency (e.g., PUE calculations), and audits. In large data centers, such a central system is often essential for managing thousands of sensors and hundreds of devices efficiently.

Practical examples and use cases

AKCP solutions are deployed in many industries. The main use cases include:

• Data centers and colocation: Monitoring temperature and humidity distribution, detecting hotspots with thermal map sensors, monitoring power supply, and early leak detection.
• Enterprise server rooms: Protection against water damage, early fire detection, and power interruptions, with alerts to IT staff or external providers.
• Cold chain and food logistics: Accurate temperature and humidity monitoring, storage, and reporting for compliance requirements.
• Industrial sites: Monitoring generators, fuel tanks, environmental conditions in production areas, and safety zone control.
• Remote sites: Remote monitoring of telecom stations, kiosks, gates, or outdoor facilities with sensorProbe/securityProbe devices.

Alerts, automation, and escalation processes

A key benefit of AKCP monitoring is its flexible alerting infrastructure. Sensors send measurement data to base units and central servers; when defined thresholds are exceeded, alarms are triggered immediately. Alert transmission can occur via several methods: email, SMS (through gateways), SNMP traps, syslog, HTTP POST, or even triggering relay functions on-site.

Automated responses can include shutting down individual power circuits, activating fans, starting backup generators, or controlling unlocking mechanisms. Escalation chains can also be configured so that critical incidents are first sent to the local facility team and, if necessary, to remote administrators or managed service providers.

Planning an AKCP installation

Planning an AKCP installation begins with a risk analysis and inventory of the infrastructure to be monitored. Key steps in the planning process include:

1. Identifying critical areas: server racks, PDUs, cooling units, floor ducts, cable runs.
2. Defining measurement points: positioning temperature and airflow sensors, placing rope water sensors along potential leak points, integrating smoke detectors at relevant locations.
3. Determining hardware: choosing the right sensorProbe or securityProbe models and the required number and types of sensors and expansion modules.
4. Network planning: IP addressing, VLAN assignment for management traffic, security considerations for SNMP and web GUI access.
5. Alert and escalation concept: who is notified when, what automation is included, and how testing is performed.
6. Documentation and reporting: setting up reporting rules in AKCPro Server or other monitoring systems for long-term monitoring and compliance.

Installation and commissioning

The physical installation of AKCP sensors is usually straightforward and requires simple mounting depending on the sensor type. Rope water sensors can be installed along floor edges or under raised floors, temperature probes placed inside racks or near critical components. After connecting to sensorProbe or securityProbe units, configuration is done via the web interface or SNMP.

For larger installations, using AKCPro Server is recommended for auto-discovery, centralized management, and alarm profile configuration. Post-installation testing is essential: simulate alarms, check notification paths, calibrate thresholds, and ensure all sensors report correctly.

Scalability and expandability

AKCP systems are highly scalable: individual sensorProbe or securityProbe units can be modularly expanded, and monitoring servers can manage hundreds of devices and thousands of sensors. For growing data centers, this scalability is a clear advantage, as monitoring infrastructure can grow with the facility without replacing entire systems.

In addition, wireless sensors can be integrated where cabling is impractical, alongside extensions such as relay cards, dry contact interfaces, or 4-20mA converters for industrial sensors. AKCP also offers expansion modules to increase the number of sensors per base unit, which is particularly useful for dense sensor deployments.

Integration into existing management systems

Since AKCP supports SNMP, integration with monitoring systems such as Nagios, Zabbix, PRTG, SolarWinds, or proprietary NMS is usually straightforward. SNMP traps and MIBs are used to present sensor data in a structured format. Additionally, HTTP APIs or direct database connectivity can be used depending on the server software.

The ability to integrate sensor data into existing dashboards or feed alarms into central ticketing systems increases operational efficiency and provides a consolidated view of infrastructure and network events.

Maintenance, firmware updates, and lifecycle

Regular maintenance is essential for reliable monitoring. AKCP hardware requires periodic firmware updates to close security vulnerabilities, provide new features, and fix bugs. Equally important is calibration of sensor equipment in critical environments and inspection of physical installations, especially for rope water sensors or sensors in dusty or humid environments.

A well-thought-out lifecycle management plan includes spare parts, replacement sensors, and service contracts to ensure monitoring availability even during device failures. For larger installations, SLAs with distributors or system integrators supplying and supporting AKCP equipment are recommended.

Data security and network protection

Monitoring and sensor data are part of operational infrastructure and should be securely transmitted and stored. AKCP devices offer different security options; some models support TLS/SSL for secure email and web access, while others require network-level protections. It is advisable to place management interfaces in dedicated management VLANs, restrict access with IP whitelists, and allow administrative access only via VPN or secure bastion hosts.

Additionally, SNMP communities should be securely configured and, where possible, SNMPv3 with authentication and encryption should be used. Regular account audits, log reviews, and the implementation of monitoring-specific firewalls further enhance protection.

Benefits of working with authorized distributors like Didactum®

AKCP produces the sensors and platforms, but selection, planning, and implementation of monitoring concepts benefit greatly from experienced distributors and system integrators. Didactum® is such an official distributor, not only selling equipment but also offering consulting, project planning, and tailored implementations. Working with a distributor brings advantages such as preconfigured solutions, assistance in commissioning, staff training, and long-term support.

A distributor can also help with product selection, recommend suitable sensorProbe or securityProbe units, source custom designs or accessories, and meet local compliance requirements.

Best practices for operation

To run monitoring effectively in the long term, the following best practices have proven successful:

• Define clear alarm policies and test them regularly.
• Use realistic thresholds that reduce false alerts and emphasize real issues.
• Document sensor positions, calibration data, and configuration changes.
• Use heatmap and trend analysis to optimize cooling and energy consumption.
• Plan for redundancy: backup monitoring servers, replacement devices, and alternative alarm communication paths.
• Apply regular firmware and software updates through controlled change management processes.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about AKCP sensors

Question: Can AKCP sensors be integrated into an existing Nagios or Zabbix system?
Answer: Yes, thanks to SNMP support, AKCP sensors can be integrated into leading monitoring platforms. SNMP traps and MIBs enable integration and allow centralized display of sensor data.

Question: What is the difference between sensorProbe and securityProbe?
Answer: The sensorProbe series is primarily designed for environmental monitoring and small to medium installations, while the securityProbe series offers extended security and integration features, typically used in larger, more complex environments.

Question: How accurate are AKCP temperature and humidity sensors?
Answer: Accuracy depends on the sensor type; AKCP offers simple thermistor sensors as well as high-grade thermocouple or RTD sensors. For critical applications, specified and calibrated sensors should be used.

Comparison with alternative solutions

The infrastructure monitoring market has many providers offering similar functionality. AKCP’s strength lies in its wide product variety, long experience in data center monitoring, and the close integration of hardware and server software. Other benefits include modular expandability, SNMP support, and specialized sensors such as thermal map and rope water sensors.

When choosing a system, operators should also consider cost, existing management tools, integration effort, and support availability. A comparison should take into account the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the lifecycle, including spare parts, training, and service contracts.

Purchase, support, and service

AKCP devices can be obtained through authorized distributors and system integrators. These partners often provide consulting, installation services, extended warranties, and support contracts. For large rollouts, project management, on-site installation, and training are vital components.

When purchasing, it is wise to select proven sensor and base unit combinations and ensure spare parts and accessories are available long term. A qualified distributor can help determine the optimal setup for your budget and requirements.

Future readiness and evolution

The requirements for monitoring systems are growing with digitalization and the need for energy efficiency and automation. AKCP continuously expands its portfolio with new sensors, software features, and integration tools. Operators should prioritize open standards such as SNMP, API interfaces, and compatibility with DCIM tools when purchasing to enable future expansions with minimal effort.

Why AKCP sensors are a smart choice

AKCP sensors and associated platforms provide a flexible, scalable, and proven solution for critical infrastructure monitoring. With a wide portfolio of environmental, security, and energy sensors, combined with powerful base units like sensorProbe and securityProbe, customized monitoring concepts can be implemented. Support for SNMP and integration into existing management systems make AKCP a particularly suitable choice for data centers, server rooms, and remote sites.

Partnering with experienced distributors like Didactum® ensures that customers receive not only hardware but also planning, implementation, and support all from one source - an important advantage, especially for large-scale installations.

Rely on smart monitoring, expert partners, and sensors that reveal what was previously hidden: with AKCP sensors, you reduce downtime risks, optimize operating costs, and enhance the availability of your mission-critical infrastructure.