Two recent case studies from Siemens Building Technologies and Siemens Energy Management on data centres and associated infrastructure. The firm is showing at stand 328 at DatacenterDynamics Converged Europe 2015 at ExCeL London on November 18 and 19.
Digital Realty is a wholesale colocation services and data centre provider with over 130 secure locations globally. Based in San Francisco, it combines data centres with colocation and interconnection services that are business critical for many blue chip companies’ IT.
Digital Realty is constantly looking for ways to bring new capacity online faster, whilst ensuring energy efficiency, reliability and uptime. Instead of electrical systems being set up on-site during construction, their electrical rooms are now fully assembled prior to delivery in a controlled factory environment. All electrical equipment is built into a standardised metal frame and pre-wired for efficient installation. This solution has cut production time of its rapid deployment projects from an average of 179 to around 80 days.
This methodology streamlines the process of building the electrical infrastructure and as the electrical equipment is consistent on each project, assembly can take place concurrently with site construction, with ‘just in time’ delivery of the final product. Siemens has played a role in helping turn Digital Realty’s vision into a working model and collaborated with electrical integrator JDC Power Systems, Inc. to develop the pre-assembled electrical rooms. The final design called for all equipment to be mounted on a metal frame that could be installed under the raised floor of the data centre computer room.
The Siemens electrical equipment used in these new rapid deployment data centres delivers power for all servers and systems such as lighting, fire safety and electronic security. Equipment includes: low voltage panel boards, switchboards, breakers, distribution transformers, 38kV GM38 non-arc-resistant air-insulated outdoor switchgear, 15kV GM-SG non-arc-resistant air-insulated outdoor switchgear and low and medium voltage protective relays. Siemens also delivers fire detection and lifecycle support services to Digital Realty.
Rich Becher, Digital Realty’s Director of Design Management, comments: “We needed to develop products faster. We needed to get customers into data centres more quickly. And we needed to do it in a way that didn’t compromise the quality of the product they received.”
Digital Realty is looking at other ways the two can collaborate. Steve Kundich, Senior Vice President of Global Design for Digital Realty, adds: “There are a number of areas where we can make gains, in critical life safety systems, controls and energy efficiency. These are exciting times and I look forward to the gains that we can continue to make with a partner like Siemens.”
The IT services provider, Atos, is responsible for ensuring the security, reliability and continuity of its customers’ critical business information and resources, and provides fully managed services to clients. With four data centres throughout the UK and customers around the world, Atos decided to invest in a data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) solution Datacenter Clarity LC across a key location to deliver a single, consolidated view of all that data centre’s IT and facilities operations from one workstation.
Atos UK Data Centre Strategy Manager Brian Parrott says: “We had a variety of different asset management tools, products and spreadsheets and we needed a tool that could pull them together in the right place to help us to make timely, accurate decisions.” Atos wanted to improve its asset management capabilities with better reporting of capacity and the ability to do “what if” modelling of infrastructure, to enable better utilisation of data and reduced risk of downtime. To increase overall energy efficiency and reduce utility costs for its customers, Atos required detailed, rack-specific power consumption data with real-time temperature monitoring and heat map visualisation.
Atos implemented Datacenter Clarity LC, software from Siemens, at its first data centre in Scotland. The intuitive DCIM interface processes information from vital sub-systems that traditionally operate in silos, into a single solution that monitors energy and building management, physical security, fire safety, power and communications, racks, servers and data storage systems, as well as switches and routers.
The Datacenter Clarity LC system enables collaboration between IT and facilities processes, allowing both parties to track and manage assets and workflows. Integration procedures ensure the transfer of up-to-date infrastructure information and help the two departments to deliver IT services.
Among the gains for Atos is the ability to now provide more accurate and auditable invoices for its customers. Datacenter Clarity LC generates more than seven million power readings per month, increasing billing transparency and customer trust. The latest Datacenter Clarity LC combines a complete DC suite including a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) module. The software delivers real-time energy management at rack level due to its ability to harness CFD analysis technology, combined with real-time environmental monitoring to deliver a complete set of capabilities for cooling management, delivering users with detailed power usage information via dashboard and regular reporting. With a better view of its energy consumption, users can increase efficiency and reduce energy costs. Having both real-time environmental monitoring and CFD capabilities within a single DCIM platform enables a faster return on investment.
Furthermore, the software provides predictive capabilities in a virtual 3D data centre model, which offers Atos engineers an intuitive interface to view assets, helping to identify risk and ensuring the highest level of uptime and reliability for their customers. Using the 3D modelling, Atos has a more efficient and effective way to conduct change management and ensure its assets can support customer needs for capacity. Atos can access Datacenter Clarity LC from any Atos workstation, giving the management team the agility and flexibility they need to ensure uptime and address customer issues.
Brian says: “Our team now has one clear view of the data centre. They can see everything from mechanical and electrical infrastructure to IT assets on one screen. Having a single view is essential when taking the pulse to really understand the health of your data centre.”
With more accurate, real-time monitoring of assets and power consumption, Atos expects that Datacenter Clarity LC will support its company-wide efforts to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). “As we improve PUE, our power consumption comes down,” explains Brian, “and that is a saving that is passed directly on to our customers.” Atos has plans to roll out Datacenter Clarity LC to other UK and European strategic customers.
Siemens Building Technologies CEO Matthias Rebellius adds: “The challenge for data centres to be competitive and productive relies on these critical facilities being safe, secure, energy efficient and resilient. Siemens has developed specific technologies, portfolios and services to meet the demanding requirements of every area of the data centre. Our goal is to work with data centre owners and managers to increase uptime, maximise sustainability and operate as a long term and valued partner.”
