NORTH CAROLINA- ABODE TO SOME MASSIVE DATA CENTERS

October 25, 2012 By

Several interviews with the internet officials of top notch IT companies, hardware vendors, and economic development groups have been conducted to understand the reason behind North Carolina being a favorite destination for data centers. Investigations reveal some really economically feasible reasons for North Carolina to be adjudged as a major hub for data centers.

Facebook was the first of the other internet majors to set up a data center in the region of North Carolina. If you live on the East coast, and log into Facebook, there are fair number of chances that you know the comments, posts, likes are all being served up by this data center in the forest city of North Carolina.

Facebook is not the only internet major to have built a server farm amidst the forest area of North Carolina. It is not the only one to have chosen North Carolina as home to some of its main server farms. Within a hundred mile radius, Apple and Google have established their data centers. Walt Disney, Wipro, AT&T are some of the other companies to ventured into North Carolina in search of a suitable place for their data centers.

Companies need to analyze several different factors when deciding the location for their data centers. It is in fact a complex decision, and requires a perfect understanding of the conditions, and requirements. Vice President of site operations, Facebook had expressed in an interview that the company looks at 50 different factors before picking a site for its data centers. Analysts say that Microsoft looks at 43 crucial factors before data center venue selection.

This decision has become complex over the years with companies looking at cleaner, greener power sources, and the ever increasing population of internet users. In addition, there is a notion that web scale computing has changed the way servers are built, and hence require a different scale of design. This adds to the already existing woe of data center location hunt.

Why is North Carolina a hotspot for data centers?

Low cost of power: The Duke Energy person, Mr. Thomas William in an interview said that North Carolina offers 4 cents against 6 cents for every kilowatt hour of power. This is very less compared to the average U.S. energy costs. The reason behind the low cost offering of power in North Carolina is that the power here is a mix of 61 percent coal, 31% nuclear power, and only 4% clean power. Coal and nuclear power are some of the cheapest sources of energy generation.

Power transmission capacity: It is very difficult for such massive sized data centers to even find a place capable of transmitting huge amounts of power. The area around North Carolina has most of this place already built out. With the textile industry and furniture industries increasingly moved offshore, North Carolina provides sufficient industrial capacity.

Rural areas: In North Carolina, most of the neighborhood localities are rural. This makes the plots relatively inexpensive. It is not prone to problems and hassles from the nearby communities. The plots are suitable for the installment of huge power stations and buildings.

These are just some of the reasons for the buzz around North Carolina and its data centers. The other reasons include

Incentives and company friendly policies by the state government

  • Abundant supply of water
  • Fast and hassle free deployment of equipments
  • Fast East coast internet traffic
  • Close proximity to the airport, and a major city
  • Conducive climate for operations

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NEW DATA CENTER DESIGN BOASTS ‘WORLD’S MOST EFFICIENT COOLING SYSTEM’

October 24, 2012 By

A new kind of data center claiming to employ “the world’s most efficient cooling system” turns the traditionally unbearable “hot aisle” between server racks into a rather pleasant air-conditioned hallway, all the while using significantly less energy.

Integrated energy technology company Inertech and construction partner Skanska held a tour of their new data center design last week at Inertech’s headquarters in Danbury, Conn. During the tour, analysts and members of the media walked through a sample hot aisle, which runs between the rear walls of two rows of 60kW server racks filled with fully operating servers.

Though the temperature inside the server racks reached as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which the tour guides proved by briefly opening the rear side of the rack, the aisle itself felt no different than the air-conditioned room where the companies had hosted lunch minutes earlier.

The impressive part, though, is how this feat was accomplished.

Cooling the air while keeping costs low

Dubbed eOpti-Trax, the system reduces energy usage through air circulation in the server aisles. A traditional method of data center cooling is based on the raised-floor design, through which an under-floor air distribution system pushes cold air up and into the server racks. Forcing cold air upward requires heavy use of fans, which consume high amounts of energy.

The eOpti-Trax cooling system works from the inside out. The rear side of the servers generates the most hot air, hence the name “hot aisle” for the area located behind it. In the eOpti-Trax system, the heat is absorbed in a 1.25-inch cooling coil lining the inside of the rear walls of the server racks. This coil operates without a compressor. The compressor system, which is common in traditional data centers, cools the air through an evaporation method, consuming massive amounts of water in the process.

The result is an air-conditioned hot aisle where data center engineers have long endured unbearable temperatures to access wiring and other equipment. The companies claim that tests have shown air can be cooled from 160 degrees Fahrenheit inside the server rack to 75 degrees in the hot aisle.

From there, the cooling system allows the air to distribute itself naturally throughout the hot aisle, employing just two fans to help draw the cooled air into the front of the server racks, or the “cool aisle.”

The companies claim the system requires just 0.5 watts of energy to cool a 300-watt server, compared to the 90 watts needed to cool the same size server with traditional chiller system. Additionally, eOpti-Trax uses estimated 80% less water than more common cooling systems.

As more companies feel the need to expand data centers, the cost benefits of energy efficiency will become more appealing. The question that remains is whether green technology is enough to persuade potential customers.

Interest is high, but barriers to adoption have been a major roadblock.

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SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTER PRACTICES

October 22, 2012 By

Environmental stewardship, innovation and leadership are becoming increasingly important as we take steps to create a sustainable environment for future generations. This is particularly important when it comes to construction of new data centers or major renovations of older ones.

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification process offers a useful framework for organizing green strategies. To earn LEED certification, data centers must exhibit environmental responsibility in seven areas:

  • Sustainable sites
  • Water efficiency
  • Energy and atmosphere
  • Materials and resources
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Innovation and design
  • Regional credits

Limiting physical sprawl is one of the most important goals of sustainable site development. Companies can reduce the amount of space their data centers occupy by deploying compact infrastructure resources. For example, many late-model uninterruptible power system (UPS) products feature footprints as much as 50 to 60 percent smaller than previous-generation models. Similarly, companies that operate their data center at 400V can eliminate transformer based Power Distribution Unit (PDU) cabinets, reducing their power distribution footprint by 50 to 60 percent.  Within the mechanical operations, using commercially packaged air handling units and In Row cooling (where needed) can eliminate traditional Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs) which take up significant space within many data halls.

Organizations can further promote sustainable site development in their new and existing data centers by embracing practices like the following:

  • Locating new facilities in existing industrial zones instead of on undeveloped land
  • Installing electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot
  • Minimizing pollution during construction by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation.
  • Providing easy access to public transportation, bicycle racks and changing rooms
  • Limiting parking capacity to the minimum mandated under local zoning regulations
  • Reducing light pollution by automatically shutting off interior lights during late-night hours and providing external lights only as required for safety and comfort

There are many sound reasons for wanting a greener data center, realizing that goal cost effectively is easier said than done. Just the same, most organizations can benefit from at least some green strategies without compromising corporate growth or IT reliability.

Some sustainability strategies, such as using recycled water, are still experimental, require heavy upfront investments or come with significant potential drawbacks. Most, however, are proven, cost-effective and relatively simple.

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DATA CENTERS AND POWER CONSUMPTION

October 18, 2012 By

An article in the New York Times carried reports on the enormous amount of energy usage and wastage by data centers across the world. The data centers were infuriated looking at the negative tone and impact that this article was likely to cause. The Forbes magazine came out strong on these allegations, and in support with the data centers listed in the article. Google and Facebook seemed to be on top of the New York Times energy wastage hit list.

On the contrary, it is unfair to just blame the newspaper for the supposedly baseless allegations. Yes, it has missed out on some important facts like the energy efficiency programs imbued by these centers in their facilities. Without sidelining the facts revealed by the newspaper; it can definitely add some spotlight into the amount of resources that these data centers are quietly consuming.

Data centers require energy and power to provide the necessary online services to its end users and clients. It is a different story for the end user to understand when data centers talk about energy consumption. The contemptuous energy wastage by data centers is of least importance or rather hidden from the end user.

Data center operators look for low cost, reliable, and sustainable energy resources when choosing a site to establish a data center. Only when the operations start, do they realize the amount needed (which drastically rises with new service additions), and the energy saving norms that they need to adhere to. Data centers operate full time on full capacity irrespective of their needs. Some servers have found to be operating on a stand-by mode for several months in a row. Data center operators feel the constraint of not being able to fix the problem. This ultimately leads to significant energy wastage.

Operators carry preconceived notions of operating the facility at full blast to enhance their performance irrespective of the massive energy demands. Energy wastage is the only outcome of such audacity.

Air conditioning facilities at data centers are turned on for long hours to keep the servers at a much cooler temperature than needed. Lighting facilities are a major hindrance to the power saving objective.

Looking at these factors, it would in a way be right to say that NYT article has made a conscious effort in annihilating energy wastage.

The article was capable of bringing about some stunning revelations about the data center industry, and not to forget the radical changes in conservation. Facebook’s North Carolina data center has been on top of the list of energy efficient data centers. Microsoft has been touted to remove all the diesel generators used for lighting from its facilities, and replace them with natural lighting (during the day of course) or renewable energy coupled devices.

The top notch companies like Google, eBay, Go Daddy, Apple, Yahoo have pledged to forego exhaustive sources of energy and deploy energy efficient programs. Artificial air conditioning systems are being replaced with natural cooling from outside (keeping the demographic conditions of the region in mind) or some sort of indirect evaporative air handlers.

However, the Internet industry has made and is making some fastidious efforts in reducing their carbon emissions and carbon footprint. The objective of embracing green technologies, to an extent, has been achieved.

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CFD- Assessing Temperature Distribution in Data Centers

June 6, 2012 By

With global warming concerns getting real every passing day, temperature rise is one of the major concerns for the environmentalists. Same for business owners where maintaining a certain temperature is absolutely crucial for the sustenance of the business. Data center managers are one from the lot. They are constantly looking for techniques to maintain ideal temperature conditions of the data centers, even on the comparatively hotter days. Technologies like CFD are being implemented to optimize the data centers and design efficient ones at the same time.

What is CFD?

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a technique which is used to model fluid flow using various numerical analysis techniques. The fluid flow is predicted through an iterative process and is based on factors like how the volumes interact with each other to attain a steady state model. Usually CFDs were used in airplane aerodynamic but of late, it has found a strong footing in data center facilities management.

Why CFD in Data Center?

CFD modeling software in data centers helps visualize the temperature distribution throughout the facility with the use of airflow models. Several SaaS solutions also aid in this process. These solutions analyses the data and puts it up in the cloud platform for comparison. What should be kept in mind is that all the solutions chosen should be provided as per the requirement of the data center.

The CFD modeling systems include various parameters like the geometric data of the floor, under- floor impediments, racks, cabinets and also the airflow. These data are complied and entered into the software for analysis. The software effectively creates a model which highlights the airflow within the data center including its temperature and pressure. Once the model is generated, the design of the data center is modified or in case of a new construction project, modeled upon. It is very important that the resultant matches the generated model. Doing so will ensure that there are no stray paths for the air to bypass and that the analysis is accurate.

As with any model, the more accurate the information supplied, the more useful the result. Careful attention to detail in both the modeling and construction of new spaces is necessary to insure that the end result matches the model. Un-sealed support column floor piercings, forgotten cutouts under racks, etc. are all insidious paths for air to bypass and potential sources for puzzling results.CFD is an excellent tool and once the model is generated, analyzing  CRAC failure analysis, potential equipment installations, layout changes, containment, etc. becomes a breeze.

Thing to Remember Before a CFD Analysis

CFD analysis should be done before making any kind of changes in the repent design of the data center. CFD results are dynamic in nature and to be consistently accurate, it needs to be maintained. Hence, whenever a change is put in action to the current design of that data center, the CFD model also should be updated. Updating the model will help the data center manager make appropriate decisions.

Another versatile tool ‘Real time monitoring’ implements the use of sensors to measure temperature, pressure, power and others to generate real time temperature maps of the data center. This tool along with CFD is an unbeatable combination which constantly evaluates the data center’s performance and enhances the efficiency margin considerably. While CFD analysis covers all the potential risks in the future, real time monitoring evaluates the instant changes in the environment, churning out data which would be useful when updating the CFD model.

An important point to consider is that both the analysis tools helps the data center manager narrow down the risk factors and eliminate irrelevant margins from the system. This increases the capacity and efficiency of the data center.

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Reducing Data Center Cost Using Air Economizer – Intel

November 22, 2011 By

Electricity costs play a major role in the detail of the profit, loss or competence of a Data Center. Reducing them to a minimal amount is the key to an efficient and cost-effective site. Apart from the inevitable consumption of power by the server a major part of the electricity is consumed by the cooling systems. If an effectual way of achieving cooling is possible without the use of an air-conditioning system, the expenditure on cooling can be reduced considerably; here is where an Air-Economiser comes into play.

This approach to cooling has always been frowned upon by most in the industry mainly due to the feeble cooling power provided by prior prototypes of conceptually similar systems. The reliability of the servers can be questioned if proper cooling demands are not met; hence a good design towards 100 percent air cooling has never been successfully tested.

The Air-Economizer:

Typically an air-conditioning unit would draw the hot air generated by the working servers, cool it down to the set temperature and recirculate the same. Outside air would be taken at regular intervals to maintain the balance of fresh air in the Data Center. A revision in this process modifies the air-conditioning unit into an air-economizer. Here, the hot air would be expelled to the outside of the Data Center and fresh, cooler air would be drawn in, continuously or at regular intervals based on the heat generated.

The Experiment:

Intel took up a challenge to defy the common assumptions in the industry about the air-cooling technique by conducting a Proof of Concept (PoC) test. The test aimed at cooling servers at 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 100 percent outside air. Potential annual savings by achieving this could be US$2.87 Million for a 10-megawatt (Mw) plant!

The PoC was run using about 900 production Blade servers divided equally by two compartments place side by side. One was provided with warehouse grade Direct Expansion (DX) unit to recirculate the hot air and provide cooling at all times; and the other an air-economizer. The PoC was run in a dry climate over a time period of 10 months.

This is What Happened:

  • The temperature of the air supply in the economizer compartment varied between 64 and a little beyond 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheaper air-conditioning units with reduced response rate used in the PoC may have caused this.
  • Humidity varied between 4 to way over 90 per cent.
  • The exterior and interior of the servers were covered with a layer of dust.
  • Total power consumed was 111.78 kilowatts (KW) as compared to 500 KW for air-conditioning in both compartments. This is a 74 percent decrease in energy consumption!
  • The server failure rate in the economizer compartment was 4.46 percent as compared to the 3.38 percent in the main Data Center. The failure in the DX cooling compartment was 2.26 percent which is lesser than that of the main Data Center itself.

The Savings:

If the site of the Data Center can be located in more temperate conditions, the economizer technique can be used for more than 90 percent of the year. If 90 percent of the year a reduced power plan can be achieved and there is 74 percent savings in this plan approximately 67 percent of the total power used annually can be saved; for a 10MW plant this figure would be about US$2.87 million! Capital can be saved on building new Data Centers with fewer air-conditioning units. Potentially about 76 million gallons of water can be saved by applying the air-economizer technique.

The Catch:

Server failures remain consistent with variations with humidity, temperature and inferior air quality; hence air-economizers are suited only for drier and more temperate climates. The availability of such locations can be scarce. As the location of a Data Center is crucial for business and stable networking setting up sites at these locations if too remote is pointless.

The Cherry!

Intel plans to test the economizer technique and check for hardware degradation by using server aging analysis, they also plan on setting up a 1MW demonstration Data Center to conduct further research on this. The cost-effectiveness of the entire setup promises financial gains as well as a greener approach to Data Center construction; clearly, this is technology of the future.

Reference: Intel IT white paper

 

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