Virtual Facility© enables data centres to be designed and managed for heat dissipation and power efficiency
28 Jun 2006
Methodology allows owner/operator to derive previously unattainable efficiencies for new and existing data centres
The Virtual Facility© (VF) concept from Future Facilities is a groundbreaking approach that allows the owner/operator to derive previously unattainable efficiencies for new and existing data centres. It introduces a new methodology that uses science to validate engineering design assumptions for a new facility. Furthermore, the VF allows IT/FM departments to assess the thermal/environmental impact of all future equipment deployments within the facility prior to installation, thus reducing the risk of downtime. The Virtual Facility© employs 3-dimensional mathematical modeling techniques that simulate the distribution of heat whilst maintaining a full equipment inventory throughout the facility at all times. The Virtual Facility© helps address the considerable gap between the frequency of change of IT equipment, measured in days, and the typical life expectancy of facilities, measured in years. London, June 28th, 2006: With the launch of the Virtual Facility©, data centre designers and managers are empowered to fully test the effectiveness of facility layouts using tailored and predictive 3-dimensional modelling that includes heat distribution within dynamic environments. Additionally, an inventory management module helps to ensure that the layout remains one step ahead as utilisation changes over the lifetime of the computer room. The Virtual Facility© is the brainchild of Future Facilities Limited, a specialist company formed to provide dedicated predictive environmental analysis for today’s mission critical facilities. The company has developed its own software to answer design and operational demands created by increasing power and cooling requirements of dynamic IT environments. The continuing rise in power densities coupled with the non-uniformity of airflow creates an unacceptable risk of thermal shutdown due to the formation of hotspots. Announcing the launch of the Virtual Facility©, Hassan Moezzi, CEO of Future Facilities said “If we are to mitigate the risk of hotspots, we have to recognise that the computer room cannot be treated as simply an expensive room, owned and managed by building services. The modern facility is highly developed accommodation for complex electronic systems. In other words, not a room to house network devices, but a vital part of the network itself.” He continues “Virtual prototyping is an accepted and established process for microprocessor and computer systems design. At Future Facilities we have extended this design philosophy to the facility itself, using the same technology to create the Virtual Facility© concept.” “When IT manufacturers take a processor and place it in an enclosure, they take great care to maximise airflow in order to ensure the system stays within operational temperature parameters. Data centre managers need to ensure that the same level of care is applied as rack space becomes utilised, so that each device within the space is properly provisioned with adequate power and cooling. Best practice is to know that a facility is going to work before it is built or during operations.” The Virtual Facility© is built up as Future Facilities 6Sigma Software Suite is used to design the physical properties of facilities. The 6Sigma package comprises of two phases; for design and construction of facilities, and for ongoing operation and change management within the facility. In the design phase, the Virtual Facility© allows the scientific validation of such considerations as room dimensions, floor void depth, rack layout, the location of air handling units and redundancy in cooling. In addition to 3D architectural design tools for the physical construction of the data centre, the 6Sigma package also incorporates a powerful library of both physical infrastructure components and IT manufacturers’ equipment. The 6Sigma application therefore enables the Virtual Facility© to be designed and built out in the virtual world, and then fully simulated for airflow and cooling. This allows all design decisions to be evaluated prior to construction and commissioning in the real world. In the design and construction phase of the Virtual Facility©, designers are able to evaluate the effects of server and other equipment placement within the rack, as well as the rack placement itself. The Virtual Facility© represents the virtual prototype as proof of concept. Most importantly, the VF acts as an efficient communication tool between the various disciplines involved in the design and construction phase of a data centre. Hassan Moezzi says “The last thing you need after having spent huge capital sums on a new facility, is to discover that once built, it just isn’t fit for purpose. By adopting the Virtual Facility© concept, designers, owners and operators can be sure their facility will work, irrespective of its design and construction methodology.” Moezzi adds “The management of power and cooling has become a major issue for all data centre owners and operators. Not surprisingly, therefore, there are a range of design paradigms which are available as potential solutions. At Future Facilities we believe that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, and that ideas such as hot aisle containment and cold aisle containment have equal merit. Using the Virtual Facility©, designers can evaluate which methodology best fits their long term requirements, and build with complete peace of mind.” Designated 6Sigma Change Management, the operations phase of the Virtual Facility© enables data centre owners and operators to walk through a full 3-dimensional inventory of all equipment housed in the facility, as well as visualising temperature distribution and airflow at both cabinet and room level. In addition to tracking historic changes within the environment, owners may also preview future equipment deployment and consider its thermal impact, e.g., the placement of blade server racks may be optimised in order to mitigate hotspot risks. Says Moezzi “Data centre managers are beset by the challenges of operating a dynamic environment. The rate at which IT equipment is upgraded and refreshed is breathtaking. However, because of the substantial sunk costs in data centre implementation, it is vital that owners and operators are able to maximise their ROI. By ensuring that facilities are optimised according the IT inventory they house, 6Sigma Change Management answers the need to manage the long term effectiveness of facilities.” - ends -
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