Containerized and/modular data center facility (CMDF) platforms

In oktober 2009 gaf ik een presentatie rond de inzet van containers waarbij ik de markt splitste in diverse mark segmenten die op hun eigen manier de modulaire en container markt aan het benaderen waren. Sinds die tijd is er veel veranderd. Tegenwoordig word er vaak gesproken over container/modulaire datacentra (CMDF), waarbij grof weg de markt er nu zo uit ziet:

   
Uit de hoek van high-scale IT leveranciers komen voornamelijk oplossingen waarbij (aangepaste) hardware in een container als full service concept geleverd word. De traditionele IT leveranciers leveren hun container of module het liefst met eigen hardware, maar kunnen vaak ook andere hardware huisvesten. De traditionele datacenter facility leveranciers leveren hun container of module zonder hardware. Deze leveranciers zitten ook vaak meer in de hoek van modulaire computer ruimtes dan de ISO containers.

Daarbij is dus te zien dat het ISO container formaat dus niet altijd een eis is en ook mobiliteit van de oplossing is al geen noodzakelijk onderdeel van een CMDF platform meer.

De huidige definitie van een CMDF is daar mee:

“A set of one or more prefabricated modules that are transported to and assembled at a specific site and
together provide the required payload capacity, while optionally providing the underlying power and cooling
infrastructure supporting the solution.”

Daarbij zijn o.a. de volgende karakteristieken van toepassing:

1. Volledig pre-engineered & prefabricated product;
2. Standaardisatie;
3. Snelle levertijd.

Zoals altijd zijn er grijze gebieden in de CMDF definitie en zijn karakteristieken. Er zijn bijvoorbeeld leveranciers die een deel van de karakteristieken pakken en het ook modulair noemen.

1. Bedrijfsvoordelen voor de inzet van een CMDF kunnen zijn:
2. Spreiden van kapitaal investering (CAPEX)
3. Lagere energie kosten (meestal mogelijk door directere koeling)
4. Lagere operationele kosten (door standaardisatie)
5. Snellere uitrol (weken in plaats van maanden)
6. Reductie van risico (door standaardisatie en door kleinere uitval zone)
7. Mogelijkheid tot Recycle/Refresh (op een per module basis)

Over de CMDF’s zijn twee uitstekende whitepapers beschikbaar, die uitgebreid de voor/nadelen en toepassingsmogelijkheden behandelen:

• The Green Grid – WP42 – Deploying And Using Containerized Modular Data Center Facilities
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Modular/Container Data Centers Procurement Guide: Optimizing for Energy Efficiency and Quick Deployment
• DatacenterKnowledge – Guide To Modular Data Centers

Leveranciers markt update.

DatacenterKnowledge heeft een kort overzicht in februari 2012 gemaakt.

De vrienden van Datacentermap.com hebben in 2009 een aanzet gedaan tot een overzicht, maar deze is een beetje verouderd. Hier onder een overzicht/update. Dit op basis van algemeen bekende leveranciers en een zoek actie op internet.

Sortering loopt van High-scale IT leveranciers naar Datacenter eigenaren/co-lo’s als CMDF leverancier.

1. Cirrascale (previously Verari) – Forest

Form factor: 40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: Up to 2880 nodes
Cooling capacity: 350kW total
Special features: mainly for Cirrascale blades
(p)PUE: 1.2 – 1.3
Current deployment: several dozen, mainly US 
Link: http://www.cirrascale.com/forest.asp

2. SGI – ICE Cube & ICE Cube Air

Form factor: 20&40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers & SGI half-depth 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: 14,5 – 45 kW per rack
Special features: supports SGI Rackmount servers
(p)PUE: 1.06 for Cube Air
Current deployment: several units in US
Link: http://www.sgi.com/products/data_center/ice_cube/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuLk-LyhDCg

3. HP – POD 20c, 40c and 240a

Form factor: 20&40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: 10-44 racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: 27-30 kW per rack
Special features: High density ready. Can be pre-fitted with HP servers/blades
(p)PUE: 1,25, up to 1,05 for the ecoPOD (240a)
Current deployment: several dozen worldwide, including eBay.
Link: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/solutions/datacentersolutions/index.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB0cVdNC5Y8

4. Oracle (previously Sun) – MD S20

Form factor: 20 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: 7-8 racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: 25 kW per rack
Special features: earth quake ready. Can be pre-fitted with Oracle/Sun servers
(p)PUE: unknown
Current deployment: several units wordwide
Link: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19115-01/mod.dc.d20/820-5770-10/820-5770-10.pdf

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svLdboZdfQ0

Oracle continues to sell but its not officialy part of the catalog;
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2010/08/11/the-blackbox-lives-or-at-least-is-not-dead/

5. Cisco – Containerized Data Center

Form factor: 40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: 16 racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: 25 kW per rack
Special features: Can be pre-fitted with Cisco UCS blades
(p)PUE: >1,25
Current deployment: unknown
Link: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns1121
/index.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qAZ4SokxjE

6. Bull – Mobull

Form factor: 40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: 15 racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: 40 kW per rack
Special features: water-cooled doors, designed by Bull. Can be pre-fitted with Bull servers
(p)PUE: unknown
Current deployment: several units in EU
Link: http://www.bull.com/extreme-computing/mobull.html

7. Dell – MDC

Form factor: 20 or 40 feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: 15-20 racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: depending on model but supports high density
Special features: Can be pre-fitted with Dell servers. Can use free&swamp cooling.
(p)PUE: 1,03
Current deployment: several dozen units wordwide, including eBay, Microsoft Bing and TIER5
Link: http://content.dell.com/us/en/enterprise/by-need-it-productivity-deploy-systems-faster-modular-data-center

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edxGchBp0_E

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8 IBM

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link:

http://www-07.ibm.com/id/bcrssolutions/smdc.html

http://www-935.ibm.com/services/au/en/it-services/scalable-modular-data-center.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/bc0418?feature=watch

http://www.slideshare.net/suprbent/pmdc-smdc-technical-overview-24-mar2010

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyaJX4EBOx4

9 Saiver (Microsoft ITPAC)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment: several hunderd with Microsoft’s ITPAC deployment
Link: http://www.saiver.com/products_ITPAC.htm

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIliMskAHro

10 AST Modular (Dutch import by APAC)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.astmodular.com/

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWktIdzVSjE

11 Datapod (with APC support)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.datapod.com.au/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQazDNUgrOs

12 iTainer (Dutch)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.itainer.nl/itainer/Home.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vBjgE3BEk

13 Rittal (previously Lampertz) –

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Link: http://www.rittal.co.uk/products/it-solutions/datacentre/construction/room/index.html
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t90V3H6-nGQ

14 RZ-Products (German) –

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.rz-products.com/de/

15 Emerson

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.simplyart.it/emerson/datacenterinfrastructure/

http://www.emersonnetworkpower.com/EN-US/SOLUTIONS/BYAPPLICATION/DATACENTERNETWORKING/SMARTSOLUTIONS/Pages/SmartMod.aspx

16 Automation (BE)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.automation.be/PRODUCTSbrnbspSERVICES/SheltersDatacentersMonitoring/CDC_Shelters/tabid/108/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urhkiyB-B_E

17 Huawei (China)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.huawei.com/en/about-huawei/publications/communicate/hw-110959-53737-53722-hw_110978-hw_110975.htm

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2b8D6FKUW4

18 IO

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.iodatacenters.com/modular-data-center/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y66RUOmX9Pw

19 Colt (UK)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″
servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.colt.net/se/en/products-services/data-centre-services/modular-data-centre-en.htm

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEZec73ML9k

20 Dataxenter (NL)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.dataxenter.com/en

21 profITbox (NL)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.profitbox.nl/

22 Altron (Eastern Europe)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.altron.net/mobile-data-centre/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdRrbObv_V8

23 Gemelo (South America)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.gemelo.com.br/g-box.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsa9Eq34gU

24 Power Distribution Inc (US) – I-CON

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.pdicorp.com/index.php/products/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ol0I8DqjDc

25 Bladeroom (UK)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.bladeroom.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS4Mx5iZhKM

26 PacificVoice & Data – MCIE

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.uspvd.com/mobiledatacenter.php

27 Lee Technologies – Modular Data Center

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.leetechnologies.com/index.php/solutions/flexible-solutions/flexible-solutions/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd-rjsEBRCs

28 Telenetix – T-Cube (South Africa)

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.telenetix.co.za/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltAKwbvDpKw

29 NxGen Modular –

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://nxgenmodular.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5OZNX9crT8

30 Compass Datacenters –

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.compassdatacenters.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcOPT108oiE

31 Data Centers Delivered –

Form factor: X feet container
Compatibility: Standard 19″ servers
Rack capacity: racks depending on model
Cooling capacity: kW per rack
Special features:
(p)PUE:
Current deployment:
Link: http://www.datacentersdelivered.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl27XMvnHkM