Often companies are faced with the need to install new, more powerful equipment in existing premises. Sometimes this task is not easy to solve, but there are a number of standard approaches that help to achieve it. We will talk about them today using the example of the Mediatek data center.
MediaTek, a world-famous microelectronics manufacturer, has decided to build a new data center at its headquarters. As usual, the project had to be implemented as soon as possible, and the new solution had to be compatible with all existing equipment. In addition, power and cooling facilities had to be initially adapted to the conditions of the building in which the new data center was to begin operation.
The CIO of the company received a request for data center automation and monitoring technologies, and the customer welcomed the implementation of energy efficient solutions in the field of cooling and power supply. That is, an additional budget was allocated for these technologies, which made it possible to create a truly high-performance data center under the given conditions.
Huge pressure
Before embarking on a project, it was necessary to study the features of the hosted equipment well - and it was really powerful. The new data center was planned to have 80 racks, some with 25 kW loads.
Simulation of load placement and analysis of possible cooling schemes were carried out, after which it was decided to divide the data center into functional zones. The high-load zone, where the most powerful equipment is located, was separated, and it was decided to install the most powerful and technologically advanced systems, including RowCool in-row air conditioners, for cooling and power supply.
The medium-density zone, which included mainly network switching equipment, storage systems and auxiliary servers, was also located separately. Taking into account the less energy release by the racks, it was possible to create a longer βhot aisleβ here, which means saving usable space.
We ran airflow simulations and estimated allowable temperature settings for both zones, calculated equipment capacity and allowable aisle sizes, as well as equipment placement parameters in racks.
The airflow simulation helped to find the optimal placement points for the RowCool in-row units, so that the combined use of active cooling and the separation of hot and cold aisles would give the maximum effect.
Modular load sharing systems for both zones were designed and installed. As a result, the high load area received shorter aisles and more RowCools than the medium load area.
Row air conditioners were connected to chillers using water cooling. To ensure the safety of such a system, dozens of sensors were installed in the data center, as well as zones for detecting possible fluid leaks. In the event of the appearance of at least one drop of water, the system immediately issues a notification and helps to correct the situation.
Moreover, RowCool air conditioners located in a high load area are connected in groups, and autonomous interaction is configured between them. This is done so that if one air conditioner fails, others can step up their work and provide sufficient cooling, taking into account the operation of the βcold aisleβ, while the air conditioner is being repaired or replaced. For this, the in-line air conditioners are also installed according to the N + 1 scheme.
UPS and Power Distribution
Based on proven practice, we placed the backup batteries and UPS systems in a separate area so that the air flows do not mix and the cooling systems do not lose power on those loads that do not particularly need additional cooling.
Considering that the total power of the entire data center exceeds 1500 kW, the power infrastructure and the UPS area had to be designed with great care. Modular UPSs were installed with N+1 redundancy, and ring power was connected to each rack - that is, at least two power cables. The monitoring system simultaneously monitored power consumption, voltage and current in order to immediately notice any abnormal change.
In the high load area, Power Distribution Units (PDUs) were installed at the back of the Delta racks, with additional 60A distribution modules placed on top.
In the area with a medium load, distribution cabinets installed above the racks were dispensed with. This approach allowed us to save money without sacrificing quality.
Management and DCIM
Equipment management systems were implemented in the new data center. So, through the DCIM InfraSuite system, you can track all the equipment and its location in the data center, as well as all the power settings for each individual rack.
An EnviroProbe indicator sensor was also installed in each rack, data from which is collected at EnviroStation concentrators for each row and transmitted to a central management server. This allows data center managers to constantly monitor the air temperature and humidity parameters in each rack.
In addition to monitoring the power supply, the InfraSuite system also allows you to plan the filling of the data center, because the system contains data on the number and capacity of installed equipment. Engineers can schedule the installation of new servers or switching systems while redistributing power through smart PDU cabinets.
Conclusion
The practice of building a data center for MediaTek was interesting in that we had to place a lot of high-performance workload in a fairly small area. And instead of distributing it throughout the room, it turned out to be more efficient to allocate high-power servers to a separate zone and equip more powerful and technologically advanced cooling there.
The integrated monitoring and control system allows you to constantly monitor the power consumption of high-power servers, and redundant cooling and power elements help prevent downtime, even in the event of equipment failure. It is these data centers that need to be built for the critical business processes of modern companies.
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Do you use data center redundancy?
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Yes, we also use N+1 air conditioners
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We also have N + 1 UPS
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We reserved everything even stronger
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No, we do not use reservations
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Source: habr.com