Rittal Comments on Data Centre Trends 2018

Rittal

Januray 9, 2018

The process of digital transformation is in full swing: At least half of global value creation could be digitized by 2021, according to a forecast by market researchers at IDC. Faced with high electricity costs, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to modernize the IT landscape and make data center operations more efficient. The following review of such topics as managed cloud services, edge computing and direct current in the data center shows which technologies are most suitable. The aim is to make ongoing operations cost-effective and future-proof. A comment by Andreas Keiger, Executive Vice President Global BU IT Infrastructure, Rittal.

 

(Image 1: Cutting electricity costs: OCP racks from Rittal leverage direct current (12 V DC, 48 V DC) for greater energy efficiency. They are also standardized, shortening time-to-market, and scalable, enhancing flexibility.)

The multi-cloud trend

Hybrid multi-cloud environments will dominate future IT agenda: According to IDC, more than 90 percent of companies could already be using multi-cloud platforms by 2021. There are many reasons for this. For one thing, there is no one-stop cloud provider that can meet all the requirements, since complete cloud stacks always come from multiple providers. Moreover, performance, latencies, compliance and risk management often have to be implemented individually, sometimes with different cloud providers.

Typical cloud services include infrastructure services (IaaS), applications (SaaS), and development platforms (PaaS). Those who find this cloud mix is becoming too complex can rely on external providers for managed cloud services: For example, the cloud systems in the data center are operated in a completely fail-safe

Rittal
(Image 2: Rittal and its partners are offering a unique location for European data centers with the Lefdal Mine Datacenter (LMD). One of the most efficient, greenest and most secure data centers in Europe is currently being developed over an area of 120,000 m², on Norway’s west coast.)

way and maintained by an IT service provider, while users can access the resources conveniently via their web browser or a desktop application. In 2018, to support this development, Rittal, along with its partners, will increasingly be offering turnkey data centers including cloud platforms and managed services for fail-safe infrastructures.

The trend towards edge computing

In the future, besides expanding central data centers, many companies will be focusing more intensively on establishing decentralized IT capacities. Here, the driving forces include modern Industry 4.0 (IoT) applications: Due to the automated production facilities installed there, a large amount of sensor data has to be processed on site in real time. Data transfer to a central data center would delay real-time processing and overload networks and legacy systems. However, many other Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios also need extra data centers. These include networked households and smart homes, wearable fitness trackers and smart watches, as well as networked cars and IT infrastructures in smart cities. By 2019, 40 percent of IoT data could be processed and analyzed by edge IT systems, the IDC analysts say.

Rittal
(Image 3: Time-to-market: The Rittal Edge Data Center comprises two Rittal TS IT racks, plus corresponding modules for climate control, power distribution, UPS, fire suppression, monitoring and secure access. Moreover, the turn-key, standardized infrastructure platform can be extended by two racks at time. Edge Data Center can thus be implemented rapidly and cost-efficiently – paving the way for Industry 4.0 applications.)

In addition, the new 5G mobile standard will drastically increase the volume of data needing processing. At data rates as high as 10 GBit per second, for example, a movie can be transmitted in HD resolution in just a few seconds. Anyone wanting to run IoT infrastructures in future rapid fast 5G networks should also ensure that the server performance required is provided at an early stage, so that applications can use the full network capacity. Edge data centers are used for this purpose: They enable the rapid and decentralized establishment of IT infrastructures, for example, in order to supply remote production sites or smart cities quickly with more computing power on a selective basis.

But what makes an edge data center stand out? In fact, these are turnkey IT environments, which are modular and scalable as rack or complete container solutions. The existing expansion options make these solutions suitable for companies of all sizes. Since the components for cooling, power supply, monitoring and security are pre-installed and coordinated with each other; an edge environment can be successfully created very quickly.

Higher energy efficiency with DC racks

However, central and homogenous hyperscale data centers will still be needed. A hyperscale infrastructure is laid out for horizontal scalability, to provide the highest levels of performance, throughput, and redundancy that are necessary for fault tolerance and high levels of availability. Operators of such systems are faced with the question of how to optimize the future running costs of their plants. DC racks provide one solution for greater energy efficiency: Two new IT rack standards have become established on the market in the shape of OCP (Open Compute Project) and Open19. Inside the IT rack, only one central power pack supplies the active IT components with DC power. This cuts about five percent of the energy costs of each rack. Data center operators who are not hyperscalers should also consider this option next year.

IT cooling concept trends

Alternative energy and cooling concepts will also be important in further improving operating costs in 2018. Providers can achieve very favorable operating costs with electricity from renewable energy sources, with air or seawater cooling and flexibly with service models. One example of this is the Lefdal Mine Datacenter in Norway: A data center has been built in a former mine. It is cooled with seawater and which uses electricity from renewable energy sources. There, companies can procure cloud services directly or operate their own private cloud systems.

Andreas Keiger
(Image 4: Andreas Keiger, Executive Vice President Global BU IT Infrastructure, Rittal.)

Energy recovery is another IT cooling concept for higher efficiency. This uses the waste heat generated in the data center for building climate control purposes, in order to heat hot water or to supply a district-heating network. The technology itself is not new, but the aim is to develop a long-term strategy that exceeds the usual ROI calculation of three to five years. To this end, it would be necessary for the next German federal government to promote the expansion of the district heating network in 2018, in order to give the energy revolution the new impetus that the German IT and telecommunications industries need.

https://www.rittal.com/com-en/content/en/unternehmen/presse/pressemeldungen/pressemeldung_detail_63552.jsp

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • Wesco Opens State-of-the-Art Facility in Eastern Canada to Support Influx of Megaprojects in the Region

    Wesco Opens State-of-the-Art Facility in Eastern Canada to Support Influx of Megaprojects in the Region

    Wesco International has recently announced the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art facility on Higney Avenue in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, making this the largest facility of any distributor in the Atlantic region. The new building, facilitated by Touchette Real Estate, a division of Groupe Touchette, will feature Wesco’s comprehensive suite of services and solutions including… Read More…

  • PataBid Nominated for Canadian Choice Award in Software Services

    PataBid Nominated for Canadian Choice Award in Software Services

    PataBid is proud to announce its nomination for a Canadian Choice Award in the Software Services category. This recognition highlights PataBid’s commitment to supporting the electrical contracting community across Canada by providing innovative estimating software solutions that streamline estimating processes and ensure predictable and profitable projects. Read More…


Sponsored Content
The Easy Way to the Industrial IoT

The way to the Industrial IoT does not have to be complicated. Whether access to valuable data is required or new, data-driven services are to be generated, Weidmuller enables its customers to go from data to value the easy way. Weidmuller’s comprehensive and cutting-edge IIoT portfolio applies to greenfield and brownfield applications. Weidmuller offers components and solutions from data acquisition, data pre-processing, data communication and data analysis.

Visit Weidmuller’s Industrial IoT Portfolio.


ADVANCED Motion Controls Takes Servo Drives to New Heights (and Depths) with FlexPro Extended Environment Product Line

Advanced Motion Controls is proud to announce the addition of six new CANopen servo drives with Extended Environment capabilities to their FlexPro line. These new drives join AMC’s existing EtherCAT Extended Environment FlexPro drives, making the FlexPro line the go-to solution for motion control applications in harsh environments.

Many motion control applications take place in conditions that are less than ideal, such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressures, shocks and vibrations, and contamination. Electronics, including servo drives, can malfunction or sustain permanent damage in these conditions.

Read More


Service Wire Co. Announces New Titles for Key Executives

Bruce Kesler and Mark Gatewood have been given new titles and responsibilities for Service Wire Co.

Bruce Kesler has assumed the role of Senior Director – Business Development. Bruce will be responsible for Service Wire’s largest strategic accounts and our growing Strategic Accounts Team.

Mark Gatewood has been promoted to the role of Vice President – Sales & Marketing. In this role, Gatewood will lead the efforts of Service Wire Company’s entire sales and marketing organization in all market verticals.

Read More


Tri-Mach Announces the Purchase of an Additional 45,000 sq ft. Facility

Tri-Mach Elmira Facility

Recently, Tri-Mach Inc. was thrilled to announce the addition of a new 45,000 sq ft. facility. Located at 285 Union St., Elmira, ON, this facility expands Tri-Mach’s capabilities, allowing them to better serve the growing needs of their customers.

Positioning for growth, this additional facility will allow Tri-Mach to continue taking on large-scale projects, enhance product performance testing, and provide equipment storage for their customers. The building will also be the new home to their Skilled Trades Centre of Excellence.

Read More


JMP Parent Company, CONVERGIX Acquires AGR Automation, Expanding Global Reach

Convergix Automation Solutions has completed the acquisition of AGR Automation (“AGR”), a UK-based provider of custom, high-performance automation design and systems integration primarily to the life sciences industry.

Following Convergix’s acquisitions of JMP Solutions in August 2021 and Classic Design in February 2022, AGR marks the third investment in Crestview’s strategy to build Convergix into a diversified automation solutions provider targeting the global $500+ billion market, with a particular focus on the $70 billion global systems integration and connectivity segments. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Read More


Latest Articles

  • How Advanced X-Ray and AI Inspection Technologies Optimize Quality Control and Reduce Costs in SMT Manufacturing

    How Advanced X-Ray and AI Inspection Technologies Optimize Quality Control and Reduce Costs in SMT Manufacturing

    Explore how Omron’s latest X-Ray machines and AI-driven solutions are setting new standards in manufacturing efficiency and quality control. The manufacturing landscape is swiftly evolving, and Omron is at the forefront with its innovative PCB inspection machines. These systems offer profound insights into SMT production process, enhanced quality control, and can significantly reduce labor costs. Advancements… Read More…

  • KUKA Establishes New Software and Digital Business Segment

    KUKA Establishes New Software and Digital Business Segment

    Software is playing an increasingly important role in mechanical engineering. What used to be mostly solved mechanically is now done by electronics and the associated software. “With KUKA Digital, we are expanding our offering in order to position ourselves broadly for a market with strong growth potential. Our customers need products, solutions and consulting approaches to digitalize… Read More…