PRECONFIGURED INFRASRTUCTURE
By Oli Barrington, Managing
Director United Kingdom &
Ireland, R&M
www.rdm.
The definition of a data centre is has fragmented into
multiple sub-definitions in recent years. Hyperscale,
enterprise, modular, edge and micro are just a few examples.
Each definition has emerged from new requirements, not
only derived from how we use data, but also out of how we
collect and disseminate it. The development of physical
infrastructure solutions is fragmenting along with the
definition of data centres. The needs of different ‘sub-
species’ of data centres are becoming more diverse, and
there’s a growing need to accommodate everything from
purpose-built white space to locating compute assets in an
automated factory and everything in between and beyond.
The ‘one size fits all’ approach across product
development is no longer suitable for today’s data centre
landscape. The ways in which we house, connect, power,
cool and manage systems in these different kinds of
environments become more niche to each given application.
Infrastructure providers have started to develop solutions for
specific types of data centres. One example would be OCP
for the hyperscale market.
Preconfigured cabinets
The concept of a cabinet pre-fitted with power, connectivity,
cooling and management components before being
shipped to the customer has been in the wings of data
centre solution portfolios for several years. When physical
infrastructure requirements were less diverse, and in
many cases less specialised, this approach often seemed
to be an expensive way of doing things. However, recent
developments have resulted in a greater need for compute
functions at the edge. The preconfigured cabinet has come
of age.
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Choosing preconfigured cabinet
solutions for the evolving
data centre
Truly preconfigured cabinets are not just cabinets fitted
with power, cooling, security and connectivity – the real
value is in these infrastructure elements communicating
with one another. The fire suppression system, for example,
can communicate with the cabinet’s PDU’s, cooling and
locking systems to provide a more effective, multi-layered
response to fire.
Preconfigured solutions make it possible to carry out work
that can be done far better away from the customer site –
and at a fraction of the cost – before shipment. This includes
configuring services to communicate with one another,
physical installation, ensuring components consume as little
space as possible in the cabinet and ensuring control and
communication cables are dressed unobtrusively, to name
just a few examples.
Many benefits of preconfigured cabinets are related
to deployment and commissioning of services. This often
requires multiple skills: electrical contractors, cabling
engineers, IT personnel, HVAC engineers and more. As
compute services are moved out to the edge the locations
become less installation-friendly. In this case, it makes sense
to carry out as much of this work as possible at a production
or pre-staging facility, where personnel, tools and equipment
are readily available. On-site work is minimised and deskilled,
which reduces installation costs – and time.
Choosing a solution
When selecting preconfigured cabinets, it’s important to
ensure that they suit the different environments in which
edge computing is a requirement. In office spaces, for
example, solutions must be aesthetically aligned with the
room. In manufacturing facilities, cabinets must protect
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