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CASE STUDY
solutions for efficient cooling operations, both of which result
in energy efficiency and ultimately, reduced operating costs.
When planning to upgrade the existing data centre, one
of IP House’s main priorities was to prepare the facility
for scalable, modular growth. Symmetra PX allows backup
power to be added in smaller increments of 25kW, up to the
maximum 2MW capacity that is envisaged for Data Suite
A. Once operational, Suite B will have its own independent
plant room with a separate utility feed and an additional
320 racks, bringing the total to 512.
The power distribution system in Data Suite A also
comprises connected products including transformers,
rack PDU’s (power distribution units) and switchgear. The
PDUs were chosen in part because they provide intelligent
monitoring, outlet switching, tool-free mounting and has the
ability to integrate with NetBotz sensors.
Edge control ensures advanced management
Another key aspect of the facility is Schneider Electric’s
StruxureWare for Data Centers, Data Center Infrastructure
Management (DCIM) software, which enables the
infrastructure equipment to be monitored and managed from
a ‘single pane of glass’ while providing seamless integration
with the company’s building-management software.
IP House makes use of several Schneider Electric
software modules and includes Data Center Expert, which
monitors alarm notifications and manages the physical
infrastructure, reporting on availability, temperature,
humidity and airflow to provide instant notification of any
faults. In addition, the company uses the StruxureWare
for Data Centers, Data Center Operations Colocation
Module to map the facilities physical infrastructure, plan
future capacity, manage the network and map airflows to
ensure sufficient cooling. Other benefits include the ability
to model the effects of changes in cooling equipment to
the data centre environment and anticipate its potential
impact on customers.
The final component of IP Houses software solution
is Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT; the Industry’s first
vendor-neutral Datacentre Management as a Service
(DMaaS) architecture, purpose-built for the hybrid IT and
data centre environments. It provides global visibility from
anywhere, at any time on any device and delivers data-
driven insights into critical IT assets, which helps customers
mitigate risk and reduce downtime.
A successful deployment
Thanks to its deployment of industry-leading power and
UPS systems, high-density racks and DCIM (data centre
infrastructure management) software from Schneider
Electric, IP House’s new data centre is a highly resilient
facility that meets the requirements of a Tier III data centre,
as defined by the Uptime Institute. It is therefore ideally
equipped to meet the high-availability service demands of
the company’s key customers.
In addition, the EcoStruxure IT Mobile Insights
Application allows updates to be sent to mobile devices at
remote locations, allowing the facility to monitored 24/7
by both staff and field by service engineers. Comtec Power
remains linked to the IP House facility via the application
and has the ability to monitor the same alerts in real-time,
providing expert support in the face of downtime or an
unplanned event.
IP House maintains that the reputation of Schneider
Electric’s EcoStruxure architecture, coupled with the control
and management features of the EcoStruxure IT platform
provides a vital advantage when addressing the high-
availability market that is its principal target. n
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