The world of Data Processing Centers has undergone an important development in recent years around Cloud Computing, a philosophy with which the reception, storage and data analysis in large Data Centers has been centralized.
The increasing amount of devices and IoT sensors (Internet of Things) generates volumes of data that are ever more difficult to manage centrally in Data Processing Centers, which pushes network bandwidth requirements to the limit translating it into a high response time and a possible loss of information.
The new Edge Computing philosophy emerges as a solution to this problem, especially in business and industrial scenarios. With it, the decentralization of data analysis is sought, providing much more autonomy to devices themselves and to the nodes or servers that recollect and process them. In addition, it allows to position the computational capacity close to the users and the origin of the data, not being necessary to send them massively to the large Data Centers, thus translating into an important improvement in efficiency.
The main difference between both philosophies is that cloud computing operates with Big data, while Edge computing operates with instant or real-time data.
This transformation of Data Centers, in which nodes and receptor servers take a greater role in data management, requires completely autonomous modular infrastructures with the ability to be located anywhere.
One of the modular solutions is Data Center Container, which is perfectly adapted to the needs of this type of applications.
Differentiating characteristics
The Data Center Container solution, also known as “All-in-one”, has inside all the existing infrastructures in a traditional data center such as air conditioning, Fire Protection, Security Systems, Management and monitoring systems, etc., making it a totally reliable Centro de Proceso de Datos. Its design also allows for redundancies at any level, even following the requirements of extended standard as Tier de UpTime Institute levels or UNE EN 5060.
The enclosure of these solutions has an IP55 degree of protection making it possible to include specific making it possible for saline environments, thus allowing them to be installed outdoors without any problem. Furthermore, the installation processes are carried out using ROXTEC type seals with which the wiring or pipes are perfectly isolated against the entry of water and dust, even with resistance to fire. This degree of protection in the Data Center Container allows companies of very diverse scope, sector or location, to have a new data center, whether for main or back-up use, anywhere in their facilities, often solving the problem availability of space inside the building or the difficulty, in certain locations, of creating a specific new building in which house it.
All the requested projects can be carried out both with standard and personalized measurements and finishes, adapting them to the particular needs of each of the clients.
The construction of Container Data Centers in the factory allows, thanks to chain production and the optimization of a large part of the production processes, the reduction of execution times and costs compared to a traditional Data Center, also achieving a strict control of quality by which all items are tested before leaving the factory. All this translates into a very competitive product with very high performance.
The Data Center Container, being highly space-optimized solutions, save on the amount of gas to be used by the extinguishing system in case of a fire and do not provide moisture such as plasterboard or plaster walls. They also offer greater immunity to electromagnetic radiation than standard brick walls of conventional DPC.
In addition, GESAB has developed direct FreeCooling solutions fully integrated in the container that significantly reduce the consumption levels in air conditioning, thus obtaining really interesting ROIs (Return on Investment) for customers through energy savings.
Likewise, in order to promote this type of solutions that are more environmentally friendly as they create less impact, GESAB makes different leasing type financing options available to companies that facilitate investment by doing so in a staggered manner, in such a way that can be adapted to the particular needs of each client.
Advantages compared to a conventional DPC
One of the biggest advantages of the Data Center Container and other kind of modular solutions, in addition to the optimization of space they offer and their lower cost, is the ability to relocate the DPC in new locations, in such a way that allows total flexibility and adaptability, something essential in an increasingly changing world. The Container Data Center is designed with external ISO measures for maritime transport or adapted to standard land transport measures, either by trailer or train thus allowing easier mobility.
Furthermore, it offers great versatility in its design, so it can be used in any type of application, either by interconnecting several containers with each other (usually one for power and another for IT) both in width and height or using them as completely independent modules.
The ease and speed they offer to implement a data center in a company is another advantage. Generally, designing and developing a traditional DPC entails times that, sometimes due to urgency, companies cannot afford, since it requires a much more exhaustive analysis of space and budgets due to its high economic cost, being an obstacle that Data Center Container solves more easily.
Some applications
Modular solutions allow companies scaled growth, a characteristic that is very attractive for those enterprises that want to make a phased investment in infrastructures adapted to their expected demand with growth in the short, medium or long term.
In addition to this, as they are totally independent nodes that are built in the factory, the phased implementation can be done in a non-intrusive manner in the already installed modules so that the problem of working “in hot” can be avoid, that is, with operating server racks in the same area, a very present difficulty in remodeling and expansion of traditional Data Processing Centers.
One of the reasons why Container Data Center are the on the rise is that they are perfect solutions for quickly generating contingency-emergency centers if unforeseen events arise in the conventional data center.
In conclusion, Data Processing Centers are undergoing an important transformation that requires adapted infrastructures to their new needs for growth and modularity through compact solutions that include all the infrastructures. That is why, the solutions based in Container are very attractive in allaspects: technical, economic and implementation deadlines.
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