Hello, friends from the forum.
I will share three aspects of Introduction to Data Center Development:
Development History of Global Data Centers
Data Center Infrastructure Development Trend
Introduction to Data Center Lifecycle
Development History of Global Data Centers
In 1942, the first electronic digital universal computer was born. Before 1990, data centers were mainly used for government and scientific research applications, but seldom for commercial applications. Data centers were large yet few. From 1991 to 2000, Internet companies emerged, and so did commercial data centers. These data centers were small, but they increased gradually. From 2001 to 2011, the data volume from governments, the Internet, and financial transactions soared. Governmental and commercial data centers began to develop rapidly. Since 2012, cloud data centers have become a new trend around the globe thanks to the increase in data center technologies and applications, Internet data centers (IDCs) have been integrated and upgraded. Large scale, professionalization, and environmental protection have become the leading features.
Data Center Infrastructure Development Trend
Modular Data Center
Small and medium data centers are constructed to be simple, easy to use, reliable, and controllable in operation and maintenance (O&M). Compared with traditional data centers, modular data centers have unparalleled advantages in the four aspects.
Integrated modular data centers are constructed quickly and have low requirements in the deployment environment.
Modular products can be pre-integrated and pre-commissioned in the factory in advance. They also provide the intelligent management function.
For large data centers, the power density of information IT equipment is increasing. Modular data centers adopt in-row closely coupled cooling, which greatly improves the cooling efficiency. This adapts to the development trend of high power density.
Huawei Modular Data Center
Cloud Data Center
The application and deepening of cloud computing promote the transformation of data center construction, operations management, and service modes.
Data traffic explosion, shared infrastructure, and improved resource utilization drive large-scale data centers.
Cloud computing enables flexible expansion, dynamic allocation, and centralized management and control of data centers.
The construction of cloud data centers creates new growth points and promotes industry adjustment, transformation, and upgrade.
As the power consumption of data centers increases, a more efficient and energy-saving cooling system is required.
Environmental Protection
With the rapid development in informatization, the construction of global data centers is accelerated. Their power consumption accounts for 1.1% to 1.5% of the global total.
Clean energy, such as wind and solar energy, is increasingly used in data centers.
There is a call for saving energy and reducing consumption to reduce power usage effectiveness (PUE) of data centers.
Energy conservation and consumption reduction are common. However, the future trend is to make them more comprehensive, efficient, and properly regulated.
Intelligent Management
Inefficient data centers lead to high costs, and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is of vital importance.
Manage and monitor IT equipment, facility equipment, and IT processes in a unified manner.
Support resource management and asset management.
Support technologies such as real-time information, simulation, and remote monitoring.
Intelligent terminals, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence, wearable equipment, and the Internet of Things (IoT) also promote intelligent management of data centers.
Introduction to Data Center Lifecycle
Data Center Lifecycle
Plan: This phase is the key to the success of the entire data center project. In this phase, the data center owner and manager need to build the prototype of the system architecture and project budget and select the model design for the system. They also need to identify and determine the factors that may affect the system design. Once the system concept is defined, it is possible to prepare the site selection assessment.
Design: The core content of the design phase is to convert the planning result into diagrams and construction documents. In this phase, it is equally important to ensure that the right people join the project at the right time. The design team should include IT and design engineers, possibly even architects and mechanical, electrical, and water supply and drainage engineers. The construction team consists of electrical, network, mechanical, low-voltage contractors, and subcontractors. The data center owner or manager is responsible for selecting these teams and reviewing all design achievements.
Build: In this phase, the documents of the construction team and the professional skills of the equipment supplier are combined. The phase is an excellent opportunity for the management team and employees to learn and improve. Commissioning can bring valuable documents to help improve equipment operating status. Although commissioning is not completely necessary, it helps the entire team better understand the complexity of the data center by detecting the response of the entire system to external inputs and external changes.
Operate: This is the longest and costliest phase in the data center lifecycle. It may last for up to 20 years. Successful O&M projects require effective management of environmental health and safety, personnel management, emergency preparedness and response, training, performance monitoring, maintenance, archiving, infrastructure, quality, energy, and finance.
Assess: This phase is often overlooked. However, it actually provides a lot of valuable
information and feasibility advice for understanding how the operator and infrastructure
system operates. Analyze the power supply, cooling, space capability, and usage trend
continuously and periodically to better determine whether the infrastructure meets the
design intention. The assessment phase also includes the appraisal of employee efficiency
and O&M project performance. In the five phases, O&M mainly involves operation and
assessment. To better understand the data center, the O&M team can participate in the
planning phase.
I'll cover the Composition of Data Center Infrastructure in more detail in the next article.
Thank you for reading.
