Dell Helps Customers Design Data Centers For Energy Efficiency And Peak Performance

Dell today announced that its data center consulting practice will utilize Future Facilities’ 6SigmaDC software suite to design and simulate data centers that maximize space utilization and energy efficiency through the optimal configuration and placement of IT hardware, racks, cabinets and power and cooling equipment.

• Dell is utilizing Future Facilities’ unique virtual design, 3-D-modeling and simulation software for data center design and upgrades
• Dell’s Data Center Optimization Services help companies compute more and consume less

The News:

• Dell’s data center consulting practice combines innovative tools and software with professional expertise to help improve data center performance, reduce energy consumption and to help companies avoid additional capital expenditures.
• Dell will utilize the state-of-the-art simulation capabilities of Future Facilities’ 6SigmaDC as part of its data center consulting practice.
• The main output of 6SigmaDC is the Virtual Facility, a full and mathematically precise 3-D representation of the data center which facilitates a holistic approach to the design and ongoing thermal and asset management of data center space. The Virtual Facility enables the owner or operator to take a proactive approach to the placement and replacement of equipment within facilities, modeling impacts before any physical deployments are undertaken.
• Dell and Future Facilities are the first companies to use the Virtual Facility concept for provisioning computing requirements and ensuring the optimal configuration and placement of equipment. By taking a proactive approach to design, Dell and Future Facilities can alleviate the need to trouble-shoot layout issues after facilities are built or changes have been made.
• Dell and Future Facilities expect to save companies capital and operational expenditures through optimal data center designs that help companies improve energy efficiency and avoid the wasteful over-provisioning of space, power and cooling.
• Dell today introduced next-generation data center infrastructure products designed to help customers simplify and manage their data center environment while improving energy efficiency. The Dell PowerEdge 4220 and PowerEdge 2420 rack enclosures support Dell’s broad portfolio of servers and storage systems and can be used in virtually any environment, including data centers, remote offices, wiring closets or even factory floors.

Future Facilities 6SigmaDC and the Virtual Facility:

• Virtual Facility (VF) is a full 3-dimensional mathematical representation of the physical data center at any point in time. At the design stage it can simulate and validate engineering assumptions such as optimal floor void depths, rack layouts, power distribution, air handler positioning and redundancy assessments.
• Once in operation, VF provides a full, 3-D inventory of all data center equipment with visualization of temperature distribution and airflow at room and cabinet level. IT departments can then preview future equipment deployment and evaluate the thermal/environmental impact of various deployment scenarios, enabling power, cooling and space constraints to be managed to maximize ROI and minimize risk.
• 6SigmaRoom evaluates data center design during the early and detailed design stages via experimentation with different equipment layouts and configurations.
• 6SigmaRack analyzes and optimizes rack layouts beyond installation.
• 6SigmaManager maintains and manages facilities throughout their lifetime.
• 6SigmaPower assesses the data center power network at any point in time.
• 6SigmaViewer lets designers share the facility they have created with others such as facilities executives.

Dell Data Center Optimization Services:

• By applying best practices in data center design, layout and configuration, Dell helps customers exploit unused capacity in existing data centers to avoid the significant capital expenditure of building a new data center.
• Assessment: Dell’s Energy Smart Data Center Assessment uses Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling to analyze existing power and cooling infrastructure, find inefficiencies, and provide actionable recommendations that help companies meet computing requirements without exceeding existing power and cooling limitations.
• Design: Data Center Conceptual Design is a three-to 12-week engagement to optimize an existing facility or design a new data center to meet a company’s growing needs. The hands-on work sessions present options for solutions based on priorities, constraints and budget. Deliverables include basis of design, bill of materials, budget estimates and a project schedule.
• Consolidation: Dell helps customers consolidate facilities and migrate hundreds or thousands of servers and applications to reduce the numbers of data centers they need to run their business.
• Platform Optimization and Virtualization: Dell designs, plans and implements end-to-end virtualization solutions and automates the physical to virtual migration process so that customers can run fewer servers to save space and power and cooling in their data centers. In addition, Dell also migrates proprietary Unix platforms to open solutions on x86 hardware that allow customers to simplify and save.
• Storage Consolidation: Dell helps customers right-size and tier their storage infrastructures to reduce cost and complexity.

Quotes:

“Every data center has its own DNA-- no two are alike,” said Hassan Moezzi, CEO of Future Facilities. “Together, Dell and Future Facilities are taking the guesswork out of designing them for efficiency and better energy consumption using computational modeling to layout, test and validate performance and to maximize that performance over time.”

“Our consultants will use Future Facilities’ tools to design data centers from the ‘inside out’ and use the power and thermal efficiency of Dell systems to create reliable, energy-efficient, green data centers that enable our customers to compute more and consume less,” said Tim Webb, director of Dell’s Infrastructure Consulting Practice.