Data center cyclopean and Tier IV, as it can be? Meet - SuperNAP 8

debut SuperNAP data center in 2009 gave the company Switch to new horizons for its development. Spread in Las Vegas, Nevada, on an area of ​​37 thousand sq. Meters SuperNAP offered an unprecedented opportunity to deploy a huge number of server racks in a single location. Construction DC sheltered servers and storage sets leading IT companies, including more than 40 cloud service providers, as well as united under one roof set of backbone providers.

Once you have created a huge SuperNAP, what will be your next step? If you - the company Switch, one of the market leaders in the construction of DC, then immediately, for his guard, you prefer the erection even more powerful SuperNAP.



The latest creation of the company, known as SuperNAP 8, built on the basis of a number of innovations in cooling technology and reliability. DC Construction first became available to many users a platform where, in practice, implemented principles of reliability DC at Tier IV - the highest possible rating from the Uptime Institute, which characterizes the possible emergence of resistance to the "fall" in DC.

According to founder and CEO Rob Roy Switch, SuperNAP is the culmination of ten years of thought to rethink the principles of construction of data centers. SuperNAP design allows it to function effectively anywhere in the world, any climatic zone, which allows him to become a model, a prototype DC, on the basis of which will be the company's growth worldwide. Switch is finalizing its plans for international expansion and prepares to announce them later this year.

"We have focused our efforts on how to create the best data center in the world", - said Roy, who in the process of drafting the set of patented design innovations for the company Switch. «SuperNAP - the crown of all our efforts. I wanted to see if it will work with us to create a single global standard for all future DC »

The first platform for co-location level Tier IV h4> The effort put data center designers, made an indelible impression on the staff Uptime Institute, whose work is to assess the safety of DC over the world according to its own certification program. Only four of the DC ever constructed in the United States, received the security certificate level Tier IV, the highest of the existing ones. Until now, DC this level of security is only closed, the sole use of various kinds of large financial institutions, without the possibility of free accommodation in their equipment to other customers.



"For the first Tier IV level of the certificate has been assigned the data center model with flexible access to it customers that already speaks for itself. This is the way for the next stage of development of this sector of the IT industry, "said Ed Raffer, vice president for technology issues at the Uptime Institute. «Switch SuperNAP 8 gathered a large number of well-designed innovative solutions to meet all the requirements for the operation of infrastructure.»
Located in Las Vegas SuperNAP 8 - is the next step in the representation Roy about what should be Tekhnosistema city. At the moment, this site Switch serves about 315 highly qualified employees, with more than 1,000 customers placed on it. The company also makes the job even for the more than 1,000 engineers and workers involved in the projects of the company. The room SuperNAP 8 of almost 28 thousand sq. Meters situated just a few hundred meters from the original SuperNAP (now known as SuperNAP 7).

SuperNAP 8 was built using prefabricated modules produced directly by the Switch. The key element, known as MacroMOD, includes two server rooms. Switch plans to place its customers in these two halls, which in turn occupy only half the space of the new facilities.

So what's so qualitatively distinguishes SuperNAP 8? Data center combined the combination of concentration and efficiency, similar to that achieved in SuperNAP 7, which operates year-round with a PUE (Power Usage Efficiency) at the level of 1.18. This ratio is only slightly behind the existing DC corporation Google, which has a number of sites with the average PUE at 1.12.



This level of performance is a unique platform for multiplayer, as the requirements for it on the temperature conditions more stringent. Switch forced to maintain the temperature in server rooms is not more than 20 degrees centigrade at a relative humidity of 40%, while the major players such as Google and Facebook, can afford the same class of its data center in the ceiling temperature 26-27 degrees. < br />


Innovations high level seen in the design is how to organize DTs. The SuperNAP 7 massive flyover carry the power cable, which descend to the center of the construction, which branch off and diverge in server rooms and elektroschitvye rooms spaced on opposite sides of the structure. The SuperNAP 8 rooms with all power equipment collected next and placed on one side of the construction, while the rack with the power cables placed in a row on the other side.



The remaining interior space, facilities, set aside for server rooms, the elements of the cooling system remained outside of the internal space is located along one side of the DC. In the above image you can see the cut sections of the structure, which shows the placement of (from left to right) generator, panel room, power lines, server room, and cooling units.

More SuperNAP 8 qualitatively different from its predecessor cooling units gigantic dimensions, each of which can apply up to 1,000 tons of conditioned air (for example, a cooling unit on SuperNAP 7 may submit no more than 600 tonnes). Units of the new model as the old ones, have an elongated shape that allows them to easily accommodate all on one side of the construction of DC, but a structural feature of aggregates is an additional air intake on top of the structure. Also, the positive role played by advanced system of channel separation of hot and cold air.



By themselves, the cooling units that joined to the outer wall of DC, surprisingly versatile, they support six different cooling modes. The software allows the units to automatically assign the most appropriate at a particular point mode of operation based on the analysis of the temperature inside the room, as well as several other parameters. These new cooling units, which decorated him SuperNAP 8, are designed so that fully reflect the ambitions Switch to enter new markets that are located in different geographical latitudes. Specially designed hoods ensure efficient operation even if the cooling aggregates clusters of snow and ice, and the air that comes from the hot aisles, he does not accumulate in large quantities. A unique design solution makes it possible to respond to the challenges for the air-conditioning systems that are unavoidable when operating in cold climates.

Flywheels increase the possibility of the cooling system. h4> The innovative system grooved surfaces used in SuperNAP 8 using cooling units rotary flywheel weighing almost a ton each is able to provide efficient cooling of server rooms, even in the event of power failure in the cooling system. < br />
Also design innovations associated with cooling, and touched the inner space of the DC. One of these innovations - a sprawling steel racks, known as "Black Forest began." Steel then plays a dual role: it provides physical support for the developed by Switch system equipment placement, known as T-SCIF, and also helps to cool the premises of DC, serving as a kind of radiator, which is cooled by circulating air, which can become an additional temperature "safety cushion" in case of failures in the cooling.



"When the temperature rises to 20 degrees, and the steel is heated to 20 degrees", - said Roy. - "These stand like radiators, very effectively transfer heat. They are designed specifically for the more massive so that they could no longer absorb the heat. As a result, high-impact steel heat overall the room temperature drops a few ».

The innovative solution - SwitchSHIELD. h4> The roof is usually not applicable to special features or benefits of the data center. But Roy argues that the design of the roof plays a very important role in the life cycle of any DC. "99% of the existing DC, will have to replace the roof of the life cycle DC, and in these very moments DC are extremely vulnerable," - said Roy.

It is for this reason SuperNAP 8 has a unique SwitchSHIELD, a dual-roof that can withstand the wind speed outside the building at 90 m / s. Two independent horizon overlap placed from one another at a distance of 2, 7 meters and attached directly to the concrete and metal structures construction, with each other in any way without interfering. This solution allowed the company to replace the roof Switch without any risk to the safety of the servers that are located underneath.



Unique SwitchSHIELD - this is a feature that is another application for the company's expansion into the international market, with the ability to offer this product in all kinds of climates. Tornadoes in the state of Nevada are extremely rare, and the region has never been famous for record-breaking winds, which could oppose such a serious defense. The double roof will be more significant positive difference in the markets of the countries and territories, which are often affected by the destructive power of hurricanes and tornadoes.

Only forward, not a step back. h4> «Rob Roy standards set the bar for our industry," - said Miss Yong, executive vice president of Switch. "With his vision of the future of the industry, Switch SuperNAP will continue to change the world of data centers, technological advances in the industry will make available to business as usual services in placing their data in a highly secure ecosystem SuperNAP».



"The quality of the services provided at our so high that it has never been pritsindenta serious downtime for which compensation would have to make," - said Yong. "We have no plans to slow growth. Our main goal has always been to meet the rapidly growing demands of the market ».

Indeed, far from standing SuperNAP 8 teams of builders are already beginning to work on the construction of SuperNAP 9, which should be the largest among the existing projects Switch. Its total area should reach 55 thousand. Square meters, according to preliminary data, it must be commissioned in the first half of 2015.

Source: habrahabr.ru/company/ua-hosting/blog/227265/