DataCenter.BZ. Background. Case Summary. & dark fiber solutions

Transcription

1 A Customer Success from the Experts in Business-Critical Continuity TM. DataCenter.BZ & dark fiber solutions Background Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, DataCenter.BZ provides enterprisegrade data center and telecom solutions including high-density co-location, cloud computing, metro-area dark fiber, managed hosting, hosted storage and related disaster recovery solutions to a variety of regional, national and international customers, including major telecommunications network carriers, government entities, healthcare systems and numerous Fortune 1000 companies. In an effort to keep up with rapid growth in demand for its premium data center services, the company expanded its 66,000-square-foot headquarters with the addition of a second carrier-neutral data center in When turning up more than 22,000 square feet of additional raised floor space to support its high-density IT and telecom operations (more than 32,000 square feet of 24-inch raised floor space in total), DataCenter.BZ relied upon Emerson Network Power to optimize its unique data center infrastructure for availability, efficiency and capacity. Case Summary DataCenter.BZ provides carrier-neutral, ultra-high power density data center and metro-area dark fiber solutions from its headquarters facility in Columbus, Ohio. As part of its high-availability solutions offering, DataCenter.BZ is backed by SAS70 Type II certification and operates pursuant to 2(N+1) availability standards, making the company s flagship carrierneutral data center the only of its kind in the state of Ohio. Location: Columbus, Ohio Products/Services: Room-based infrastructure design aligned with the SmartDesign approach, which simplifies data center design by applying power, cooling and monitoring technologies from Emerson Network Power to create an integrated, highly efficient room-based infrastructure. DataCenter.BZ s SmartDesign infrastructure includes: Liebert NX uninterruptible power supply (UPS) modules with Softscale technology Liebert CW precision cooling units with EC fans and VFD drives Liebert FPC power conditioning and distribution cabinets Liebert SiteScan monitoring software Critical Need: Support DataCenter.BZ s data center expansion with an ultra-high-density power and cooling infrastructure optimized for efficiency and flexibility without compromising its 2(N+1) high-availability operational commitment.

2 The Situation DataCenter.BZ provides enterprise-grade data center and telecom solutions to a variety of regional, national and international customers, including major telecommunications network carriers, government entities, healthcare systems and numerous Fortune 1000 companies. Results Substantial gains in power and cooling capacity enabled DataCenter.BZ to continue providing data center customers with 500 watts per square foot of power across a 32,000-square-foot raised floor along with ultra-high-density cabinet power deployments some up to 90 kw (50 kw in standard racks) Cooling infrastructure helped to achieve a facility-wide PUE of 1.25 or less Projected to achieve LEED Certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) 100 percent site availability since completion of initial carrier-neutral data center provisioning in (N+1) redundancy maintained on all critical power and cooling infrastructure Originally established in 1988 as a hub for telecommunications carriers throughout Central Ohio, DataCenter.BZ has been providing high-availability telecom and IT services to its customers for more than two decades. DataCenter.BZ also maintains one of Ohio s largest collections of carrier/municipal/private fiber networks on its property and serves as a critical point of interconnection among the carriers, dark fiber networks and last mile providers in Central Ohio. The company s regional, national and international customers which include numerous government entities, educational institutions, healthcare systems and Fortune 1000 companies and Tier 1 partners also leverage DataCenter.BZ s carrier access and connectivity solutions via the company s wholly-owned metro-area dark fiber network. Our market is fairly unique because our customer base is almost exclusively high-end, said Michael Scherer, director of business development for DataCenter.BZ. That means our approach has to be non-stop. We don t have scheduled maintenance that could cause an outage of any kind and any downtime, scheduled or unscheduled, is just unacceptable. Since 2007, the company has offered carrier-neutral, highdensity co-location solutions that leverage a completely new data center infrastructure and purpose-built, highly secure telecom facilities on its five-acre campus. Supported by SAS70 Type II-audited operations with 2(N+1) redundancy, the facility and its power, cooling, network and security infrastructures are specially designed to support a variety of enterprise-grade data center solutions, including high-density co-location, managed hosting, cloud computing, virtual data center, hosted storage and related disaster recovery solutions. To support these enterprise-grade solutions, DataCenter.BZ leverages ultra-high power and cooling densities providing customers with 500 watts per square foot across a 32,000-square foot raised floor and ultra-highdensity cabinet power deployments, some up to 90 kw (50 kw in standard racks). Such power densities enable the company to offer smaller footprint solutions, minimizing customers operating costs while maximizing facility economies of scale enjoyed by all customers.

3 this demand, the company expanded its headquarters by opening an additional carrier-neutral data center on its campus in 2011, making it the largest 2(N+1), carrierneutral data center facility in Ohio. A new IP core also was deployed in 2011 that leverages multiple Cisco 7609 and Nexus 7010 IP fabrics to enhance the availability of virtual services including Virtual Data Centers (vdcs), virtual machines, virtual firewalls and hosted SANs and hosted backups in turn driving additional demand for extremely reliable power and cooling resources. DataCenter.BZ s Liebert NX UPS modules operate at extremely high efficiencies, which are maintained even when operating at partial capacity due to integrated SoftScale technology. In recent years, the data center has essentially developed into a central office for the private, public and hybrid cloud community, with some virtual machines deployed here utilizing several petabytes of storage capacity, said Kim Gerhart, enterprise sales for DataCenter.BZ. While we have remained committed to providing carrier-neutral services to our strong telecommunications customer base, the demand for 24/7 cloud availability has made our highdensity, high-availability data center extremely attractive to our enterprise and government customers, including those leveraging us for large-scale enterprise private clouds or active/active business continuity deployments. To enhance these offerings, the company leverages many benefits intrinsic to its dedicated telecom campus, including world-class connectivity and abundant access to on-site redundant primary (diverse power grid feeds) and secondary power (multiple 2 MW generators). These unique attributes also allow DataCenter.BZ to implement an industry-leading high-density power and cooling infrastructure to fulfill the availability requirements of these mission-critical applications. As the company experienced rapid growth over time driven in large part by a surge in popularity for the data center applications it quickly began to exhaust the capacity of its existing space. In an effort to keep up with Now with more than 32,000 square feet of 24-inch raised floor space supporting the company s high-density, highavailability IT and telecom operations, fortifying the data center s infrastructure with power and cooling equipment optimized for the highest levels of reliability and scalability was imperative. However, the company s management actively involved in a variety of green initiatives throughout the community also recognized the importance of maintaining highly-efficient operating conditions in its highdensity virtualized environment. Virtualization of the server environment provides huge efficiencies, but also huge fluctuations in power demand, because while servers are active they re drawing a huge amount of power which also requires a huge amount of air conditioner load. Then, when they re inactive, the air conditioning requirement drops off just as quickly. In order to optimize energy efficiency, we needed an infrastructure that could dynamically react with pinpoint accuracy to changing virtualized server loads, said Gordon Scherer, president of DataCenter.BZ. Accordingly, DataCenter.BZ turned to Emerson Network Power to leverage the SmartDesign approach to optimize its unique data center infrastructure for availability, efficiency and capacity. The Solution To accommodate the unique needs of its data center and telecom customers, DataCenter.BZ relies on a redundant, concurrently maintainable data center infrastructure operating at ultra-high power and cooling densities generally not feasible in typical co-location facilities. Due to the company s unique location that also hosts both an extensive hub of telecom fiber networks from over twenty Tier 1 and other major network carriers as well as

4 To meet the data center s unique availability requirements, 2(N+1) redundancy was established across the data center s power, cooling, security and network infrastructure to eliminate single points of failure and to ensure all equipment is concurrently maintainable. However, in addition to meeting these stringent availability requirements, DataCenter. BZ s management team also recognizes the importance of maintaining a highly efficient operating environment to ensure the company s high-density, high-availability service offerings remain competitive from a cost perspective. The Liebert CW cooling equipment deployed in this facility intelligently adapts to DataCenter.BZ s rapidly changing needs without requiring compromises on availability or efficiency. multiple carrier operations housed within the same facility, DataCenter.BZ is afforded access to dual utility feeds capable of delivering up to 30 megawatts of total utility power to the facility s redundant utility busses. Backed by such a robust utility grid, the company can provide enterprise-grade, ultra-high-density data center solutions to its customers. Specifically, the company is able to deploy an average density of at least 500 watts per square foot of power across 32,000 square feet of raised floor, with an average rack density of 5-10 kw and high-density cabinet power deployments up to 90 kw (50 kw in standard rack deployments). As part of its high-availability solutions offering, DataCenter.BZ s data center operations are designed to meet or exceed all industry-recognized Tier IV data center standards. With the capability to achieve such high power densities throughout the facility, the company s management team and operations staff predominantly comprised of engineers understand the heightened risks and implications of a catastrophic downtime event. Therefore, in addition to supporting the facility with redundant back-up generators, extensive steps were taken to ensure that the data center s ultra-high-density IT deployments are backed by an equally robust data center infrastructure. To address this challenge, DataCenter.BZ fortified its infrastructure using the SmartDesign approach s room-based Liebert power, cooling and monitoring technologies. The company s management team found to be particularly wellsuited for providing the ample power and cooling capacity needed to accommodate dense IT equipment loads while remaining scalable and energy efficient. In light of the power densities being accommodated throughout the facility, DataCenter.BZ required a customized UPS deployment designed to provide ample power protection with the added benefits of scalability and highefficiency operation. With these requirements in mind, DataCenter.BZ deployed Liebert NX UPS solutions from Emerson Network Power. Because our customers require the highest possible levels of availability, UPS redundancy is required for both the A and B sides of the facility, said Paul Keinath, CFO and partner of DataCenter.BZ. We chose Liebert NX UPS solutions specifically for their reliability, but also for their unique high efficiency across a wide load range together with their scalability and modularity. Leveraging their high configurability, the company paralleled six 200 kva Liebert NX modules with a 1.2 megawatt paralleling switchboard in each of the facility s six newly commissioned NX UPS systems initially establishing more than seven megawatts of additional UPS backup. This unique configuration the only Liebert NX deployment of this size in North America provides true 2(N+1) UPS redundancy with the scalability required to meet the unique needs of its highdensity data center space. The Liebert NX systems deployed as part of this configuration operate at extremely high efficiencies, which are maintained even when operating at partial capacity thanks to integrated SoftScale technology up to 94 percent at partial load. In the data

5 Before deploying the Liebert NX series, final power delivery could be compromised by up to 20 percent relative to rated input power due to power factor and harmonics we have since driven such losses down to less than 2 percent, said Scherer. So, the high power factor efficiency of the Liebert NX was particularly attractive to us and ensures that we can capitalize on 99 percent of the UPS system s capacity in the form of usable power a significant benefit when considering the savings across the initial six paralleled systems. In addition, because the Liebert NX is transformer-free, DataCenter.BZ does not incur power losses at the UPS level a typical byproduct of transformer-based UPS systems. By conditioning power via TP1 transformers at the PDU level through the use of high-capacity, high-efficiency Liebert FPC power distribution cabinets, the company is able to farther increase the overall efficiency of the power infrastructure. The 50-ton Liebert CW units dynamically react to the changing loads, staying in the peak range of efficiency, and automatically adapt and cover cooling as a backup for the loss of any cooling capacity or cooling units. center environment, very few UPS units operate at 100 percent capacity for extended periods of time over the life of the equipment, said Gordon Scherer. This made choosing a UPS solution with high partial-load operating efficiency very important to us. The design avoids having stranded UPS capacity and supports a mix of 150 kw and 300 kw Liebert FPC power conditioning and distribution cabinets located close to the final load and direct 480 VAC loads, Scherer continued. By only dealing with three-wire 480 VAC until the FPC power centers are reached, power losses are greatly reduced increasing efficiency and the costs of panels, conduits and wiring is reduced while still delivering several megawatts of power. Specific design attributes also made the Liebert NX UPS attractive to DataCenter.BZ. In particular, the company appreciates the system s minimal distortion and harmonic interference (less than 3 percent) a critical benefit in a hightier data center as well as the system s self-maintenance features and high power factor efficiency (0.99 typical). The integration of a transformer in the power infrastructure can lead to losses in available power, typically around three to five percent, which can have a dramatic impact on efficiency when operating at high densities, said Michael Collins, professional engineer for DataCenter.BZ. Eliminating a transformer allows us to eliminate these potential losses and maximize the available UPS capacity being delivered to the customers, and the Liebert FPC transformers are 98.5 percent, or more, efficient across a 30 percent to a 100 percent load. In order to accommodate the fluctuating heat loads produced by the data center s high-density server racks, DataCenter.BZ needed to develop an ultra-dense cooling infrastructure. This comprises precision cooling solutions with enough capacity to accommodate the data center s peak loads, with redundancy, while remaining highly efficient when operating at partial load. This need was heightened due to the high volume of virtualized servers deployed in the facility, creating rapid fluctuations in heat densities on a regular basis. With this in mind, DataCenter.BZ chose to deploy Liebert CW data center cooling units. Because more than 80 percent of our facility contains virtualized servers and storage arrays, the need for an ultra-dense cooling infrastructure is even more critical, said Rachel Miller, director of marketing for DataCenter.BZ. The Liebert CW cooling equipment deployed in this facility is an ideal choice because it intelligently adapts to our rapidly changing needs without requiring us to make compromises on availability or efficiency.

6 availability of our high-density IT equipment. And the 50-ton units dynamically react to the changing loads, staying in the peak range of efficiency, and automatically adapt and cover cooling as a backup for the loss of any cooling capacity or cooling units. The adaptive cooling is really critical in a modern data center, said Gordon Scherer. Heat demands and the energy demands are shifting all over the data center based on the customer s virtualization and cloud demands. So as the customer s demands are changing, the data center is dynamically reacting in a micro-second to the power demand, the air conditioning demand, and the core is reacting to the IP demand. You re only delivering the resources as they re needed, where they re needed, and then as the load diminishes, the units are in turn reducing their power consumption. DataCenter.BZ also deployed several 90-ton high-efficiency heat recovery chillers integrated into and managed as part of the Emerson solution. With an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of 30:1, the company is effectively removing 30 tons of heat for every one ton of energy used by the chillers resulting in significant energy savings. The Liebert FPC power conditioning and distribution cabinets allow DataCenter.BZ to efficiently maximize the available UPS capacity delivered to its customers. By installing 50-ton Liebert CW precision cooling units on the perimeter of the data center s raised floor space, DataCenter.BZ was able to maximize the available space on its data center floor to accommodate additional customers. In addition to providing the company with enough capacity to cool even its highest density cabinets, the Liebert CW units are equipped with EC (electronically commutated) plug fans, variable frequency drives and intelligent controls. The Liebert CW s variable frequency drives enable us to achieve a truly intelligent cooling infrastructure, said Paul Keinath, CFO and partner of DataCenter.BZ. This gave us peace of mind, knowing that our cooling infrastructure is only utilizing as much capacity as needed during peak and non-peak hours, allowing us to make significant efficiency gains on the cooling side without compromising the These chillers, combined with geothermal heat pumps installed throughout the facility, enable DataCenter.BZ to gain more than 100 additional tons of free cooling. By deploying high-efficiency Liebert CW precision cooling units equipped with EC fans and VFD drive motors in concert with three separate cold water loops, high-efficiency chillers and geothermal heat pumps, the company employs a redundant high-density cooling infrastructure, with cooling systems accounting for less than 10 percent of the facility s total power draw on average. Finally, to enhance the facility s data center infrastructure management capabilities, DataCenter.BZ leverages Liebert SiteScan monitoring software. This allows DataCenter.BZ and its customers to monitor the data center s operational infrastructure down to the rack level in real-time, enabling data center staff to quickly identify and remedy any potential power or cooling issues throughout the data center before they result in any component downtime.

7 The Results By partnering with experts from Emerson Network Power, DataCenter.BZ has deployed a world-class high-availability data center supported by a robust infrastructure optimized for the organization s unique needs, including 2(N+1) redundancy, concurrently maintainable operations and providing for 500 watts per square foot of power along with ultra-high-density cabinet power deployments up to 90 kw (50 kw in standard racks). The choice of Emerson Network Power equipment was ideal for us because it caters specifically to the needs of our business in regard to density, availability, scalability and efficiency, said Michael Scherer. With the help of the SmartDesign approach, we have established a best-inclass data center infrastructure that is dynamic rather than static allowing us to rapidly address changing needs while maintaining the highest levels of efficiency and availability. Our goal has been to build and operate a world class, carrier-neutral data center in Ohio and we feel that Emerson has been instrumental in helping us achieve just that, Scherer continued. Further, the efficiencies gained through Emerson technologies enable us to remain very competitively-priced, resulting in great value and satisfaction for our customers. From an efficiency standpoint, the data center has achieved an estimated Power Usage Effectiveness rating of 1.25 or less and anticipates LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council shortly after the opening of its 22,000-square foot raised floor expansion. The cooling infrastructure in particular has been recognized for its extreme efficiency, including leveraging ultraefficient 50-ton Liebert CW precision cooling units with energy efficiency ratings (EER) of 76:1.Since completion of provisioning on the original data center in 2007, DataCenter.BZ also has maintained the highest possible levels of availability. The company has been able to deliver 100 percent site availability to its customers even as power densities and cooling requirements continue to rise due in large part to the robust power and cooling infrastructure supporting the facility. With our newly expanded data center facility, we are better positioned than ever before to deliver high-density, high-availability data center services previously unseen in the Central Ohio marketplace at an extremely competitive price point compared to the leading national providers, said Gordon Scherer. As the leading provider of power and cooling solutions for this facility, Emerson Network Power has been a valuable partner whose innovative technologies have enabled us to achieve the highest levels of availability, efficiency and flexibility and pass those benefits along to our global customer-base. For more information on Emerson Network Power and Liebert solutions, visit For more information about DataCenter.BZ s high-density co-location, virtual data center and dark fiber solutions, visit

8 Emerson Network Power. The global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity TM. AC Power Connectivity DC Power Embedded Computing Embedded Power Infrastructure Management & Monitoring Outside Plant Power Switching & Controls Precision Cooling EmersonNetworkPower.com Racks & Integrated Cabinets Services Surge Protection Emerson, Business-Critical Continuity and Emerson Network Power are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co. or one of its affiliated companies Emerson Electric Co. CH (01/12)