Zoning for Efficiency

I put together this teaser video showing our approach to modeling highly efficient, highly dense data center zones (aka pods, clusters).  Simply defined, a data center zone is a physical construct that is built to support any number of logical dependencies or attributes.  For example, you might tell us you want 99.999% availability, 80% electrical efficiency, cooling burden of 1.2, FCoE, 75% IT asset utilization using Unified Computing and so on.  How we go about aligning these attributes/dependencies is critical to mitigate risk as well as ensuring high operative efficiency.

In my new role as principal energy solutions architect in our Data Center Advanced Services team I am using Google SketchUp extensively as a means of modeling new physical designs.  We do this not just for the IT infrastructure and racks but the full Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) designs that support IT.  All this infrastructure can also be tied into Cisco EnergyWise to provide common monitoring of energy use (phase 1 - today), control of IT assets (phase 2) and facilities infrastructure (phase 3).

I am hoping that our users will provide some feedback on…

1)  Is this an attractive approach (using web 2.0 geospatial modeling tools to convey design options)?
2)  Would you like to see us build actual management interfaces in the data center using this modeling approach?
3)  How do you align the various layers of infrastructure and applications today, what limitations are apparent?

We cover our Advanced Services methodology within the “implementation” section of the Efficiency Assurance Program.  We put these services together recognizing that the new energy management technologies we are developing are fairly disruptive.  Particularly to our core IT customers who may have only flirted with power and cooling design and management thus far.  These services allow you to “in-source” Cisco and partner skill set to establish a long term energy management strategy.

Let us know what you think?

Thanks.

PS - as an example of how powerful Web 2.0 tools are, I produced this entire video asset on my Mac using iMovie and Google SketchUP.  All at no more cost than the 1.5 hours it took me to mock it up.

Posted by Rob Aldrich at 10:25AM PST

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