INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres
How to prepare your colocation
with open compute solutions
/////////////////////////////
available to remove the mystery.
OCP’s Data Center Facility Project
released guidelines to help colocation
operators and clients understand
OCP and ensure their facility can
support it. Here are some of the
basic concepts to be aware of when
installing open compute racks:
W
ith a 17% attendance increase
at the 2018 Open Compute
Summit last month, the
increasing market interest in all things open
compute came through loud and clear.
Previously, the unique and custom IT gear
shared via the Open Compute Project (OCP)
was only for hyperscale operators who
could buy massive quantities from Original
Design Manufacturers (ODMs) and rack
integrators, and have them installed into
specialised facilities.
Things are starting to change. Hyperscalers
are deploying within colocation facilities
across the globe and Open Compute
Project’s marketplace is making it easier
to purchase and deploy OCP IT gear.
Colocation providers looking to attract
business from hyperscalers increase their
chances of success by becoming Open
Compute-ready.
www.intelligentcio.com
Be recognised as an Open Compute-
ready colocation provider
As more companies deploy applications that
scale (AI, social media plug-ins or possibly
blockchain apps), colocation providers must
not only understand OCP IT gear, but also
be ready to support it; their customers will
expect it. Coming by the summer of 2018,
the Open Compute Foundation will be rolling
out an OCP Ready Facility Program, allowing
colocation companies to go through a review
and approval process. Differentiating them
as a leader in this trend and a company with
attention to quality and industry-standards.
Nuts and bolts of Open
Compute installation
While there still may be some confusion
around what Open Compute even is,
resources are becoming more and more
• Rack & roll: OCP racks arrive fully
populated and configured. They can
be heavy, with some topping out
over 1,500kg. This means having the
space to uncrate and the pathway
to move them into the white space
which is important. Static and
dynamic floor loading, elevator
capacity and height clearance all
need to be reviewed
• More power: power and cooling
requirements may be higher than
your typical IT rack. An average
configured rack can be over 8kW and
it is easy to stack them to 20kW. Power
to the rack should be 3-Phase and the
circuit type dependent on the Power
Supply Unit (PSU) inside the rack. Air
containment should be offered to make
cooling more predictable
• Batteries may be included: rack-based
lithium ion batteries are an option with
some PSUs, which provide UPS function
right inside the rack. These are not
commonly deployed outside of dedicated
hyperscale data centres, but having the
option and pricing for non-UPS power
feeds give customers choice
• Over the top: OCP racks usually receive
their power in the back and networking
in the front, both from overhead.
Having cable trays and crossovers
to accommodate this will speed
installations. Free-standing POD frames,
like HyperPod, facilitate the installation of
fully configured racks. n
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