While there are multiple consolidation options to consider, upgrading an existing data center has a significantly lower capital investment, requires no new real estate acquisition, can be phased to match IT refresh cycles and IT virtualization, and can be done while the data center is live. This session explores these considerations which are particularly important in the Federal space as well as a high density POD overlay discussion and approaches to reducing PUE.

1. 1
Improving Your PUE While Consolidating Into
An Existing Live Data Center
Jay Owen
VP, IT Federal Solutions
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2. 2
Objectives
Upon Completion of this course, you will be able to
● Identify the percentage of commercial data center operators that plan to
use co-location or cloud to meet future data center requirements
● Identify three reasons why a new data center is built
● Identify three reasons why an existing data center is upgraded
● Identify four consolidation options
● Identify the typical range of IT cabinets in a pod
● Identify attributes of a high-density pod
● Typical PUE
● Rack densities
● Raised floor requirements
● Options
● Benefits

3. 3
Consolidation options
●Move IT to the cloud
●Move IT to Co-Location
●Build new larger data centers and consolidate
into them
●Upgrade selected existing data centers and
consolidate into them
What are commercial customers doing, and why?

4. 4
Moving IT to cloud or co-location
● Only 50% of commercial data center operators plan to use co-
location or cloud to meet future data center requirements*
(remainder to be met with in-house data centers)
● Rarely is an entire data center moved to cloud or co-location
● Moves to cloud or co-location often free up capacity across
existing data centers, increasing the need to consolidate
● Uncertainty regarding use of cloud increases the risk of building
new data centers
*Survey by 451 group, presented at the Uptime Symposium, May 2012
Moves to cloud and co-location do not decrease the need to
consolidate, but actually increase this need

5. 5
Typical concept: Build new data center
and consolidate into it
● When the goal is to consolidate a large number of data centers
into a single very large data center (~20 MW)
● A large capital project is feasible (~$400 M)
● High rate of IT growth is anticipated
● When the stock of existing data centers is considered hopelessly
ineffective (space, energy efficiency, power density)
● When there is a commonality of IT functions across the data
centers
● When the consolidation can be forced top-down in the organization
● When harmonized standards can be imposed across all of the IT
systems

6. 6
New concept: Upgrade selected existing
data centers and consolidate into them
● Appropriate when consolidating 2-5 data centers into one
● When some of the existing IT is moving to the cloud or co-location
● Much lower capital investment
● No new real estate acquisition
● Consolidation projects are not organization-wide but are operated
within independent departments
● Can be phased to match IT refreshes
● Can be done while receiving data center is live

7. 7
Example of a High Density Pod
Two Pod installation at US Army Fort Bliss

8. 8
The High-Density Pod Overlay Method
● Method for upgrading existing data centers
● Self-contained “Pods” of data center infrastructure are placed in
existing data center space
● Pod size typically 10-20 cabinets
● Typically includes integrated air conditioning and power distribution
● Optionally contains integrated UPS
● Pods operate with superior performance
● Much higher energy efficiency (typical PUE less than 1.4)
● Much higher power density (up to 20 KW per cabinet)
● Pod does not need to rely on existing infrastructure
● Does not require raised floor
● Does not require air supply

9. 9
Example of a Consolidation Project Using Pods
presented by SUN at data center dynamics, July 2008

10. 10
Clear out a corner of the data center to
get started

11. 11
Consolidation of a typical portfolio
Spec
Data
Center
A
Data
Center
B
Data
Center
C
Starting
Total
Rated KW 500 KW 700 KW 250 KW 1450 KW
Actual KW 260 KW 220 KW 160 KW 640 KW
% KW
Utilized
52% 31% 64% 44%
Ave KW
per
cabinet
3.0 KW 3.4 KW 3.5 KW 3.3 KW
PUE 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2
Square
Feet
8,300 7,800 4,200 20,300
% Space
Utilized
29% 23% 31% 27%
Annual
Energy $
$600,000 $510,000 $350,000 $1,460,000

12. 12
Assumptions
● Data Center B chosen as receiving data center
● Assume none of the current load will go to the cloud or be reduced
by virtualization
● At final condition Data Center B has been converted to Pods over
time

13. 13
Consolidation of a typical portfolio
Spec
Data
Center
A
Data
Center
B
Data
Center
C
Starting
Total
Final
Total
Rated KW 500 KW 700 KW 250 KW 1450 KW 700 KW
Actual KW 260 KW 640 KW 160 KW 640 KW 640 KW
% KW
Utilized
52% 91% 64% 44% 91%
Ave KW
per
cabinet
3.0 KW 6.0 KW 3.5 KW 3.3 KW 6.0 KW
PUE 2.2 1.6 2.1 2.2 1.6
Square
Feet
8,300 7,800 4,200 20,300 7,800
% Space
Utilized
29% 38% 31% 27% 38%
Annual
Energy $
$600,000 $1,075,000 $350,000 $1,460,000 $1,075,000

14. 14
Results of the example
● Energy use reduced 26%, even though the IT load stayed constant
● The receiving data center has only 38% space utilization after
consolidation! (space compaction due to increased density)
● 60% of the original data center space was freed up for other
purposes!
● The target receiving data center was NOT the one with the most
square feet or the best PUE
These are typical results we see in commercial installations

15. 15
PUE contribution of cooling losses:
Traditional vs. superior data centre
1.9
0.1
0.03
0.08
0.03
0.04
0.17
0.07
0.06 1.32
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2

16. 16
PUE contribution of cooling losses:
Traditional vs. superior data centre
1.9
0.1
0.03
0.08
0.03
0.04
0.17
0.07
0.06 1.32
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2
Traditional
raised-floor cooling is
responsible for most of
the energy inefficiency
High Density Pods eliminate most of the inefficiency of a
traditional data center

17. 17
Capacity extension of maxed out data centers
Power and cooling facility
modules are added to
expand power capacity
Modular IT space is added
along with power and
cooling modules
1
2
Power, cooling, and space can be added to live data centers
in the future

18. 18
Retrofitting a live data center requires
special skills

19. 19
Conclusions
● Moving IT to the cloud or co-location increases
the need to consolidate internal data centers
● You don’t need to build new data centers to be
receiving data centers
● It is common in industry to consolidate a
number of data centers into an existing live
data center
● The High Density Pod Overlay Method is a
very effective technique for upgrading data
centers as part of a consolidation project

20. 20
Resources
Containerized Power and Cooling Modules for Data
Centers
Schneider Electric White Paper 163
Deploying High-Density Pods in a Low Density Data Center
Schneider Electric White Paper 134
Preparing the Physical Infrastructure of Receiving Data
Centers for Consolidation
Schneider Electric White Paper 175
Determining the Power, Cooling, and Space Capacities when
Consolidating Data Centers
Schneider Electric White Paper 177
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Whitepapers.apc.com
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