Primer for what is and why modularity in Internet Data Center
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Modular data center market is expected to reach $40.41 billion by 2018, growing at 37.41% annually from 2013 to 2018. Modularity refers to an approach where data centers are designed and deployed using prefabricated modules and containers to provide scalable and flexible infrastructure. Key benefits of modular data centers include improved capacity planning, lower costs, easier relocation, and on-demand provisioning compared to traditional brick-and-mortar facilities. Modularity can apply to devices, subsystems, and how various components are linked together in a data center architecture.
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Market Forecast
According to a new market research report, "Modular Data Center Market (Micro Data Center, Data Center Retrofit; Datacenter Cooling Module; Power Module; Data Module; Generator Module]: Global Advancements, Market Forecasts and Analysis (2013 - 2018)", published by Markets&Markets, the Modular Data Centers Market is expected to reach $40.41 billion by 2018 at a CAGR of 37.41% from 2013 to 2018.
With the modular market developing in the industry, there has been some tremendous innovation and engineering design efforts put into solutions. The modular market is maturing with even more large enterprises actively deploying the modular data centre platform. To further illustrate the traction in the modular industry, a recent Uptime Institute 3 survey showed that 41% of their respondents are already considering modular, pre-fab data centers or their components.
A gradual growth is expected in the next two years as the market is nascent and there is a lack of understanding of the modular design of datacenters. Gradually as awareness of the customers starts to build, there will be a steep growth in the next 3 to 5 years.
Local Market
IDC growth in Turkey has been substantial in past years. Data center business is in growth stage in Turkey surpassing current worldwide trends. In years 2011-2012, in terms of datacenter infrastructure, compare to previous year growth was at 60% and investment was at 74% which placed Turkey as #1 in growth and #2 in terms of IDC investment globally. This also reflects the recent shift from desktop and notebook sales to consumer electronics products such as smartphones and tablets.
Turkish customerβs view of modular IDC although very high there is still specticism regarding its benefits due to lack of information or local testing availability. Benefits in all aspects needs to be demostrated in order to built necesary comfort among customers.
What is Modularity?
The definition of modularity remains vague, and presents data center operators with a confusing number of poorly defined terms like pods, containers, clusters, zones, rows, rooms and so forth.
The concept of a modular data center solution has eluded definition, if not comprehension. Through the short history of modular solutions and vendor marketing, a definition and categorization of solutions has emerged.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whatisandwhymodularityinidc-141209024828-conversion-gate01/85/Primer-for-what-is-and-why-modularity-in-Internet-Data-Center-4-320.jpg)
Primer for what is and why modularity in Internet Data Center
- 1. Modular IDC What is and Why Modularity in IDC? According to a new market research report, modular data center market is expected to reach $40.41 billion by 2018 at a CAGR of 37.41% from 2013 to 2018 2013 Mehmet Cetin Huawei 5/21/2013
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- 3. Page 3 of 8 Table of Contents Market Forecast ................................................................................................................ 4 Local Market ................................................................................................................... 4 What is Modularity? ...................................................................................................... 4 Why Modularity? ................................................................................................................ 5 Modularity in Data Centre .................................................................................... 6 Modular Deployment ................................................................................................. 7 Modular Consumption ............................................................................................... 7 Modular Finance ......................................................................................................... 7 References ............................................................................................................................ 8
- 4. Page 4 of 8 Market Forecast According to a new market research report, "Modular Data Center Market (Micro Data Center, Data Center Retrofit; Datacenter Cooling Module; Power Module; Data Module; Generator Module]: Global Advancements, Market Forecasts and Analysis (2013 - 2018)", published by Markets&Markets, the Modular Data Centers Market is expected to reach $40.41 billion by 2018 at a CAGR of 37.41% from 2013 to 2018. With the modular market developing in the industry, there has been some tremendous innovation and engineering design efforts put into solutions. The modular market is maturing with even more large enterprises actively deploying the modular data centre platform. To further illustrate the traction in the modular industry, a recent Uptime Institute 3 survey showed that 41% of their respondents are already considering modular, pre-fab data centers or their components. A gradual growth is expected in the next two years as the market is nascent and there is a lack of understanding of the modular design of datacenters. Gradually as awareness of the customers starts to build, there will be a steep growth in the next 3 to 5 years. Local Market IDC growth in Turkey has been substantial in past years. Data center business is in growth stage in Turkey surpassing current worldwide trends. In years 2011-2012, in terms of datacenter infrastructure, compare to previous year growth was at 60% and investment was at 74% which placed Turkey as #1 in growth and #2 in terms of IDC investment globally. This also reflects the recent shift from desktop and notebook sales to consumer electronics products such as smartphones and tablets. Turkish customerβs view of modular IDC although very high there is still specticism regarding its benefits due to lack of information or local testing availability. Benefits in all aspects needs to be demostrated in order to built necesary comfort among customers. What is Modularity? The definition of modularity remains vague, and presents data center operators with a confusing number of poorly defined terms like pods, containers, clusters, zones, rows, rooms and so forth. The concept of a modular data center solution has eluded definition, if not comprehension. Through the short history of modular solutions and vendor marketing, a definition and categorization of solutions has emerged.
- 5. Page 5 of 8 A modular data center can be defined as more of an approach to data center design that incorporates contained units, many times in the form of prefabricated modules. The modular market started with an international standard approach in the shape of an ISO (International Standards Organization) shipping container and has evolved to a fledgling market of vendors that produce everything from containers to a variety of modular designed products and solutions for IT, power and cooling. In short, modular data center is an approach to data center design that implies either a prefabricated data center module or a deployment method for delivering data center infrastructure in a modular, quick and flexible method. Why Modularity? Modular datacenters are an innovative design in the evolution of datacenters. Traditional datacenters lack granular capacity planning and phased scalability; it is also coupled with high cost and higher construction. Modular solutions address these challenges in a cost effective and greener way. The portability features enable the customers to easily relocate their datacenters as business needs changes. IT equipment has long seen a trend toward device modularity with respect to servers, storage devices, networking equipment and more. But now the modularity trend is extending to data center infrastructure, for systems such as computer room air conditioning (CRAC) systems and power distribution systems. We can define three types of modularity with respect to data center architecture: ο· Device modularity: devices that are made up of modular components ο· Subsystem modularity: a functional block made up of multiple devices or modules of the same type ο· Module linkage: relationships between modules of different subsystems, determining how redundancies, capacities, and densities are achieved and scaled over time The benefits of device modularity include serviceability, provisioning speed, capacity changes, acquisition lead time and the ability to more easily reconfigure systems. However, the use of modular devices by itself does not mean a data center has a modular architecture.
- 6. Page 6 of 8 The next step up, subsystem modularity, involves linking multiple devices into a single functional unit. Subsystem modularity is ubiquitous in larger data centers where subsystems like PDUs and CRAC units are almost always comprised of multiple units. And it doesnβt necessarily matter whether the individual components of a subsystem are modular devices; so long as a subsystem comprises multiple devices working as one, it is considered modular. Subsystem modularity delivers greater fault tolerance, to the extent the subsystem can survive the failure of one of the modules while still handling its load. Maintenance is also simplified when a module can be taken offline for testing or maintenance without disrupting the load. Subsystem modularity also simplifies logistics when modules are small enough to be moved via passenger elevators and through doorways. Here again, however, using modular subsystems does not necessarily mean you have a modular data center. For that, the design must specify how the different subsystems are deployed together. That gets into the third criteria for a modular data center: module linkage. A modular data center architecture must have some approach to group the subsystems so they can be deployed in a logical and coherent way. Module linkage defines how the different subsystems relate to each other. A simple example for module linkage could be the deployment of equipment racks and rack power strips. In this simple case a 1:1 deployment can be defined, i.e. one rack for every rack power strip. Further to this grouping; deployment of PDUs and racks, where defining a rule linking one PDU to every 20 racks. Going even further and defining i.e. one generator for every 500 racks, one CRAC for every 40 racks, and so forth. The rules relating these deployments are βlinkagesβ of the modularity of the different subsystems. These linkages may be as simple as rules of deployment, or they can be enforced by pre-engineered and pre-manufactured skids, containers or βkitsβ of deployment. Modularity in Data Centre The current definition of a modular data center evolved from that brief history of iterations that fall under the category of what consists of a modular solution. The idea of a modular data center is an aggregate term for the many facets that make up modular components and solutions. Some of the earliest mentions of modular solutions focused on mobility and the container.
- 7. Page 7 of 8 The primary confusion in terms stems from container versus modular. A data center container is a particular package that is engineered and delivered as such β in an ISO shipping container. A container is not the same thing as modular, but a container can be a part of a modular data center. A modular data center references a deployment method and engineered solution for assembling a data center out of modular components in, many times, pre-fabricated solutions that enable scalability and a rapid delivery schedule. Modular Deployment For IT this exists in PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) β combined with virtualization they package IT into deployable units and present what were disparate parts into a module. The only infrastructure that is deployed is what is needed. In the data center it is capacity management that benefits by having the ability to deploy a module of IT, power or cooling as a single unit of measure, instead of a large brick and mortar project. Modular Consumption For IT this exists in SaaS (Software as a Service), consuming the service only as needed. In the data center it is not having facility infrastructure that was over-provisioned and not needed. Data center capacity can be measured and consumed by power instead of space. Modular Finance For IT this is all of the βas a serviceβ approaches, paying only for what is used, instead of large, complex and expensive licensing agreements. In the data center it is the ability to match capital expenditures with IT forecasts and requirements.
- 8. Page 8 of 8 References 1. Market Forecasts and Analysis (2013 - 2018), published by Markets&Markets 2. Datacenter Dynamics DCD Census data (2011 β 2012) 3.