IBM Global Technology Services Thought Leadership White Paper

December 2010

Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it
Quickly enabling a exible, physically secure, environmentally isolated, containerized data center

Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it

Executive summary
In a global economy, organizations may nd that they need extra data center capacity installed just outside an existing building or halfway around the globe in a remote locationto support new and changing business and IT demands. There may be a need for a quick-to-deploy data center solution or the need to bring data center functions closer to customers, manufacturing sites or remote operations to support growth or high-density computing needs. To meet exible and short-term needsor to provide temporary relief while waiting the 18 to 24 months required to build a traditional data centermany organizations are considering and deploying containerized data centers. A data center infrastructure delivered in a container can provide all of the operational features of a fully functional data center. The IBM IT Facilities Assessment, Design and Construction Servicesportable modular data center is a containerized data center that meets these objectives with an open IT architecture and design to support continuous operations, exibility and quick deployment. This paper will share IBMs recommendations for considering a containerized data center solution to support multiple vendor technologies while sharing the benets of the IBM solution which can include the entire data center infrastructure and can be deployed in as little as 12 to 14 weeks.

that thoughtful consideration early in your data center planning can help you achieve optimal results and avoid wasted capital expense. Having a clear understanding of your expected results will help determine the type of data center that is the best solution for your needs. A modular data center housed in a container is the best t for one or more of the following scenarios:

Remote data center: You have a need for capacity installed and operated somewhere else in the world and not at your existing data center. Temporary data center: Your organization needs a solution to bridge the gap while you build a traditional brick and mortar solution, which can take 18 to 24 months. Mobile data center: Your users are on the move and need a solution that can move with them or you need a mobile solution for disaster recovery or avoidance. Data center expansion: Your traditional data center is short on space, power or cooling and you need additional capacity located close to your existing facilities or in a remote location. Cloud computing: You need a high-density or cloud computing solution ready to deploy and operate quickly.

Design according to your intended use

In the evaluation stage of your decision, the best approach is to rst identify your intended use and need for a data center solution, whether containerized, modular or traditional. In our discussions with thousands of organizations, it has become clear

The following table expands on the points listed above and details different requirements for a containerized solution like the portable modular data center from IBM and reasons an organization might consider their application.

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Requirement
Remote data center

Why you might consider a portable modular data center for this requirement

Location limits your ability to build a data center Emerging market locations with limited critical data center design and build skills Space challenges Alternative to collocation which may not always meet your specic needs Remote locations may enable you to take advantage of low energy costs Point-of-use support for remote users such as oil and gas exploration, cell tower installations, communications, military, remote sales or manufacturing operations, disaster recovery operations and other remote needs Address increased data processing needs during construction Disaster recovery and avoidance Business cycle coverage Military needs Sporting events Movie production Disaster avoidance and recovery Multilocation support Redeployment capabilities Address space concerns, add data center space without major construction High-density cooling solutions to compliment existing low-density data centers Collocation alternative to meet your specic needs and keep control of your data center space and operations Low-cost real estate and can result in tax and depreciation advantages Quick to deploy solution, install a complete data center in as little as 12-14 weeks Consolidation and rationalization High performance computing applications, public and private cloud environments Point-of-use locations, install and operate anywhere Locate in low-cost areas for lower total cost of ownership (TCO) Specialized needs

Temporary data center

Mobile data center

Data center expansion

Cloud computing

Focus on the right criteria for your evaluation

Many vendors focus primarily on how much IT equipment and maximum power density can be handled within a container solution. While IT capacity planning is always required for new data centers, our experience shows that traditional data center operational considerations remain the more critical evaluation criteria for all data centers including containers. As with all types of data centers, containers have to provide availability for continuous operations, exibility of design and implementation and quick deployment capabilities.

Planning for continuous IT operations

Increasing demand for continuous application availability, decreasing tolerance for downtime and shrinking application outage windows are drivers that make availability a priority consideration for any type of data center solution. You need to plan for any exposures that could lead to downtime or business disruption. While ISO containers are designed and built for constant outdoor weather exposure, when used inside a building or a protective structure they are primarily serving as an alternative solution for hot or cold air containment systems and should be evaluated against other containment solutions.

Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it

Physically secure environment

Internal service and maintenance without disruption

To take advantage of the true container capabilities and exibility, we have found the majority of organizations plan to use their data centers in outdoor environments rather than within the connes of a warehouse or other building structure. Typically, warehouses and other building structures offer protection from rain and snow but are not environmentally (i.e., temperature and humidity) controlled, which means the container needs to provide protection for the IT environment from uncontrolled temperatures, excessive humidity and other climate conditions that are challenging for data center installation and operation. The portable modular data center from IBM is suitable for installation and operation in almost any location and environment, from dry, hot deserts to moist, cold regions. Each container is fully insulated and sealed, providing continuous operations in any weather conditions. The container insulation protects the data center from external temperatures, humidity, smoke, dust and re, as well as radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Also, each access door is triple sealed against water, re and smoke to further protect the data center operating environment. There is no need to use a protective covering or building when the container solution is properly designed. This avoids costly construction costs, construction time and potential delays, as well as the cost and time needed to obtain permits. A container solution can also help limit real estate taxes and ongoing building maintenance. In addition to this requirement of environmental isolation, every data center needs to be secureregardless of location. Every container door requires access control to limit accessibility only to those who are authorized. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras should be installed at every access door as well as inside the containers to remotely monitor who gains access and what happens within the container. The portable modular data center from IBM provides both access control and CCTV monitoring on every container.

To support your need for continuous IT operations while performing service or maintenance of IT equipment, our container solution helps ensure that there are no adverse effects to the data center environment or service and operation limitations. Our environment makes it easy for your staff to move or install equipment, make network connections and install cabling for a smoother deployment and operation of your IT solution. For example, we use an IT rack rail system with complete front and rear IT rack access inside the closed, secure container to provide easy access to all IT equipment as well as all power and network connections and distribution.
Integrated IT and data center infrastructure with high availability and monitoring

A container solution with an integrated and comprehensive IT and data center infrastructure with environmental monitoring can help ensure availability of your operations. The ability to monitor your data center environment remotely can help you identify and address any potential threats to availability or other issues before they have an operational impact. Consider the impact if a component, such as a cooling unit or a UPS module, should fail. Data center infrastructure redundancy provides backup capabilities and also helps eliminate downtime related to equipment failures and service. The portable modular data center solution provides redundancy options for all subsystems, allowing for continuous operations and concurrent maintenance. Each component can be designed to provide redundancy of N+1, 2N, or 2(N+1) as required to meet your availability requirements.

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Designing for exibility to meet your specic requirements

No two data centers are exactly the same. Thats why exibility is critical to any data center design, including your containerized implementation. Building exibility into your design can help you meet current IT and data center needs with the scalability to meet future demands.
Complete data center infrastructure

When IBM delivers a portable modular data center, we design, build and test the total solution as one comprehensive integrated system with virtually all the IT and physical infrastructure components you need. We can design your container to include chillers, condensers, UPS systems, and re and monitoring systems. Or, if you do not need a complete infrastructure, we can adjust the solution to meet your specic subset of IT or physical infrastructure requirements. Whether you want a self-sufficient solution or want to augment your existing data center, we can address the full range of your requirements by incorporating industry-leading infrastructure equipment from IBMs ecosystem of leading infrastructure equipment providers around the globe. IBM has designed single and multiple container solutions that incorporate key data center featuresand we have done so in a way that gives you the exibility to alter the container designs to meet your specic needs.

Building a modular container data center park A data center development company required the ability to provide on-demand data center capacity to meet the needs of their collocation clients. With clients that have varying capacity, redundancy, conguration and security needs, a single data center solution would not meet the unique needs of each client and the typical collocation space would not t this new business model. This company also required the ability to defer capital and operating costs until the business could generate the need for more data center space while maintaining the ability to provide exible facilities to their clients. To meet these needs and obtain a exible and cost-efficient solution, this company turned to IBM and the portable modular data center solution. IBM delivered a exible and scalable design to meet the companys multiple needs with a fully tested, ready-to-run and quick-to-deploy solution that can be integrated into the existing support infrastructure. With the exibility of the solution, any additional containers can be designed differently to meet the specic needs of other collocation clients. The solution provides an open IT architecture to support varying IT equipment and varying levels of redundancy (N, N+1, 2N and 2(N+1)) at the same site to help ensure continuous operations. With this solution, the company can quickly respond to new client needs with the ability to plug into existing power, cooling and connectivity at the installation site, as well as provide the data center capacity needed with individually secure areas. In addition, the company was able to defer capital and operating costs of data center space until needed.

Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it

Single container solution

Multicontainer solution

IT Container

All-in-One Design (example layout)

Infrastructure Container Multicontainer Design (example layout)

Single unit data center solution.

Multiple unit data center solution.

All-in-one design IT equipment and infrastructure in a single container A complete data center solution, including the IT racks and necessary infrastructure equipment Use when space for containers or IT equipment needs are limited Lower-cost, compact solution

Multicontainer design IT and infrastructure equipment in separate containers Use for maximized IT equipment installations IT equipment container (server container) IT equipment, cooling, power distribution, re suppression, remote monitoring and physical security in one container Supported by physical infrastructure container or existing building services Physical infrastructure container (services container) UPS and batteries, electrical switchboard, chiller, re detection and suppression, cooling and monitoring Designed to support IT equipment container or traditional data center environment

Open architecture to support any manufactures IT racks

Installation exibility for any environment

Almost every data center will include a mix of IT equipment from a variety of manufacturers, making the ability to support an open architecture a key evaluation criteria. IBM support includes standard, full-sized IT equipment racks to support installation of any rack-mounted IT equipment, as well as unique format racks such as the IBM iDataPlex and some nonrack-mounted equipment. This capability provides a data center environment with optimal conguration exibility. Our portable modular data center also supports any network solution, including both copper and ber cabling systems, to help ensure your container data center can support any vendors technology.

As you consider the placement of your container solutions, look for installation exibility in any environment. For instance, the unique environmental isolation systems in our portable modular data center support continuous operation in any environment, further eliminating the need for protective coverings or buildings. With IBMs solution, various cooling systems and cooling units can be employed in the container solution to meet your specic needs. We help you evaluate multiple cooling systems, including DX, chilled water or natural free air cooling systems, to work within your environment and to provide an efficient and effective solution.

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If your container will be housed in an earthquake-prone area, including seismic isolation systems is critical for your solution. We can provide seismic isolation at either the container or rack level. IBMs solution includes options for both of these capabilities, enabling worry-free installation.
Deploying a quick, turnkey data center solution

Traditional approaches to data center design and construction can take 18 to 24 monthsor longerto complete. If you need data center capacity in less time, a containerized solution can be designed, built and deployed in typically 12 to 14 weeks instead of many months or years, and without the complexity of a major construction project or building retrot. Tightly controlled construction When making your selection of containerized data centers, insist on tightly controlled manufacturing facilities to help ensure high-quality, on-time solutions. Your portable modular data center from IBM is built in one of three global manufacturing facilities to ensure local electrical and safety code requirements are addressed for your installation location. We follow prescribed, repeatable and tightly monitored processes and make use of fully trained and experienced personnel. When your containerized data center is built in a controlled factory environment and fully tested prior to being shipped to the installation location, you can be condent you will receive a fully operational data center ready to plug in and operate. You can request witness testing of the solution or monitor construction to ensure the highest quality solution. And because it arrives as a fully integrated and complete solution, you will avoid potential construction, weather, material, labor and inspection delays keeping your project on time and within budget.

Addressing the challenges of a hazardous location A large industrial company in Europe needed to protect its IT operations from long-term interruptions because of their location in an earthquake-prone area. The company needed a data center solution that could protect their investment and resources in the event of severe environmental conditions. Having suffered from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake and the need to evacuate with no ability to operate their data center, the company needed a solution that could help them through a similar situation in the future. IBM helped this company implement a portable modular data center solution that could be relocated if ever needed to a safer environment and operated from this remote location. The IT vendor-neutral, high-density computer-processing solution supports any rack-mount technology and includes UPS, air conditioning units, re detection and gas extinguishing systems. An access control system helps secure the container while a CCTV camera provides continual monitoring of the environment.

Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it

Select a data center partner for a successful deployment

Planning a data center from concept to implementation can be a challenging task. Just as changes have occurred in home construction that incorporates new products and construction techniques, the same has happened with data center design. There are many new approaches and products to help your data center infrastructure be responsive to change, including containerized data centers. Many organizations have not designed or built a data center in the past 10 to 20 years and may lack the expertise required to manage the IT and facilities planning and integration with in-house resources. Designing and implementing a containerized data center solution requires many skills to provide a comprehensive solution, including those of data center and information technology experts, architecture and engineering partners, data center and IT equipment vendors, mechanical and electrical contractors, utility providers, and other services. The need for a broad spectrum of skills is a primary reason why one out of three organizations will look to work with a partner for data center design and build. With over 450 global implementations of custom and standardized modular data center implementations in the past three years alone, IBM has the experience to be your trusted data center advisor. We know that not all data centers are the same and that all organizations may not have the same availability and capacity requirements. Our objective is to provide a solution that meets your specic business needs at a reasonable price while keeping future exibility in mind. Our data center specialists will work with you to understand your business, technical and nancial objectives and translate them into a turnkey scalable, modular data center solution.

Providing a exible, cost-effective data center Faced with an unexpected increase in demand, a company from Australia needed additional data center capacity immediately. However, the company was unable to secure more data center space and collocation space did not meet its needs. To make matters worse, the company faced tight implementation deadlines. IBM helped implement a portable modular data center which included an open IT architecture solution to support the companys IT equipment. IBM designed, built, tested and delivered the complete solution, including IT and physical data center infrastructure containers with UPS, batteries, chiller, rear door heat exchanger cooling units, security systems, power distribution, re systems, engine generator, switchgear and fuel tanks. Within eight weeks, the company was able to address its IT needsmuch faster than possible through other methods while allowing for future disaster recovery operations.

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IBMs life-cycle approach to delivering a portable, modular data center solution helps ensure your active involvement in the decision making process while leveraging our knowledge. IBM can augment your in-house resources for a quick and cost-effective implementation, working with your IT staff and coordinating specialists across your IT infrastructure and facilities. IBM provides the end-to-end project management expertise while working with you to help ensure that your business, technical and nancial goals are met. We gather your data center requirements; plan and design the data center solution; build, test and turn it over to you. We can also cost-effectively relocate your old server room to the new data center.

Leverage comprehensive data center capabilities from IBM

With IBMs depth of experience in designing, installing and building customized and standardized data centers, we can help design a data center tailored to meet your specic needsin sizes ranging from small and compact to as large as you need to grow. IBM IT Facilities Assessment, Design and Construction Servicesportable modular data center is part of the IBM Data Center Family of solutions and provides comprehensive design and build services combined with a standardized, modular approach to enable faster time to deployment.
Delivery of portable modular data center from IBM

Why IBM?
IBM currently manages more than eight million square feet in 400 IBM global data centers. Our structured methodology, intellectual capital and global reach enable us to deliver robust and comprehensive data center solutions to your organization. Combined with our strong ecosystem of data center technology partners, including strategic relationships with industry-leading power and cooling equipment vendors, IBM offers exceptional insight into industry trends and evolving data center energy and technology needshelping us to deliver a comprehensive, robust data center solution that aligns with and empowers you to achieve your business objectives.

10 Portable modular data centersadd capacity where and when you need it

Portable modular data center specications

Container sizes 20' (6.1 m) L 8' (2.4 m) W 9.5' (2.9 m) H 40' (12.2 m) L 8' (2.4 m) W 9.5' (2.9 m) H 53' (16.2 m) L 8' (2.4 m) W 9.5' (2.9 m) H Fully insulated and sealed containers providing protection from: External temperature and humidity Fire, smoke and dust Water Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) R34 equivalent insulation Tested to 1600 F/871 C

Container insulation

Operating temperature range Container security

-50 F - +150 F/-46 C - +66 C Access-control security systems (Magnetic strip reader, biometric scanner or numeric keypad) CCTV cameras internal (Standard) and external (Optional) Up to 750 kW per 53' (16.15 m) container Up to 600 kW per 40' (12.2 m) container Up to 300 kW per 20' (6.1 m) container Up to 30+kW/rack UPS Systems with batteries, N, N+1, 2N and 2(N+1) congurations Modular systems for N, N+1 and 2N congurations

Container power density

IT rack power density Power protection Chilled water unit Cooling options (chilled water)

IBM rear-door heat exchanger Overhead fan coil units In-row cooling Overhead fan coil units In-row cooling Up to 400 kW per natural free cooling unit Complete isolation between internal and external air Horizontal and vertical congurations

Cooling options direct expansion (DX) Cooling options natural free cooling

Power usage effectiveness (PUE) IT equipment access

1.30typical, including complete infrastructure and as low as 1.07 with natural free cooling (environment dependant) Complete IT equipment access for service and maintenance from within a physically secure and environmentally isolated container. No exposure to the outside environment, helping to eliminate operational interruptions.

Notes

For more information

To learn more about the IBM IT Facilities Assessment, Design and Construction Services portable modular data center, please contact your IBM marketing representative, or visit the following website: ibm.com/services/siteandfacilities
Copyright IBM Corporation 2010

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