2021.09.10
How to keep your data center running through refurbishment
Since its inception, IT technology has developed at a rapid pace, and there’s no sign of that slowing down in the 21st century.
With the introduction of Cloud and Edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), demands on data centers are growing and changing all the time.
For data centers to increase efficiency and remain competitive they need to adapt. This often means partial or complete refurbishments which will deliver big benefits in the long-term. But downtime isn’t an option for any data center, so how can you keep your services running throughout these essential works?
Preparation and planning is key
Before you can precisely plan your refurbishment it’s important to understand all the reasons for your upgrade. This could be one or more of the following:
- Refreshing aging infrastructure nearing the end of its working life
- Installing new technologies to appeal to a wider customer base
- Increasing the amount of computing power to meet demand
- Implementing best practices to extend the operational life of the data center
- Improving power usage effectiveness (PUE) to reduce operational costs
- Improving resilience to minimize downtime and/or move to a higher tier of uptime guarantee
Once you know exactly what you want to achieve, you can draw up detailed designs of how you want your new, improved data center to look. Then you’ll have a clear picture of which systems will be offline and for how long and you can look for a suitable partner to support you throughout your project and help you avoid any downtime.
At Aggreko, we have the expertise to power you throughout, whether you’re planning a small server upgrade or the full refurbishment of a hyperscale data center. Here’s how we do it.
Mobile and modular power and cooling
We understand that your power and temperature control requirements will change during a project. That’s why we have modular solutions that can be quickly and easily increased or reduced as you need. Rather than simply calculating the maximum amount you need at the peak of your works, we’ll plan with you to only deploy what’s needed at each stage - no more and no less. If you have any unexpected issues, our massive fleet located across strategically positioned hubs means we can rapidly deploy additional power or cooling units at short notice. And we’ll always ensure a seamless migration off-line with no interruptions in supply at any point.
With decades of experience in supporting data centers, including providing all power until a grid connection is secured, Aggreko has the perfect solution no matter how large or small your requirements are.
Testing, testing, testing
A key part of any data center upgrade or refurbishment is commissioning and testing prior to going live. At Aggreko, we provide all the testing you need:
- Level 1: Factory acceptance testing - to ensure that the equipment is performing to the requirements of the data center and industry standards
- Level 2: Site acceptance inspection - to ensure that the equipment brought to the site meets the data center’s specifications before it enters the facility
- Level 3: Pre-functional testing - to ensure the equipment has been installed correctly and complies with industry requirements and regulations
- Level 4: Functional performance testing - to ensure the equipment is working as designed and that the fault systems are integrating correctly
- Level 5: Integrated systems testing - to ensure that all systems work together as designed
- Level 6: Go live post-commissioning - to ensure that once the new systems are operating live everything is working as expected
Project management
As well as having engineers with the highest levels of experience and qualifications, Aggreko also has exceptional project management capabilities. We’ll work with you to develop foolproof plans and monitor progress every step of the way through your data center refurbishment to make sure that everything runs smoothly and you don’t suffer any interruptions to your day-to-day operations.
If your data center is going to stay ahead of the curve and be as competitive as possible then regular upgrades and refurbishments need to be built into your long-term business plan. Let Aggreko take care of your power and these projects no longer need to be something to be feared but instead embraced as you look forward to the benefits they will bring.
Learn more about our solutions for data centers
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