30 01732 759725 DATA CENTRES Future-proof data centre for viral research The Pirbright Institute’s new data centre will enable its scientists to leverage advances in computing to speed up vital research into viruses that spread from animals to humans The Pirbright Institute, a centre of excellence for research into virus diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans, has deployed a new modular data centre to help it fast track scientific and viral research programmes and stay abreast of technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). The containerised data centre (CDC) solution was designed by Advanced Power Technology (APT) using components from Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Data Centers portfolio. These include the EcoStruxure Row Data Center solution, APC NetShelter racks, InRow cooling, Symmetra UPSs and APC NetBotz environmental monitoring. APC, an EcoXpert Partner and former Elite Data Centre Partner to Schneider Electric, has established a reputation as an independent supplier of energy efficient, critical power and cooling systems, and as a specialist in the design, build and maintenance of data centres, server rooms and comms rooms. After identifying a need to modernise its legacy IT and comms rooms, The Pirbright Institute, one of the UK’s leading virus diagnostics and surveillance centres, approached APT for help in designing a new data centre to provide storage for the massive amounts of data generated by its researchers, the processing power to analyse and turn it into actionable intelligence and the capacity to leverage advances in HPC, AI and GPU-powered computing. Due to the critical nature of its work, the data centre needed to be: n scalable, resilient, flexible and energy‑efficient; n offer the highest levels of availability and continuity; n support new levels of scientific collaboration; n adhere to strict data sovereignty, storage, resiliency and security standards; and n support future technological requirements for HPC and AI. To ensure continuity of service during any future modernisation project, the Institute began to explore the option of deploying its data centre away from its existing buildings. Containerised Data Centre Solution APT quickly identified a need for what became known as the CDC – the Institute’s new Containerised Data Centre. Using components from Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Data Centres portfolio (see above), it pre-configured its design and pre-tested the solution off-site for faster deployment. The project was delivered in three phases and within a strict timeline of 12 weeks to minimise any impact on the Institute’s business and critical applications: n Phase 1 – site preparation and connection of utilities, with new foundations laid for the data centre modules; n Phase 2 – data centre build, pre‑configuration and pre-integration off-site, along with the migration of any existing applications and IT systems being retained by the Institute; and n Phase 3 – deployment, with the containerised modules delivered to site via low-loader and craned into position in June 2023. The tailor-made data centre solution, completed by the end of July 2023 and commissioned ahead of schedule, delivers 80kW of scalable, optimised and future-proofed capacity in an N+1 configuration to increase the resiliency and availability of the Institute’s critical infrastructure systems. The design has enabled Pirbright to extend the life cycle of the data centre, delivering a 50-year life span, with heavy‑duty enclosures utilised outside the facility to prevent physical intrusion. Secure, Sustainable, Scalable John Thompson, Managing Director of APT, says that as well as meeting Pirbright’s requirement for fast deployment, increased security, availability and efficiency, the solution delivered by APT is futureproofed for new evolutions in high-tech research equipment such as sequencers Tim Haywood John Thompson
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