IBM and Tulip Telecom have worked together to launch the first of 20 modular data center pods in a 100MW four tower building configuration. When you look at this building, it is actually 4 separate buildings connected with an atrium. One of the top questions that most of you will ask is what kind of power reliability can you get in India for 100MW load. Speaking to Mike Hogan, Global offering Executive IBM Site and Facilities Services, he shared that the site has two power feeds to the site, and 4 separate network taps, making the site an ideal opportunity for a data center.
The building above has a green hue to it, and it has green features.
The new highly efficient data center is designed to international green building standards and engineered with power, chillers, cooling, rack layout and uninterrupted power supply systems.
The expected PUE performance is about 1.6 -1.7. A lower PUE is challenging in the conditions in Bangalore, and given it is a hosting facility the equipment is not totally controlled by Tulip and IBM. There is cold aisle containment, raised inlet temperatures and raised chilled water temperatures as well. Given the cost of electricity and infrastructure challenges electricity is a resource that is used wisely. Note, this building is a true data center with the staff in the building there to support the IT operations. Call center operations are not in this building as the space and power were so valuable.
The media has latched on to air side economizers, but when you think of how to build a building in 5% increments of capacity (twenty 5 MW PODs), it can be much more difficult to expand capacity with air handlers vs. chilled water pipes. The rack density was designed to be in the 4 - 6 kW per rack density. For higher densities, chilled water can be brought direct to rack.
IBM's top design challenge was how to get the highest density of capacity in the footprint of the building, be cost effective, green, and efficient. The first of 20 PODs is ready for occupancy and the building is designed for continuous operation as additional diesel generators are installed, power and cooling infrastructure upgraded, and white space is finished. Going tall is one case where containers where not a viable option for modularity.
Here is an IBM video with Tulip executives discussing the data center.
The press release from IBM is here.
Tulip Telecom and IBM Build India’s Largest Data Center to Address Rapid Growth of Mobile Consumers in Emerging Markets
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Bangalore, India - 07 Feb 2012:
- 900,000 square foot facility uses advanced green design for maximum efficiency
- New IBM SmartCloud services allow Tulip to deliver Infrastructure, Storage and Platform-as-a-Service to customers
- Modular Data Center design and high reliability supports up to 100 megawatts of power
- Virtual tour takes you inside state-of-the-art facilityIBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has worked with Tulip Telecom Ltd. to design and help build the largest data center facility in India to deliver new cloud and networking services.
Below is a video of Mike presenting on Green Data Center and the cloud.