container data processing centers (CDCs)
Greetings to all! I am Gennady Guzhov, a student at the Higher School of Economics and a product manager at Soldvig, a company specializing in container data centers. In this article, I will talk about container data centers: what they are, what they consist of, and what benefits they offer. We'll explore key aspects that help you understand why this infrastructure is becoming an important part of modern business. Stay up to date with the latest trends and technology developments – your knowledge is your power!
Let's start with the basics: what is a data center?
Imagine a huge metropolis of information, where every byte of data is a resident, every server is a building, and the epicenter (that is, the city) of our entire information ecosystem is data center. It is the living heart of business, the place where data is merged and processed, powering the lifeblood of companies online. A data center is not just a city, but an entire strategic point of control and management, where every bit has its own meaning, and every operation has its own goal.
Every day, the amount of data created in the world is growing exponentially. Just imagine that every day more than 336 billion gigabytes information, and per year the data growth is – thirty%. This amount of data is equivalent to filling 82 million 4TB hard drives every day. To store and process such a huge volume of data, effective solutions are needed, and one of them is container data centers, which have the advantage, in contrast to the capital construction of a data center, of increasing capacity gradually and on demand, modularly and in any place where needed quick access to data.
In 2006, the world first heard about modular data centers (MDCs), when Sun Microsystems announced its project called Project Blackbox, it was executed from an ordinary shipping container with systems engineers. As a result, the project became a real breakthrough in the world of information technology, presenting a unique solution for storing and processing data. The data center is used not only to provide standard business needs, such as hosting websites, databases, CRM and accounting programs, as well as for the needs of developers and hosting mobile applications, but also for other purposes. For example, mobile data centers can be used for cryptocurrency mining. One of the main advantages of data centers is their mobility and scalability – they can be placed almost anywhere without prior preparation and as computing power increases. This is especially important for miners who need to locate their devices where electricity is cheap and there is no need for capital expenditure.
What are the main advantages of a data center over a standard data center?
Flexibility and scalability: Data centers allow you to increase capacity gradually and on demand, which ensures easy adaptation to changing business needs. Unlike standard data centers, which require capital construction and multi-stage processes, data centers provide pre-designed standard solutions with flexible scalability. The need for additional capacity is easily resolved by adding modules rather than starting from scratch. This makes choosing a data center more attractive and convenient for business.
Low time and financial costs: this advantage follows from the first. The overall reduction in capital costs when using data centers instead of stationary data centers can reach up to 67%, thanks to pre-optimization of systems and infrastructure by manufacturers.
Quick commissioning: On average, data centers at the customer’s premises are ready for operation within 2-5 months from the date of concluding an agreement with the manufacturer. The timing depends on the workload of production, and not on waiting for permits from government agencies and the design of all systems from the beginning. Fast implementation and minimization of downtime is what helps customers quickly start using their capacity.
Mobility: The data center can be located almost anywhere with minimal requirements for site preparation and network connection. This is especially important for situations where quick access to data in remote or temporary locations is required.
Energy efficiency and environmental friendliness: Data centers are highly energy efficient thanks to the use of advanced cooling and energy management technologies. This reduces energy costs and improves environmental sustainability. Parameter PUE is reduced to 1.6 and less due to additional water and natural cooling.
High reliability: A data center is typically equipped with redundant power, cooling and monitoring systems to ensure uninterrupted operation and data protection.
Ease of maintenance: The data center is equipped with all engineering systems and sensors, which allow the administrator-engineer to monitor all performance indicators of the data center and its fault tolerance remotely or on site, and there is no need to maintain a whole staff of employees, which allows the company to earn more.
Summarizing the benefits and purpose of DCs, it can be argued that they play a key role in creating an ideal business digitalization infrastructure, and the main task is to ensure reliable and uninterrupted operation of the equipment located in it. In addition, any data center provides secure communication channels for data exchange, ensuring constant access to websites.
How does a container data center work?
In the early days, container data centers (CDCs) found their place in the shells of standard ISO shipping containers. Transforming the container into a functional center required effort: strengthening the frame, providing heat and waterproofing, and eliminating freezing points. Russian manufacturers such as Soldvig and Databox give their boxes aesthetics and energy efficiency using smooth metal sheets and waterproofing elements. Lengths of 20, 40 and 45 feet remain standard, providing ample space for utility infrastructure. Safety is a high priority, so the box must meet fire, burglary and earthquake resistance standards. The container usually houses between 4 and 12 server cabinets, and IT racks with a depth of 1000-1100 mm are used to optimize the space. As a living organism, a container data center is a complex product consisting of several modules:
Construct (box): the basis for placing and protecting equipment from the effects of natural phenomena, ensuring its reliable operation in various climatic conditions.
Cooling: a key factor for preserving and extending the service life of server equipment inside the data center due to optimal temperatures.
Automation: Integrated automation systems provide reliable power supply and monitoring of data center performance.
Automatic gas fire extinguishing system (AGFS): instant extinguishing of fires with gas from the Freon line minimizes the risk of damage to expensive equipment and failures in the operation of the data center.
Backup uninterruptible power supply (UPS with battery): This component provides self-powering in the event of a power outage, ensuring uninterrupted data center operation and preservation of valuable data. Mostly manufacturers offer 10-15 minutes of work with further connection of a diesel generator set, which starts within 1 minute.
Monitoring of data center systems: monitors and analyzes various parameters of the data center operation, such as: temperature, humidity, PUE, voltage, power used over time, performance of electrical lines and other indicators, ensuring a prompt response to any anomalies and stable operation of the equipment.
Server cabinets: necessary for organizing and protecting server equipment from possible dust, such as storage systems, Asic, computers with GPUs and other types of servers, ensuring safe and efficient placement inside the data center.
Access control system (ACS) and video surveillance: provide physical security and control access to data from unauthorized persons, ensuring the protection of confidential information.
About certification:
In today's world of ensuring the security and reliability of data storage, data center certification plays a key role in making strategic decisions. But, despite the prevalence of certificates, it should be borne in mind that the absence of a specific certification does not always mean an insufficient level of reliability.
Tier standard approved by the institute Uptime, has long served mainly as a guide in assessing the level of support for data center infrastructure. However, at present, due to sanctions, Russian manufacturers have some difficulties in becoming certified according to the Tier standard.
However, there are a number of alternative criteria and standards, such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, ISO, SOC, which can also give a guide to the level of reliability and security of the data center. When choosing a data center, it is important to consider not only the availability of specific certificates, but also to comprehensively assess its compliance with security requirements and reliability of data storage, which is an important aspect of an enterprise’s information security strategy.
When deciding to choose a data center manufacturer, you should rely not on certification, but on a number of important factors:
DC data center reliability level: The availability of backup power supplies is a critical factor in ensuring uninterrupted operation in the event of failures of the main power supply systems, as well as the use of high-capacity communication channels in the design.
Safety: Providing a high level of security includes access control, video surveillance, cooling and fire extinguishing systems, which ensures that data is protected from external threats and physical damage.
Reputation: Reviews and ratings of data center manufacturers, as well as its history of projects and proven professionalism.
Who needs mobile data centers?
IT companiesincluding cloud service providers, software developers (GameDev, mobile applications, complex ecosystems);
Financial industry: Banks, stock exchanges, insurance companies and other financial sector institutions use it to store and process financial data and to ensure the security of transactions.
Healthcare: Uses data centers to store and process medical data, including patient records, medical images and test results.
Telecommunications companiesProviders of communication services, such as mobile operators and Internet providers, use data centers to operate their networks and store user data.
Industry (mining, oil and gas, etc.): use data centers to manage production processes, monitor equipment and analyze production data.
Electrical power and energy: Energy companies use data centers to manage distribution and monitor energy consumption, as well as analyze power generation data.
Educational institutions and research centers use data centers to store and process educational materials, administrative information and scientific testing.
Retail: Wholesale and retail companies use data centers to manage inventory, process transactions, and analyze data about consumer purchases and preferences.
Development companiesare used to monitor real estate systems and store resident data.
To the Stateto ensure the performance of government services and protect information from foreign interference.
In fact, this is only a small list of industries that actively use data centers in their activities, since with the constant growth in data volumes and digitalization of society, the role of data centers is becoming more significant and diverse, and with With data centers, access to data becomes lightning fast, which helps resolve problems quickly and without long delays.
Inspirational project
In line with bold technological steps, the Soldvig company implemented its first commercial modular data center with 7 rack spaces for the customer’s needs. Its smooth and even walls, carefully thought out by the engineer, provided a high level of thermal and waterproofing, which makes it energy efficient, and the free-cooling cooling system showed impressive results in terms of temperature conditions inside the data center. With a computing power of up to 50 kW, the data center is ready to satisfy any customer needs, while remaining at the forefront of technological progress.
I will be waiting for your feedback, dear readers! In the next article I will analyze and analyze the prospects for the data center market, both in Russia and in the world. This study will provide a complete economic understanding of the importance of this industry!
Are you ready to plunge into the world of digitalization with me?
