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PROJECT INSIGHT
Service reliability and response would be critical
to accommodate an average visitor rate of one
every four seconds, plus seasonal variations that
exceed this. Even a cloud solution would demand
a centralised hub to coordinate ticketing processes
as well as the requirements of up to 60 architects
coordinating the building work.
A massive and changing challenge was presented
by the physical environment. With work progressing
rapidly each day, there are vibrations, dust and of
course, the intense heat of a Mediterranean summer
to contend with. The site which is surrounded by busy
thoroughfares means that space is at a premium,
dictating that the IT facility would have to be
relocated from time to time.
Weighing all of these factors, Villa concluded that
the obvious solution was a micro data centre because
it could be containerised for portability and offer
the smallest possible footprint. “...more important
was selecting a strategic partner,” he explained,
adding that, “We wanted a partner that had the
right talents in the specific areas of infrastructure,
communications and security.”
Villa and his team embarked upon a selection
process and decided that Schneider Electric could
offer the right products and skills for the project. It
was the prefabricated SmartShelter modules that
Schneider offered that would provide the best fit
and it was decided that two of these 25 foot units
could be combined to create a single data centre.
This solution offered the optimum space to support
current demands while allowing for expansion as the
system evolved.
The SmartShelter houses 10 NetShelter IT
equipment racks and related power distribution units
(PDUs). The all-in-one facility is scalable to 90kW
capacity, includes all cooling infrastructure which
is backed up by a Symmetra PX uninterruptible
power supply (UPS