S06 CAF 4 2018 Algiers French_Siemon Data_Layout 1 14/08/2018 16:09 Page 24
INTERNET
Data centres
The African colocation data centre market is growing at a rapid pace.
Dinesh OP of Siemon highlights three tips for data centre design and physical layer component selection that can effectively speed up deployment, cut costs and support expansion for today’s colocation facility. LOBALLY, INVESTMENT IN data centres and colocation facilities is rapidly growing and is valued to be worth over US$70bn by 2022. Africa represents a unique opportunity for this sector due to rapid economic growth and technological advancements. The African colocation data centre market is growing at a rapid pace, and colocation data centre managers will need to find ways to expand and equip their facilities quickly and cost effectively to meet increasing demand and the need for higher speeds.
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Modularity with pre-configured cabinets Selecting a modular design approach can efficiently support planned data centre expansion. This is because a modular design uses groups of cabinets, also referred to as pods, which can be easily repeated as the data centre grows. These pods often consist of two symmetrical rows of cabinets in a hot/cold aisle configuration and are typically based on capacity, function or application. Once the
24 Communications Africa Issue 4 2018
initial pod design has been defined, it provides a predictable set of costs and resources for easily deploying future pods based on planned data centre growth.
Fibre optic cabling remains the medium of choice for data centre backbones, but there is a shift happening in fibre connectivity. Pre-configured data centre cabinets support a modular design approach. These types of cabinets are pre-assembled and preloaded with components, meaning that fibre or copper connectivity, power distribution units (PDUs), cable management or other accessories are already pre-mounted into the cabinet when it arrives at the customer site ready for final connections and installation of active equipment. This process eliminates delivery of several different components, as well as
component location and installation in specific cabinets, and therefore requires significantly less time and labour. When pre-configured cabinets are deployed in a modular pod-based design, facilities can be deployed with a 30 per cent time and labour saving.
Wider cabinets with shared zero-U space In other situations, existing tenants might need to expand beyond the boundaries of the space they currently lease. This can create a challenge for colocation operators, especially if there is no or very limited additional floor space available to rent out. Colocation operators often assume that they can maximise space by accommodating more cabinets within the square footage of their facility and opting for smaller width 600mm server cabinets, when quite the opposite is true. Existing floor space can be maximised by deploying wider cabinets, especially with those that share zero-U space between bayed cabinets for power distribution, patching and cable management which allows for more
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Three tips for strategic colocation deployment