Many enterprises and branch offices lease the building space where changing the cooling system or retrofitting a network closet is prohibitive. The ArcTiv Micro Data Center allows the IT manager to store edge-servers and powered switches in the existing open floorspace without modifying the building or compromising system security.
| No Dedicated IT Room or Cooling System |
The total costs of the MDC should be compared not only to the standard open-frame or server racks, but also to the total costs of modifying the room, re-routing overhear or underfloor cabling systems and changing the cooling system. Several application example have shown that the total CAPEX investment of the network closet may be 2 to 3 times the costs of a MDC. Below is a side-by-side comparison of building out a network closet versus a single-rack MDC with integrated cooling (3.5kW)
Example: Total investment cost comparison of a dedicated network closet versus a Micro Data Center
|
Cost ($USD) |
Network Closet (3.5kW room cooling) |
Micro Data Center (Integrated Cooling, 3.5kW) |
| Creating or modifying a dedicated IT room |
$5 – 15k |
$0 |
| Routing overhead cable management tray and hangers |
$5k |
$2k |
| Upgrading the room security |
$1k |
$0 |
| Upgrading the room cooling system |
$5k |
$0 |
| Adding room-level fire suppression |
$2k |
$0 |
| MDC or server rack system (incl. power and monitoring) |
$6k |
$10k |
| Rack system installation costs |
$3k |
$3k |
| Total |
$27 – $37K |
$15k |
The decentralized deployment of the MDC and edge-cabinets into an open office environment provide the following benefits:
| Benefits |
|
| Pay-As-You-Grow |
Micro Data Centers are scalable and can be increased or added as the business needs grow. This should be compared to building out the capacity a server room for the next 5 to 10 years when the business may only utilize a small portion during the deployment. For applications such as high-rise buildings, the costs of leasing this unused space should be factored into both the CAPEX and OPEX estimations. The MDC provides the IT manager with the flexibility to invest for the exact requirements of today while easily expanding for the future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel S. James II, MSEE, MBA
Daniel is the founder of ArcTiv Technologies and currently is resides in Taipei, Taiwan and St. Louis, MO, USA. He brings over 15 years of experience in both the data center and industrial automation industries having worked for Fortune 500 technology companies in various roles including Corporate Strategic Planning, Product Management and Business Development. Connect with him on Linked-In.