A collaborative network
Increased integration
RISE SICS
exchange coolers and racks , we can exchange lots of different equipment there . Module three , that we ’ re going to install this autumn , will be an open computer lab ,” Minde explains .
Outside the modules the space will be used for smaller experiments in a wind tunnel , a cube for thermodynamics , a water tank , solar panels on the roof and renewable energy storage . All to be built during the autumn . On the roof there is also a cooling tower that will be used . centre is being located just next door . Facebook has donated equipment to the research data centre , and plans are in the making for setting up projects together ,” explains Minde . “ Another important partner is the Luleå University of Technology . We have only been around for one and a half years , so we will expand the number of companies involved , but we have counted the companies we count as being part of our network , and it ’ s nearly 60-plus .”
A collaborative network
In order to work on such a number of projects , RISE SICS North is collaborating with several partners . “ The companies are Ericsson , of course , and ABB are involved . Additionally , there is Vattenfall , the power company , and Swegon , the ventilation company ,” advises Minde . “ EON is another power company involved , alongside a number of smaller companies like Acon , Metria , Eitech , BnearIT , ArctosLabs , Netrounds .
“ We also collaborate with Facebook , it ’ s first European data
Increased integration
Looking ahead , the holistic view of the data centre will become increasingly important for RISE SICS North . “ The whole system needs to be much more integrated to make it optimised . It seems to me that some parts of the data centre industry are very conservative – they do what they always have done . If you need redundancy , you hit the solution with a diesel engine and that is not the future – we need to find other ways to do redundancy . That ’ s why we ’ re around , to challenge the way data centres are built ,” acknowledges Minde .
80 October 2017