CASE STUDY: UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND - GRANULAR MODULAR DATA CENTRE

sales@cannontech.co.uk

www.cannontech.co.uk

Cannon Technologies Shoots for Global Supremacy. Scottish Installation Hailed “Best in the West”.

CASE STUDY: UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND - GRANULAR MODULAR DATA CENTRE

Cannon Technologies Shoots for Global Supremacy. Scottish Installation Hailed “Best in the West”.

The ClientCannon Technologies together with the University of the West of Scotland has spent the last three years helping consolidate the University’s data containment. It’s been a remarkable journey, connecting four campuses across the West of Scotland to the London site over four hundred miles away. This impressive network enables communication and collaboration with other universities across the globe.

The AimThe University’s vision was to safely consolidate their remote sites into a solid and robust network controlled centrally from their main Glasgow campus. Logistically, this required careful and comprehensive planning as the five sites were independently hosting an already sizeable network.

It made perfect sense to incorporate the networks within a bespoke Cannon Technologies Granular Modular Data Centre. As University’s Head of Technology Iain Harkin made it clear that he required overall control of remote sites from the central unit just outside Glasgow.

“Being a university, we did extensive research into the various Modular concepts available from around the world and delved right down to fundamentals. We wanted cutting edge performance but at the same time we needed to have the comfort of well proven technology and future expandability options.”

As an educational institution, money was a main consideration. Cannon Technologies was aware it was vital to incorporate the very latest developments in data containment while ensuring cost effective solutions across the build. The project had to be future proof, yet versatile enough to incorporate new developments in safety, security and expansion. Following technical consultation with Cannon’s experienced team, the University commissioned Cannon’s patented, Geodesic Frame, Granular Construction. This model incorporates fully portable precision components, ideal for a university campus. Cannon felt the bigger, pre-built module was perhaps too unwieldy for

deployment in the area allocated for the new build, given the restricted access route, the restricted working space and the prohibited use of craneage due to a restrictive location. In addition, the module can be conveniently and securely assembled, on-site, within a much shorter period compared to using a bricks and mortar build.

Skeleton Render of Proposed Data Centre

The Tender ProcessCannon Technologies straightforward approach and willingness to listen were major factors in winning the tender as David Johnstone explains: “The Cannon Data Campus came out top in the stringent rating process. It also was one of the most competitively priced, however it was the all-round performance, efficiency and project delivery method that won the day, coupled with an easy expansion and power upgrade capability."

On-site safety was also of paramount concern and the Cannon Geodesic Hand Assembled Frame System ensured that students walking nearby, during the short construction period, were in no way inconvenienced by the use of heavy plant. This also fulfilled a restriction on noise levels throughout the build due to the active nature of the site.

Project Overview The university wanted a high-tech appearance for the facility and specified the Cannon Exterior Panel System, options which covers a wide range of architectural dressing panel and with security of the utmost importance, Cannon Technologies offer several surface treatments/colours, together with a range of fire resistant and physical protection possibilities.

Entry to Data Centre – Cannon Standard Exterior Panel System

The Cannon Data Hall solution can incorporate any number of rack rows. The University project contains two rows of 1200 deep Cannon Server Smart racks to accommodate the latest deep servers and 1200 wide aisles to enable easy access throughout.

These award-winning racks are fitted with Cannon Smart Doors which open a full 180 degrees when Racks are bayed and offer a full 270 degrees open working area at the end of the row. Again, these doors are ergonomically designed to provide fast, safe and secure access for inspection and maintenance. We are proud to say this feature meets and exceeds the "European Telecommunications Standards Institute Safety Regulations”.

Cannon Technologies rack mounted cable raceway offers superbly efficient cable containment and radius control. Extensive cable glanding provides ease of entry through the top or bottom of each rack and was tailored to match the client’s preference.

Cannon Technologies isolated cooling system ensures cooling air in the cold aisle is “cocooned” separately from warm air in the hot aisle, this maximises user control and ensures PUE is kept to a minimum and eliminates hotspots.

The data hall was completed with Cannon’s Modular UPS and power distribution panels with minimised cable lengths delivered via Intelligent PDUs for both A and B power supply.

Cannon Server Smart Racks within Cold Aisle

Primary power is taken from the grid with secondary power from a stand- by generator. Internally targeted cooling is delivered by Cannon’s Within Row Units, each capable of 25kW sensible cooling per unit. These units are fed from water chillers with a free cooling element to maintain total temperature control.

The system is designed to deliver a low PUE with no danger of server contamination. This has become a major concern as there have been some disturbing reports in the trade press suggesting this is a growing problem.

Cannon Technologies’ MD Matt Goulding explains: "The UWS team had done their research and were aware of the danger associated with direct free cooling so the bespoke specification was developed accordingly to avoid this. Our “Cannon Cool Within Row” units are unique; extremely slim but highly efficient so there’s very little difference in PUE. Therefore, there’s no risk to your servers from direct free cooling. More and more clients are realising that a big slice of their investment goes into additional supplementary M and E equipment. Understandably they see little sense in endangering this objective by ignoring reported dangers posed by direct free cooling. It has been suggested that uptime can be jeopardised when direct fresh air passes through servers. The Cannon Technology Indirect Free Cooling System is now so efficient, a direct free cooling system would be largely redundant.

Jim Blyth, Data Centre Manager at UWS is impressed at how Cannon Technology has created a compact yet accessible workspace for such a large project:

"Another user-friendly feature that we find useful is the Cannon "Quick Fit" system, enabling additional equipment to be mounted at any height against the internal walls of the Data Hall.

There is no need to drill holes in walls to achieve this, which is a small but incredibly convenient feature and makes life so much easier compared to other facilities.We have considerable scope to expand and develop our containment quickly, cheaply and easily. The Cannon Smart Doors make life so much easier when working in the aisle. The fold flat, 180° capability, although selected to guarantee safety, also enables easy movement within the Aisle for hassle free access and maintenance.

We can also route cables through the hidden cable ways in the doors. This allows for easy upgrades and avoids exposed cables entirely. For example, all doors are future proofed for a range of locks, so we can change out lock types at any time to suit varying security. This feature alone is hugely beneficial, and we could find no other door system with such an easy and extensive upgrade path.

Data Centre – Life Support

Jim Blyth concludes with a summary on the Cannon Technologies experience:

“This new Data Centre came in on time, on budget and on specification No overruns, no dramas, no pain. Cannon is fully deserving of the many awards that they have received for their exceptional solutions and customer care. We are confident that we have a state of the art holistic facility with an exceptional range of cutting-edge features. We are hugely excited about this project. Cannon Technology has set an enviably high standard of service and has provided UWS with a superb platform for our own future development.”

Contact point for references or additional information

Client: Iain Harkin Customer and Technology ITDS University of the West of Scotland Tel: 0141 848 3640

E-mail: ia19/02/2019in.harkin@uws.ac.uk