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Maximizing
the Value of
Data Centers
Schneider Electric’s StruxureWare unites all mission-critical
systems on a single platform
>
Data centers, those spooky, nondescript
industrial buildings full of server stacks,
are what make Web communication and
e-commerce possible. As activity and reliance on the Internet continue to grow, and
dependable data centers become key to a
functioning Web, managers increasingly
rely on advanced infrastructure management (DCIM) software to keep them running smoothly.
“Data center managers used to walk
around with a clipboard taking notes, and
use spreadsheets to make decisions,”
says Domenic Alcaro, Vice President, Data
Center Software Solutions for Schneider
Electric, the France-based multinational
that’s leveraging its energy management
expertise to develop software solutions for
segments including data centers.
“But as data centers grow in complexity,
the older ways of doing things are wasteful.
It’s why we need software that manages
information about a data center’s assets,
resource use and operation status, throughout its life cycle.”
The growth in spending on DCIM
software is an indicator of the market’s
rapid expansion. While DCIM software
sales generated $245 million in revenue
in 2010, 451 Research, an organization
the monitors IT business and innovation,
forecasts year-over-year compound growth
of 39 percent, raising revenue to $1.3
billion by 2015.
Founded in 1836, Schneider Electric
has long been a leader in developing
building management systems (BMS),
integrated energy management solutions
and highly sophisticated measuring tools to
monitor power and energy use.
The company’s products are already
being used to manage many distinct
operations, including energy use, in data
centers. But now Schneider has developed
StruxureWare, a platform of integrated,
plug-and-play software applications that
collects information from all key assets in a
data center—including racks, rows, rooms
and its mechanical and electrical systems—into a single dashboad from which
to control all its mission-critical systems.
Alcaro explains that StruxureWare
bundles together three of Schneider Electric’s
legacy business components: the company’s
StruxureWare collects information not only from the IT
“white space,” but from the
physical infrastructure of
the data center as well,
including its power, cooling
and security components
building management software (BMS); its
power and energy measuring sensors and
tools; and its legacy “white space” DCIM
software that monitors server and other IT
equipment performance. (This DCIM component takes its moniker from the white tile
platforms on which IT equipment is placed).
“Schneider Electric has a breadth of
experience in all these areas and, with
StruxureWare, we’ve brought them together
in an integrated, holistic way that allows us
to maximize the value of all of them for the
customer,” Alcaro says.
“StruxureWare collects information not
only from the physical infrastructure of the
data center, and the power and cooling
components, but from the IT components,
as well—the servers, networking equipment, storage, and so on. It then applies
analytics to all that information to give data
center managers complete visibility into
their IT and facilities operations, displayed
in an easy-to-read graphic interface, so they
can make the best operational decisions.”
StruxureWare for data centers can simplify operational processes, and show data
center managers where they can cut costs
and make better use of both their physical
plants and their IT infrastructure. And since
it also has the ability to detect potential
faults before they happen, StruxureWare
allows for a proactive management approach, and provides capabilities such as
planning and forecasting, as well as control
features that can be used to automate
many decision-making processes.
“Data center managers can use StruxureWare for recommendations as to what to do,
but, depending on their willingness to cede
control, they can also allow the software to
apply the information to make decisions and
changes automatically,” Alcaro adds.
Since it uses open protocols, StruxureWare connects seamlessly with whatever
other systems a company uses.
“The aim is to make it easy for users
to have accurate and actionable data to
conserve resources and optimize performance,” Alcaro says. “With StruxureWare,
data centers can be more reliable, efficient,
productive and safe.” — John O’Mahony
We drive data center efficiency.
EcoBreeze with Two
Economizer Modes
Facility Power Module
StruxureWare for
Data Centers
Reference Designs
Our innovative data center physical infrastructure
with full-visibility management lowers operating costs.
> EcoBreeze with Two Economizer Modes
Rack-to-row-to-room-to-building architecture lowers cost.
Improving both efficiency and system uptime requires a second look at
today’s data centers! Featuring innovative and industry-leading physical
infrastructure components, Schneider Electric™ data centers uniquely span
traditional IT “white space” and facilities to improve interoperability, deliver
true data center agility, and achieve cost-saving energy and operational
efficiency. Our integrated architecture also lowers total cost of ownership,
enables fast and easy design and deployment, and promises the
highest availability.
It comprises best-of-breed components available from a single source and
through a global supply and services chain. From our well-known APC InRow™
cooling units…to our innovative EcoBreeze™ facility cooling module with two
economizer modes…to our unparalleled data center management software
StruxureWare™ for Data Centers, Schneider Electric products can
be found literally in every data center domain.
We offer the most energy-efficient components — all uniquely engineered
as a system. In the long run, the Schneider Electric rack-to-row-to-room-tobuilding approach reduces total data center life cycle cost up to 13 percent
and 30 percent of data center physical infrastructure cost over 10 years!
In fact, it’s the foundation of our Business-wise, Future-driven™ data centers.
TM
Only the scalable EcoBreeze automatically switches
between air-to-air heat exchange and indirect
evaporative cooling to maximize conditions year-round.
> Data Center Facility Power Module
Our modular, step-and-repeat approach to facility
power lets you expand capacity in 500 kW increments
as needed, cutting OpEx by up to 35 percent and
CapEx from 10 to 20 percent.
> StruxureWare for Data Centers
With building-to-server visibility, StruxureWare
for Data Centers enables you to make informed
decisions about your physical infrastructure.
> Reference Designs
Our standardized architectures for various data center
confgurations, from 200 kW to 20 MW, reduce time,
cost, complexity, and system risk.
> Data Center Life Cycle Services
Including energy management services, professional
services from planning, build/retroft, and operations help
ensure highest system availability and effciency.
Business-wise, Future-driven.
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Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. www.schneider-electric.com • 998-1158241_GMA-US_Note3