Modular Data Centers (MDCs) are the next generation of data center architectures and they are here to stay as bigger organizations are adopting them across larger geographies. However, when it comes to discussing MDCs in the wider scope of a global market, there is still a lot of confusion and ambiguity about their nature and definition. The primary reason behind this is that the various vendors who service this particular market use the generic definition of MDCs very freely. In this post, I’ll be attempting to clarify some broader definitions around the family of data centers and what they mean.
All-in-one Modular Data Centers – All-in-one Data Center solutions for All Organization Sizes
Simply put, MDCs in this context are all-in-one data centers that are primarily used by Edge IT and computing business models. Within one module and one unified container, MDCs provide the IT infrastructure, power, cooling and the associated monitoring and control tools needed to operate smoothly. Not only that, this single unified container also holds all the racks, power distribution systems, cooling mechanisms, UPS, batteries, switchgear, cabling, fire suppression, access control, and centralized monitoring. What makes these MDCs more promising for the future is the fact that Edge Computing is increasingly catching on and becoming prevalent across several domains and industries. The IT infrastructure convergence and high virtualization reduce considerably these all-in-one MDCs to name one of their variations as Micro Data Centers.
In the most common scenarios, this 1st category of MDCs are generally being targeted towards low-density IT equipment and workloads so that all the system complexities can be primarily restricted to a very basic MEP solution. Slowly and gradually, more and larger IT organizations are also predicted to be associated with adopting MDCs as they take up bigger and more complex projects such as smart cities, automated homes, and Industrial Revolution 4.0, digitized manufacturing and more. Moreover, the size and the setup of MDCs also makes it a better and more convenient option for use in remote locations, spread out branch offices, or temporary use in high-risk zones that do not warrant high capital expenditure or operational expenses.
IT Containers - Shadow Data Center Facilities When IT Just Wants Space
IT containers are the infrastructure elements that possess a complete set of standard IT or standalone racks that are installed with the simple purpose of housing the servers, storage and network that are needed to manage the computing load of globalized organizations. Compared with all-in-one MDCs or with MEP containers, this data center containment arrangement only hosts IT and a few limited MEP assets.
Additionally, it needs support and connectivity only with a specific or independent power and cooling mechanism that potentially comes from an MEP container solution or from existing building infrastructure. In such cases, the IT equipment is not always preinstalled, either to limit or to minimize damages during shipment.
Most IT vendors also have additional options for specific cabinets that can prevent the damage on the containers, even though such damage still continues to happen. The contents of these containers thus contain racks, power distribution, cooling systems, physical security, fire suppression and remote monitoring systems as well. Over the last 3-5 years, these were the widely available solutions that were delivered and this enabled IT teams to respond to the industry’s flexibility and modularity. This can also thus be containerized for indoor or outdoor deployment, as and when the need arises.
When it comes to form factors, the enclosure can also be in standard ISO form factors or more. Compared with modern all-in-one storage units, or MDCs, these units are generally not very mobile in nature. Additionally, their complexity also adds to the risk involved in running these versus all-in-one data centers. They are much larger in size also and the IT equipment growth is thus bigger when compared with all-in-ones.
In the most common scenarios, these solutions are owned and run by in-house IT teams as a simple alternative to brick and mortar operations. They are also chosen by customers who are generally looking at the standardization of their data centers’ end-to-end operations. The various modules such as research and HPC, DR, exploration sites for oil and gas or mining or defense can be industry-specific or business-specific as well.
MEP Containers - Real-estate Container Views or Facility Containers
A standard or conventional MEP container does not contain any IT gear in and of itself. Instead, it contains all the power and the cooling infrastructure that can support a basic brick and mortar white space, MDCs or IT containers. These MEP units typically contain a set of UPS, switchgears, generators associated with or integrated to specific fire suppression, centralized monitoring, and cooling containerized infrastructure.
A majority of such containers are dedicated for mechanical or electrical purposes. This is usually undertaken by a large business entity with regards to real estate space, but when it comes to the data center domain, the sizing and the deployment cadences are totally dependent on the available IT bandwidth and the projected enterprise business growth.
These solutions have typically been deployed across all sorts of non-IT projects as well since they present a lot of advantages that can speed up the design and the deployment of data centers. One of their major advantages is that they can also help spread out the CAPEX that is associated with data centers but they also need to be well sized in order to keep data center IT expansion plans well balanced. As always, flexibility here is a plan and not just a technology range.
Conclusion
Since the term ‘data centers’ typically signify physical space and location, any advancements that lead to reducing the space and the capital and operational expenditures that are associated with them will always gain wider acceptance. Of course, this reduction cannot come at the cost of performance. The size, purpose, structure and versatility of different data center setups can vary based on the needs of a particular organization and their budgets as well.
So while modern data centers and all-in-one or IT MDCs in particular, offer enterprises increased ease and flexibility towards implementation, these enterprises also have to be wary about the complexities and challenges they bring towards the future data center fleet they own.
MDC is not a one-size-fits-all solution here and every enterprise needs to choose the most feasible and profitable solution for themselves based on their needs and long-term objectives. In the meantime, I hope the differences mentioned here can shed some clarity on the different types that are available in the market today so people do not just see MDCs as a simple procurement transaction of a box but more like a standardized way of getting what will continue to be a physical data center with its associated strategy and planning aspect. Maybe these definitions should be used more often by our industry to specify what MDC solutions are proposed to customers so that the market does not get confused by one more acronym.
