A storage capacity of up to five petabytes, cutting-edge computing resources and a next-generation sequencing platform are the hallmarks of the new CRS4 supercomputing centre in Sardinia. In addition, the newly built data centre has been equipped with ten Rittal VX IT racks and the LCP CW rack climate control system.
Overview
- Project
- New data centre for a supercomputing centre
- Location
- Sardinia, Italy
- Branch
- IT-infrastructure
- Challenge
HPC computing
High cooling demand
- Solution
Ten VX IT and LCP CW 30 kWs
Water-based cooling installed directly to the IT racks
The supercomputing centre of the Centre for Research, Development and Advanced Studies – CRS4 for short – deals with research and development in using computer-based technologies and their application in the fields of IT, energy and the environment, life sciences or aerospace. The demands on the IT infrastructure, especially on the cooling, are correspondingly high.
“We had to build a new data centre because the existing one was only equipped with raised floor room climate control,” explained Antonio Concas, system administrator at CRS4. While this was suitable for low-density server and storage solutions, it reached its limits with the introduction of high-density computing solutions. “To solve the problem, we decided to redesign the data centre and employ a solution ensuring the same cold airflow to all servers housed in the racks,” Mr. Concas continued.
We were looking for a solution that met the size and automation requirements and a climate control system that would provide a high and efficient cooling output. The solution proposed by Rittal met all our requirements.
High cooling output
The decision-makers at Rittal found the answer to this challenge. The new data centre was equipped with ten Rittal VX IT enclosures of 47 height units and the same number of LCP CW modules with 30 kW each. The Liquid Cooling Packages are a compact, water-based cooling system in which an air/water heat exchanger is installed directly next to the IT racks. The hot exhaust air is extracted at the rear of the unit, cooled and then expelled forwards into the cold aisle. The rack/LCP combinations were set up in two ‘islands,’ the first consisting of eight enclosures and the second of two. “Thanks to closed-loop technology, the LCPs supplied by Rittal can ensure a high cooling capacity over the entire front surface of the racks with maximum energy efficiency. The automatic opening of the front and rear doors for emergency ventilation (also via remote control) was also important to us”, Antonio Concas added with delight.