The University of Oxford has one of the biggest and most important collections in the world, comprising more than 21 million objects, specimens and printed items. The collection also includes the Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) division. Given a rising demand for data, the IT infrastructure needed to be completely upgraded to improve computer and telephone data connections.
As the historical building is listed, converting it was not an option. Anjanesh Babu, the IT Project Leader at GLAM, was therefore looking urgently for a different solution so that structural modifications could be avoided. Rittal came up trumps with a concept that fitted the bill perfectly – a turnkey micro data centre with an enclosure, fully fitted out with IT racks, accessories, climate control, PDUs, monitoring and fire protection. The extra-special feature is a space-saving liquid cooling unit integrated directly into the rack. The system could therefore be installed in the museum basement, without the need for any expensive structural modifications. Babu was very relieved when the new micro data centre was up and running.