Rackable Systems Offers Data Center In A Box

Concentro Containerized Mobile Data Center Achieves Extreme Density and Easier Serviceability at Fraction of the Cost of Traditional Build Outs: Rackable Systems today announced its first sale of Concentro, Rackable Systems' new modular, containerized data center product. Purchased by one of the world's leading Internet companies, Concentro is a self-contained, fully portable data center featuring extreme server and storage density with highly efficient cooling and easy serviceability. Designed to augment or replace traditional data centers of any size, Concentro features compute density levels of up to 9,600 processing cores in a 40' by 8' shipping container, and is one of the most cost-efficient and eco-friendly data center solutions on the market. "The need to reduce energy consumption and rethink space requirements is changing the look and feel of IT environments," said Giovanni Coglitore, founder and chief technology officer of Rackable Systems. "We applied Rackable Systems' proven experience in cabinet, server and power infrastructure to directly address the needs of space-constrained data centers. The result: an entirely new data center model that maximizes density, efficiency and performance while radically reducing costs of installation and management. Concentro is the perfect building block for the energy efficient, eco-friendly data center of the future." As a mobile, self-contained module that can house up to 1,200 of Rackable Systems' award-wining rack-mount DC powered servers or up to 3.5 petabytes of storage, Concentro provides a fully customizable, energy efficient and flexible solution for any growing enterprise. The first release of Concentro leverages Intel Xeon quad-core processors in Rackable Systems' half-depth servers, enabling extremely high density per square foot. Its unique, highly efficient cooling technology enables a reduction in cooling and air handler power costs by up to 80% over traditional data center environments. In an age of rapid expansion, traditional brick-and-mortar data centers often lack the flexibility and infrastructure to meet the exploding demand for ever more computing and storage resources—while the skyrocketing cost of power further compounds the issue. Rising real estate costs and space restrictions are also driving the need for data center designs that move beyond traditional building structures. Concentro's mobility provides tremendous flexibility for compute expansion to areas in which traditional data center facilities are cost prohibitive or not available, or to capitalize on alternative energy sources in remote locations. The ability to deploy a Concentro system rapidly and in any location can ensure redundancy and business continuity, allowing for easy hardware migration and an expedited disaster recovery processes. This innovative approach to data center design also breaks down geographic barriers to expansion; units can be situated away from the home data center site and remotely managed at the server, rack and container level using Rackable Systems' Roamer remote management technology. Features and Functionality Key features that Concentro offers include:
  • Extreme Density – Concentro accommodates up to 1200U of Rackable Systems half-depth servers in a single 40' by 8' shipping container for total compute capacity of up to 9,600 cores, or storage capacity of up to 3.5 petabytes;
  • Cost Reduction – Concentro is a fraction of the cost of traditional data center build outs of comparable density levels;
  • Power-Friendly – Leverages proven DC power technology and Rackable Systems' low wattage servers and storage. Also features revolutionary, ultra-efficient UPS system built into the container to minimize typical power conversion losses;
  • Self-contained Cooling – Concentro's self-contained cooling technology can enable a cost savings of up to 80% versus traditional data center air handling expenses while improving reliability of systems;
  • Rapid Deployment – Instant-on, fully configured data center can be deployed in minutes when plugged into standard power and network connections for immediate functionality;
  • Configuration Flexibility – Available with Rackable Systems' patented half-depth servers in a broad range of customizable X86 configurations tailored to each customer's specific needs. Also available with full range of storage systems, including Rackable Systems' award-winning RapidScale clustered storage;
  • Environmentally Responsible – Concentro diminishes geographic barriers to alternative energy sources, reduces excess energy expenditure and is fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle;
  • Highly Mobile – Enables a variety of site selection and power options, enabling customers to leverage alternative energy sources such as hydroelectric or solar power as well as real estate benefits;
  • Disaster Recovery and Security – Offsite systems administrators can take advantage of geographical diversity for redundancy, while providing emergency backup in the event of disasters. No-frills reusable Concentro shipping containers discreetly house full data center functionality while providing wireless GPS tracking and alarm/security protection;
  • Ease Of Migration – Containerized approach expedites migration of old hardware when upgrading data center equipment.

"The operational challenges associated with extending today's and tomorrow's data centers, as well as the heightened plea for enterprises to reduce their environmental footprint are key factors driving our customers' need for a flexible, cost efficient solution," said Tom Barton, CEO of Rackable Systems. "Rackable Systems is committed to continuing to deliver the most efficient, powerful, cost effective and socially responsible data center solutions on the market."