Page 45 - EngineerIT March 2022

INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS AND INNOVATION

Beware the power consumption of the edge

he data centre industry has A cloud-based monitoring and
certainly come a long way in management solution will provide users
Tdriving sustainability in centralised with visibility into the performance of
and regional data centre environments. their IT infrastructure and can deliver
Traditionally, data centres have been real-time recommendations to optimise
synonymous with highly efficient PUE performance and, more importantly,
(power usage effectiveness), reaching ensure uptime.
as low as 1.8; now we are seeing data
centres achieving a PUE of 1.17. To this end the following steps must be
It is undoubtedly a feather in the taken to ensure edge computing runs
industry’s cap, realised by innovations optimally and energy efficiently:
such as optimised data centre design • Simplify and standardise the
and management, cooling, innovation in deployment space.
uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and • Ensure best-in-class equipment is
overall improved and sustainable energy deployed, that allows for longevity and
management practices. optimised usage.
“However, the above advancements • Follow a similar design ethos to
aren’t necessarily filtered down to edge Similarly, integrated systems offer traditional data centres; ensure that
computing. In fact, industry observers ease of deployment, management energy efficiency and sustainability
have cautioned against edge computing’s and maintenance. A good example is remain top of mind – from inception to
growing energy use which could mitigate Schneider Electric’s 6U Wall Mount deployment.
the enormous strides made by traditional EcoStruxure Micro Data Centre which • Install remote monitoring software
data centres”, says George Senzere, marries the concepts of standardisation platforms to simplify monitoring and
solution architect: Secure Power solutions, and integration. It’s simple to install, maintenance.
Schneider Electric. arrives integrator-ready and can be
“For example, it is estimated that 7.5 remotely monitored. “Edge computing can become a vital
million new micro data centres will be Managing the sheer amount of edge component of the circular economy. Our
built by 2025, which undoubtedly puts data centres at scale is an enormous Schneider Electric’s smart-UPS online
enormous strain on overtaxed power grids undertaking. Here, remote monitoring products form part of Schneider Electric’s
across the globe, including South Africa.” and management with AI is an important Worldwide Takeback Programme, where
To find a solution, the data centre feature and will allow teams to stay one we take the products which have reached
industry needs to ensure edge centres step ahead of any issues that might arise their end-of-life and recycle or reuse their
are built with sustainability in mind; they at the edge. parts”, Senzere said.
need to be designed and implemented to
be energy efficient from both a cost and
resource perspective.
Fortunately, there are a number of
important steps that can be taken to
ensure that edge computing doesn’t
grow into a power-consuming monster
reminiscent of DC or Marvel comic book
characters.

Increased standardisation and
integration
Due to the very nature of edge computing
installations, these environments
often have limited or no IT staff. The
solution is to install simple, standardised
environments which not only
streamline deployment but also simplify
maintenance.

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