3 Benefits of Modular Data Center Design

Organizations of all sizes increasingly need to scale their data processing operations every year – and that need is growing exponentially, whether it’s at a huge colocation site, an in-house data center for a medium-sized business or an edge data center. 

Data center management teams are expected to manage growth and scale on an annual, or even quarterly basis, instead of building and leveraging the same footprint for three to five years at a time.

As growth projections change more rapidly than ever before, data processing facilities need to adapt quickly to keep costs under control and maintain reliability. Improving efficiency is a huge component of this. As they scale to meet greater demand, they can’t write blank checks to pay for power and cooling. That’s where modular data centers can come to the rescue.

What is a Modular Data Center?

A modular data center is designed to use fully integrated hardware and systems. Instead of specifying, procuring, and installing each component individually, the data center uses pre-configured elements that integrate all necessary systems. 

For example, pre-configured cabinets include tools to manage power supply, cable management and airflow all at the cabinet level. Installation is as simple as opening the container and plugging the cabinet into room-level systems.

At Legrand Cabinets and Containment, we offer both customizable cabinet options that allow our customers to source each component individually, as well as modular, fully integrated, pre-configured cabinet and containment solutions. While both have their place and use cases, there are many important benefits to choosing modular, pre-configured, fully integrated data center cabinets.

Why Choose a Modular Data Center Design?

There are many good reasons to use modular cabinets and containment systems in your next buildout. At a high level, because all the necessary components are included in a modular system, you get a more consistent, standard environment with streamlined IT operations and more predictable performance at every level. But more specifically, there are three critical benefits to outfitting a data center with modular hardware. 

Simpler procurement. When you opt for pre-configured and modular hardware, you can consolidate many accessory purchases down to one purchase order (PO). That’s easier for your finance team and your procurement team, not to mention your installers. Instead of sourcing each component or accessory on its own, tracking each order, correctly reporting on payment, and all the other administrative tasks that go along with procurement, that work is trimmed down to far fewer individual pieces and PO’s. 

Speed of deployment. Once you’ve purchased a modular cabinet or containment system and it’s delivered, the lead time for getting the equipment online is often hours or days, instead of weeks. With everything configured off-site, your teams can focus on plugging these elements into the overall design and making sure the buildout is working from a room or building-level perspective, instead of being caught in the details of running cables and wires repeatedly. In addition, as data processing needs change, scaling up a modular data center is as easy as finding the first PO, placing a few more orders and plugging the new hardware in.

Greater energy and cooling efficiency. Perhaps the most significant benefit of modular data center installations is the increase in efficiency the technology brings for both cooling and overall power usage. Modular systems can be much more efficient in an abstract way for an organization, but your data center can see real cost savings when deploying modular systems.

According to data from Building Industry Consulting Service International, modular data centers provide 40 percent greater energy efficiency than an open data center environment. 

It is easier to cool the confined space of a modular data center. In addition, integrated containment systems make it easier to prevent hot and cold air mixing. Learn more about our containment solutions.
 
Finally, modular hardware can be strategically positioned in limited footprints to optimize airflow. This is especially important for edge data centers. With a modular system, you can maximize the capacity of valuable data center real estate.
 
To learn more, visit our product page here: Data Center Cabinets | Legrand