System and method for arranging equipment in a data center

Abstract

A system and method for providing a layout of equipment in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one rack-based cooling provider. In one aspect, the method includes receiving data regarding airflow consumption for each of the plurality of equipment racks and cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider, determining a layout of the data center, and displaying the layout of the data center. In the method determining a layout can include pairing each equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks with another equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks based on airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks to create a plurality of pairs of equipment racks, and arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks to form a two-row cluster of equipment racks based on the airflow consumption of each equipment rack, wherein each pair includes an equipment rack in a first row of the cluster and an equipment rack in a second row of the cluster.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for providing a layout of equipment in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider, the method comprising:
 receiving data regarding airflow consumption for each of the plurality of equipment racks and cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider;   determining a layout of the data center; and   displaying the layout of the data center, wherein determining the layout includes:
 pairing each equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks with another equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks based on airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks to create a plurality of pairs of equipment racks; 
 arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks to form a two-row cluster of equipment racks, the arranging including identifying an equipment rack positioned at a row end having a larger airflow than an adjacent equipment rack; and 
 responsive to identifying the equipment rack, interchanging the position of the identified equipment rack with the adjacent equipment rack such that the adjacent equipment rack is positioned at the row end, wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes an equipment rack in a first row of the cluster and an equipment rack in a second row of the cluster. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes:
 positioning a greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the first row of the cluster and a least airflow consuming equipment rack across from the greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the second row of the cluster;   positioning the second greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the second row of the cluster adjacent to the least airflow consuming equipment rack;   positioning the second least airflow consuming rack in the first row adjacent to the greatest airflow consuming equipment rack and across from the second greatest consuming equipment rack; and   positioning additional pairs of equipment racks of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks such that a smaller airflow consuming equipment rack of a pair of equipment racks is positioned adjacent a larger airflow consuming equipment rack of another pair of equipment racks.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks is based on the airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining a total airflow consumption value for the equipment racks; and   determining a number of cooling providers to be placed in the cluster based on the total airflow consumption value and a desired air ratio of total cooling airflow to total equipment rack airflow.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining a location of each cooling provider of the number of cooling providers within the first row and the second row and between adjacent equipment racks such that cooling airflow provided by each cooling provider is distributed substantially evenly. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining a calculated air ratio value;   determining a total airflow consumption value for each pair of equipment racks positioned across from one another; and   determining an amount of airflow that can be captured by at least one cooling provider from each pair of equipment racks positioned across from one another,   wherein a cooling provider is positioned such that a product of the calculated air ratio value and the combined airflow consumption value for each pair of equipment racks matches the amount of airflow that can be captured by the at least one cooling provider.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving information related to a desired cooling redundancy for at least one of the equipment racks;   determining a number of cooling providers to be placed in the cluster based on the desired cooling redundancy; and   determining a location of each cooling provider of the number of cooling providers such that each cooling provider is positioned adjacent two equipment racks.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes:
 identifying a rack pair having a greatest airflow consumption value, a rack pair having a least airflow consumption value, and a rack pair having a second least airflow consumption value; and   positioning the rack pair having the greatest airflow consumption value in a middle position of the cluster, arranging the rack pair having the least airflow consumption value at a first end of the cluster, and arranging the rack pair having the second least airflow consumption value at a second end of the cluster.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a first combined airflow consumption value for each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks; and   determining a second combined airflow consumption value for the equipment racks in each row of the two-row cluster of equipment racks.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein pairing further comprises pairing the plurality of equipment racks in the two-row cluster of equipment racks such that the first combined airflow consumption value for each of the pairs of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks is uniformly distributed for each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks and the second combined airflow consumption value for the equipment racks in each row is uniformly distributed across each row. 
     
     
         11 . A system for providing a layout of equipment in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider, the system comprising:
 a display;   a storage device;   an interface; and   a controller coupled to the display, the storage device, and the interface and configured to:
 receive through the interface data regarding airflow consumption for each of the plurality of equipment racks and cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider; 
 determine a layout of the data center; and 
 display the layout of the data center on the display, wherein determine the layout includes:
 pairing each equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks with another equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks based on airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks to create a plurality of pairs of equipment racks; 
 arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks to form a two-row cluster of equipment racks, the arranging including identifying an equipment rack positioned at a row end having a larger airflow than an adjacent equipment rack; and 
 responsive to identifying the equipment rack, interchanging the position of the identified equipment rack with the adjacent equipment rack such that the adjacent equipment rack is positioned at the row end, wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes an equipment rack in a first row of the cluster and an equipment rack in a second row of the cluster. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes:
 positioning a greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the first row of the cluster and the least airflow consuming equipment rack across from the greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the second row of the cluster;   positioning a second greatest airflow consuming equipment rack in the second row of the cluster adjacent to the least airflow consuming equipment rack;   positioning the second least airflow consuming rack in the first row adjacent to the greatest airflow consuming equipment rack and across from the second greatest consuming equipment rack; and   positioning additional pairs of equipment racks of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks such that a smaller airflow consuming equipment rack of a pair of equipment racks is positioned adjacent a larger airflow consuming equipment rack of another pair of equipment racks.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks is based on the airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a total airflow consumption value for the equipment racks; and   determine a number of cooling providers to be placed in the cluster based on the total airflow consumption value and a desired air ratio of total cooling airflow to total equipment rack airflow.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a location of each cooling provider of the number of cooling providers within the first row and the second row and between adjacent equipment racks such that cooling airflow provided by each cooling provider is distributed substantially evenly. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a calculated air ratio value;   determine a total airflow consumption value for each pair of equipment racks positioned across from one another; and   determine an amount of airflow that can be captured by at least one cooling provider from each pair of equipment racks positioned across from one another,   wherein a cooling provider is positioned such that a product of the calculated air ratio value and the combined airflow consumption value for each pair of equipment racks matches the amount of airflow that can be captured by the at least one cooling provider.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive information related to a desired cooling redundancy for at least one of the equipment racks;   determine a number of cooling providers to be placed in the cluster based on the desired cooling redundancy; and   determine a location of each cooling provider of the number of cooling providers such that each cooling provider is positioned adjacent two equipment racks.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes:
 identifying a rack pair having a greatest airflow consumption value, a rack pair having a least airflow consumption value, and a rack pair having a second least airflow consumption value; and   positioning the rack pair having the greatest airflow consumption value in a middle position of the cluster, arranging the rack pair having the least airflow consumption value at a first end of the cluster, and arranging the rack pair having the second least airflow consumption value at a second end of the cluster.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a first combined airflow consumption value for each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks; and   determine a second combined airflow consumption value for the equipment racks in each row of the two-row cluster of equipment racks,   wherein pairing further comprises pairing the plurality of equipment racks in the two-row cluster of equipment racks such that the first combined airflow consumption value for each of the pairs of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks is uniformly distributed for each pair and the second combined airflow consumption value for the equipment racks in each row is uniformly distributed across each row.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction including instructions that will cause a processor to:
 receive data regarding airflow consumption for each of a plurality of equipment racks and cooling capacity of at least one cooling provider contained in a data center;   determine a layout of the data center; and   display the layout of the data center on a display, wherein determine the layout includes:
 pairing each equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks with another equipment rack of the plurality of equipment racks based on airflow consumption of each of the plurality of equipment racks to create a plurality of pairs of equipment racks; 
 arranging the plurality of pairs of equipment racks to form a two-row cluster of equipment racks, the arranging including identifying an equipment rack positioned at a row end having a larger airflow than an adjacent equipment rack; and 
 responsive to identifying the equipment rack, interchanging the position of the identified equipment rack with the adjacent equipment rack such that the adjacent equipment rack is positioned at the row end, wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of equipment racks includes an equipment rack in a first row of the cluster and an equipment rack in a second row of the cluster.