May 01, 2024
Edge data centers are often deployed in non-traditional spaces with inadequate infrastructure and security measures to safeguard IT equipment, creating a potential cause of slow and complicated deployments. To improve availability for these increasingly critical applications, Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), a leading provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has unveiled Vertiv™ SmartRow™ 2, an innovative, pre-engineered edge data center solution designed to reduce deployment time and costs associated with traditional edge data center builds by up to 80% and 30%, respectively. The system is ideal for supporting the AI ecosystem at the edge, providing complete infrastructure for the compute that collects and transmits data for AI processing. SmartRow™ 2 is now available in North America in 10 kW to 20 kW capacities.
As a deployment-ready solution, SmartRow 2 includes in-row cooling, power protection and distribution, IT racks, and system-level remote management, minimizing planning and preparation. To simplify deployment even further, Vertiv provides project management, assembly, and startup services, in addition to a 1-year limited warranty on the entire system. As needs change, the solution may be expanded to accommodate up to five IT racks, with a power capacity per rack ranging from 3.3 kW to 6.6 kW. Additionally, there is an option to incorporate 2N power and cooling redundancy, enabling improved fault tolerance, and reducing risk of unexpected downtime.
"As the demand for low latency increases, edge data centers are not only gaining in popularity, they are also increasingly a hub for business-critical processes," said Joshua Schnack, vice president of global IT solutions product management at Vertiv. "SmartRow 2 offers greater speed and simplicity than a typical edge deployment, enabling installation of infrastructure in less than a week, compared to a typical deployment that could take up to 12 months. This empowers businesses to add IT equipment quickly and the agility needed to scale capacity easily for future growth."
The SmartRow™ 2 features fully contained hot and cold aisles, with the in-row cooling system circulating cold air within the sealed EIA310 19-inch racks. By focusing on cooling only the system instead of a room, while adjusting capacity in real-time based on the IT load, Vertiv™ SmartRow™ 2 can enable a reduction of cooling energy consumption and CO2 emissions by an average of 20% compared to similar equipment loads and infrastructure not deployed as a preconfigured, enclosed system. Emergency fans in each rack provide additional protection, automatically activating during critical situations to remove heat from the system and providing additional time for a controlled system shutdown.
The centralized IT and infrastructure management system enables operators to remotely access and control SmartRow 2 cooling, power and door locks, and also allows management of service processors on the IT gear, all through a single interface. Optional monitoring software seamlessly integrates with the SmartRow 2 and provides consolidated data, 3D navigation, multi-site management, multi-system management, power navigation, reporting and history logs, door access, and more.
Vertiv also recently announced its end-to-end portfolio for High Performance Compute (HPC) and AI deployments, Vertiv™ 360AI. The solutions include power, cooling, enclosures, end-to-end lifecycle services, and digitized management.
For more information on the Vertiv SmartRow 2 and Vertiv’s comprehensive power, cooling and IT offerings, including AI/HPC solutions, visit Vertiv.com