Why Prefabricated Solutions Are Ideal For Edge Data Centres

Prefabricated modular architecture provides a higher quality solution since parts are built within a controlled environment instead of on an exposed construction site Also, it is a quickly installed and efficient solution that saves lots of time.

With over 95% of all necessary parts being integrated it offers precise, quick installation and a time savings of up to 40% compared to built-up conventional wall systems. With all of the elements being pre-designed and produced within a controlled environment, prefabricated modular architecture offers a significant long-term building solution.

With companies continuing to put an increasing number of their resources in the cloud, there is an increased demand for edge data centres. They serve at least two major purposes: connectivity to cloud-based resources and applications, and provides localised processing for those applications that stay on-premises.

Edge data centres have become so important that companies cannot afford for the centres to suffer any downtime since they would lose local processing as well as their connection to cloud resources and the larger network beyond the walls of the edge data centre.

The big question is how an edge data centre can be built that provides the type of reliability that is needed by companies but without the same amount of expense, effort, and times that goes into getting a traditional data centre built. The answer in many cases will be to use modular, prefabricated data centre components.

Whenever the phrase “prefabricated modular data centre” is heard, many people immediately think of big ISO containers. Indeed, that is one option. However, modular data centres are available in all sizes and shape. They can be a self-contained, meaning there is no need for batteries such as the gp12170 battery, single-rack enclosure that fits inside a closet or it can be a module room that is constructed out of pre-fabricated wall panels that may be used for carving out space for a data centre inside of a larger room.

No matter what size they are, there are a few things that prefabricated data centre modules have in common:

All of them can provide the resiliency and security that traditional data centres do
They are flexible and can be built to fit nearly any environment
They are scalable and can expand when demand grows
They are repeatable and give users the ability to install the same implementation in multiple locations, to provide the ultimate predictability in operation, reliability, and efficiency. It is also easy to deploy implementation and training standards.

All kinds of prefabricated modular data centres are being implemented at the edge. For example, hospitals connect with cloud-based applications that gather data from instruments like dispensing devices and infusion pumps, to make sure patients do not receive any drugs that might have adverse reactions with each other.

Also, hospitals have major local processing requirements, which includes systems for locally collecting, sharing, and storing patient records, in order to remain in compliance with privacy regulations. Applications like MRI scans also benefit from local processing since such large files are produced.

In these kinds of environments, an on-site edge data centre is just as important as the cloud-based resources it connects to. A functional, highly resilient edge data centre can provide the type of local processing performance that is needed without any latency issues that are presented by strictly cloud-based data centres. Prefabricated modules are able to provide all of this but still be designed to fit into what space a hospital has available – including outside.

Modular prefabricated data centres, in these kinds of applications, are an outstanding option compared to having to build a traditional data centre completely from scratch. These modules are pre-built within a controlled factory environment. This is superior to the construction variance you might encounter with a stick-built data centre built on-site. Also, they can be delivered much faster. In most cases, within 12 to 16 weeks, which is about 20-30% of the time that it takes to construct a data centre completely from scratch.