In the project of DPC Avantage what will become tomorrow a "hot" trend is put

TAdviser: Tell, please, briefly about the project of construction of new data center Avantage. In promotional materials, for example, it is said that it will be the only DPC in Russia Tier III on more than 2200 racks. It so?

Alexander Croc: Really, it is one of the largest projects in modern Russia connected with IT and construction of data centers. Settlement quantity of racks of DPC - 2240, it is under construction in the city of Lytkarino of the Moscow region located in 9 km. from Moscow. Construction is performed by the Avantage company which is specially created for these purposes which co-owners are several individuals. The total costs on the project will make not less than four billion rubles. By 2016 construction works will be completed. As data center commercial, placement of the equipment of customers and the accompanying services will become its main services. The large and medium-sized companies which are engaged in cloud computing, financial institutions, telecom operators should become clients. Also the project provides creation of the innovation scientific center.

Alexey Karpov: I want to emphasize that it will be the only commercial DPC of TIER III in the country on more than 2200 racks started in one stage. In Russia there are big DPCs with similar quantity of racks, but Avantage will put the into operation once.

TAdviser: Completion of construction is planned on the second quarter 2016: in what stage now the project what is already made?

Alexey Karpov: As the general contractor Technoserv executed one of the most difficult tasks of the project – development of the work documentation which had to tie all technical requirements of engineering infrastructure of DPC to the specific platform. All necessary steps on mobilization of the building site are at the moment executed and works on a zero cycle of DPC are begun.

Alexander Croc: In addition to directly building of data center the project provides creation of the four-storeyed administrative building of 2 thousand sq.m. where back offices of clients will be placed. In fact, it will be big scientific and technological center

TAdviser: Tell, please, about technical characteristics under construction date-centrv?

Alexey Karpov: The DPC is located in the territory in 3 hectares in which the complex of buildings and constructions with a total area of 1.08 hectares is built. The design capacity of DPC Avantage will be 17 MW of design load. Independent high-speed links of communication of the largest telecom operators are brought to data center.

I can tell that at design of DPC Avantage the most modern energy efficient technologies allowing to receive annual average coefficient of PUE not higher than 1.3 are put.

Alexander Croc: As DPC commercial, the emphasis at design was placed not on computing powers, namely on engineering solutions, creation of serious infrastructure which could satisfy customer needs in the field of security, storages, export and import of data. In addition to standard services of commercial data centers in Avantage a number of services which in Russia are a little available today because of absence of similar technical base will be offered.

TAdviser: In the announcement of the project special attention is paid to a subject of pressurized zones. Tell about technology of "pressurized zones". Why to it came? What does it allow?

Alexey Karpov: The pressurized zone represents the selected premises intended for installation up to 140 standard racks with the computing and communication equipment. Separation into pressurized zones allows to partition the areas of the machine hall. The separate zone is often rented by customers one organization with increased requirements to security and limited access to racks. In total in DPC 16 pressurized zones are provided: on two floors on 8 pressurized zones on each floor.

Everyone is equipped with the systems of maintenance of a microclimate, fire-prevention means, including a complex of superearly detection of the fire, security systems. Precision conditioners are taken out out of borders of the pressurized zone, their service does not require access to the place with the installed computing equipment.

As DPC commercial, each pressurized zone can be flexibly adapted for needs of the tenant including for equipment installation in non-standard rack constructs with different schemes of giving and emission of air.

Alexander Croc: The idea of pressurized zones was initially put in a project concept as their step-by-step input allows to begin to render services based on data center at once in process of input of the first zones in operation. When a few years ago this concept was born, we also did not assume that we will appear with pressurized zones in such "hot" trend. It was such visionary solution which worked for us very successfully. For determination of quantity of zones, certainly, difficult calculations which showed that their such quantity will be optimal for client initiatives were made.

TAdviser: Tell about engineering features of the project. What does the project differ from existing in the market in?

Alexey Karpov: The data processing center of similar power is interesting first of all that the solution of the set engineering tasks can be executed using different technologies. The choice of this or that option defines requirements to a construction part of buildings, use of the territory of an object, energy costs and, certainly, to finance costs. Therefore at the initial stages of design the priority was to estimate different technologies, to create the optimal concept of creation of the complex interconnected engineering infrastructure taking into account features of the territory of construction and available external resources. At the same time, it was important in a rush of engineering inspiration not to pereuslozhnit a system, to make them reliable, to minimize housekeeping overheads and service.

We used the refrigerators of internal installation with the Turbocor compressors differing in the best indicators of electricity consumption. The choice of draykuller for a holodocentre was performed on the basis of the analysis of two-three models of units from each of eight producers which were invited in tender. It was succeeded to save 400 kW of electric power only due to careful selection of devices, each of which quite met requirements of technical specifications.

After comparison of options of creation of a system of regular power supply between the classical solution with static UPSes together with DGU and the diesel-rotor uninterruptible power supply units (DRUPSU) a choice was made for benefit of the last with installation on the party of medium voltage that allowed us to save on cost and the occupied space.

Within design by Technoserv the full BIM model of DPC including both architectural and constructive concepts, and all utilities was also implemented. It gave amazing effect! It was succeeded to place well in advance the main construction works units, to tie them, to lay networks. And taking into account the enormous number of the communications laid for needs of DPC in technical corridors and pressurized zones to reveal "narrow" places, to correct solutions, to timely increase premises and to lift ceilings.

The main characteristics of DPC are given in the table:

TAdviser: What difficulties were at design? Whether you contacted specialists of Uptime Institute?

Alexey Karpov: We build powerful DPC therefore a large number of the equipment is involved in the main engineering systems. It is required to ensure the coordinated work of all elements of a system in the most effective mode. And here already development of detailed operation algorithms of the equipment, and design of the automation system according to them comes out on top. Algorithm elaboration took a lot of time. We actively involved equipment manufacturers in joint study and tried to apply the best of the accumulated world experience. It is important to notice that the automation system also fully should answer reliability criterions of the selected level on Uptime Institute classification.

In team's line-up, involved in the project of DPC, 3 specialists with the certificate of ATD (Accredited Tier Designer) participate, nevertheless, all large projects in own way are unique therefore periodically there are situations which are not described in textbooks and requiring individual approach.

We several times addressed for consultation specialists of UI in Russia when the selected solution could be treated ambiguously in terms of compliance of Tier III. And experts confirmed that our solutions are correct. Certification of the project directly in Uptime will be our next step, work on signing of the contract between our companies already goes.

TAdviser: The place construction of new data center, Lytkarino, is in 9 km from MKAD. Why this territory what its pluses which allowed to make such decision were is selected. Whether it will create additional difficulties regarding "connectivity" of DPC with power - and telecom networks of Moscow?

Alexander Croc: Lytkarino, in my opinion, is very good choice. The platform is in the industrial downtown therefore we had no problems with laying of communications. One of the main tasks at construction of data center is providing the reliable scheme of power supply: in our case it is 20 MW plus as much in a reserve with which connection there are no problems - the connection point to electric powers is in close proximity to a building spot. The fact that we should not lay transmission lines will significantly reduce our total costs of construction. Plus also other communications, for example, the sewerage and water supply, heat are available. In this sense the platform is simply unique. One more important factor – support of an administrative resource on behalf of both heads of the Moscow region, and the city authorities interested in this project. Besides, I am related to developer company "Peresvet-Invest" which is engaged in capital construction in the city and has the come contact with local administration and inhabitants. In our project the interests of all parties are considered. So for benefit of Lytkarino played three key factors: availability and cost of section, existence of external communications and sufficient capacities of the power supply network and also administrative support.

TAdviser: Whether due to significant economy on infrastructure you will be able to make so that services of new DPC cost 10 times less than at competitors?

Alexander Croc: Quantity of racks, the land plot, proximity to connection points – all this influences the cost of services. It creates for us additional competitive advantages. But after all we consider that in modern data center rack cost, how many service quality is important not so much. Long-term deficit of the commercial areas in high quality data centers left the mark on the Russian market of DPCs where till the last moment of co-location there was the main of business of service providers. Gradually the capacity shortage will be filled, both our efforts, and efforts of competitors. And then to the forefront there will be a service quality of which we in Avantage thought at a project stage, selecting the best and reasonable technical solutions. Their implementation will allocate Avantage with serious "trumps", and not the so low price of racks.

TAdviser: How you are going to make a team which will service such supertechnological DPC?

Alexander Croc: This process already goes. Today we have in the state two persons who create service of operation. They work in a close sheaf with specialists of Technoserv, jointly selecting necessary engineering solutions which could reduce operating costs and simplify operation. DPC Avantage is the high-tech object which is besides under high tension that requires big competence and experience of personnel, and you know that the technical personnel in the market now worth its weight in gold. But we will work in those conditions which we have: gather and form a technical team in process of growth of the project.

TAdviser: Whom do you consider the main competitors in Russia and by what samples you are guided?

Alexander Croc: Of course, Avantage will not be the only so large commercial data center. Today all serious players of this market also strictly develop in the area of work over quality date services. This collective work is very important as it will create the market of commercial DPCs in that type to which it will come in two-three years. The competition in the market is absolutely necessary for its healthy maturing. I can tell that all largest providers communicate among themselves. We understand that our most important task, in addition to receiving a business profit, is reindustrialization of the country. It is with what we, unfortunately, so far have problems.

As for reference points, it is, of course, the western data centers, for example, DPCs of Germany or the USA. Technologies of data centers are in the USA at the level, still inaccessible to the Russian companies: what we only dream today of, they implemented a decade ago. There are unique piece specialists who are able not only to build data centers, but also to competently exploit them. What I saw personally very much impresses. But it means only one – to us is where to grow and what to aim at. Especially as technologies constantly change and do not stand still.

TAdviser: Whether you are going to provide cloud services based on data center, for example, of IaaS?

Alexander Croc: Yes, in the general pool of services of modern commercial DPC cloud computing, transit of data and service of security take already important place. Based on the innovation center we calculate, including, to work on creation of new services in these areas. Case not only in making a tracing-paper from the western data centers in respect of the advanced services. For new services also customers should ripen, or new services should adapt to the Russian reality and requests of clients.

TAdviser: What volume of the areas already zakontraktirovan? May you call anchor clients?

Alexander Croc: More than a half of the areas of data center are already signed on certain contracts and futures for 2016. I cannot report the name of customer companies owing to a trade secret. But we have a confidence that by the time of completion of construction not less than 70% of the areas will be already rented. Key customers are financial institutions, for example, several large banks, a telecom and communications, retailers. There are no foreign companies among tenants yet: in such structures business processes are in a different way built, for the decision on lease they need something more real, than the building site. So everything is possible in the future.

TAdviser: And at such considerable demand already now, at a construction stage whether you have desire to develop and open in the future new platforms?

Alexander Croc: Such plans are. The data center Avantage is so designed that can be scaled by the minimum efforts and investments. We rely on financing of Promsvyazbank now. If after input of data center in operation the project proves to be profitable, then its development is supposed. Now it is difficult to predict a situation further 2016-2017 so task number one is completion of construction of data center to Lytkarino and its reaching design capacity.