Robotics in data centers: prospects and problems

In our time, many spheres of life and production are robotized. More recently, the concepts of "smart home", "robot vacuum cleaner" and others were just fiction, but now it has all become part of our reality. There is no need to talk about production - robotic devices have long ago replaced workers in most cycles of creating things.

And what will robotization to the data center? It turns out that the benefits of using robots in DC can be quite a lot. By the way, some companies already use robots in their data centers. For example, IBM modified the iRobot robot vacuum cleaner in order to create a “mobile post” to measure the temperature and humidity in its DCs, receiving data in real time.
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But the possibilities in the robotization of the data center opens up much more if you think about some aspects.

There are companies, for example, DevLinks LTD, which are engaged in the creation of systems for automation of the data center. Specialists of this company can tell a lot about the prospects for the robotization of the DC, and this opinion should be heeded.

The easiest way to use robots in a DC, for example, is to use robots as boys to run errands - for fast delivery of hard drives, blade servers, and other necessary nodes and items for replacement. In order to facilitate the recognition by robots of all equipment and devices, it is worth using RFID tags, i.e., RFID tags.



What can a robotic data center look like?

Most likely, in such rooms there will be a place for moving robots, for example, special rails are laid so that robots can get to the most distant data center room. In addition, the vertical structure of the DC will be used, as in some modern book storages with a robotic book delivery system.

The vertical structure of the equipment placement really makes sense if you use robots to service such equipment. “Projects like Cognex will help you to take pictures of various kinds of devices, read bar codes, work with radio tags and perform other tasks that usually lie on the shoulders of the DC team,” says the main DevLinks programmer.

Already, companies such as Google, IBM, Amazon, AOL are actively working to create robotic data centers. As for AOL, this company presented its project in 2011, and since then it has been working quite successfully.



In Google, in some DC companies, robots control the loading and unloading of tape drives, which are needed when recovering certain data arrays.

Reduced operating costs

Of course, the cost of operating robotics in DC will now be quite high. However, the more popular and more common such systems will be, the cheaper they will be. In addition, technologies are constantly evolving, not least of all, towards cheaper robotized systems.

It can be hoped that after a few years, robotic DCs will show operating costs not a bit higher than regular data centers.

DC new type

If we imagine an ideal robotic DC, then this will be a room with a vertical structure, with a different system for regulating temperature and lighting (lighting in such DC will not be necessary at all, since the machines will work, not the service teams). One human operator can manage huge arrays of equipment, tracking the quality of the robots, and intervene only in very critical situations.

Of course, the robots will not be able to completely replace the service teams, but they are quite capable of taking on the routine work, the execution of which takes the time of valuable employees.

The main advantages of using robots in DC

The vertical structure of the machine rooms, which automatically means a more efficient use of space DC.

Reduced lighting costs. Yes, many types of robots practically do not need the level of illumination that is necessary for humans. And this will reduce the cost of creating and operating lighting systems that are necessary only for humans.

Reducing the likelihood of equipment failure. When all machines will be monitored, then under the condition of a normal project and its implementation, the risks of equipment failure will be reduced, since the so-called “human factor” will be less. Machines will be able to calculate the probability of equipment failure, or quickly correct / replace the problem node.

Efficient investment. In the long term, investing in robotic DCs will be very profitable. In the short term, all this will require significant costs, but in the long term everything will pay off.

Problems and disadvantages

The need to create a new type of DC. This can be called a problem, because the creation of a new DC project is a technically difficult task, and because all this requires large investments. Most likely, to convert an existing DC into an automated one will not work - you will have to build everything in a new way.

Creating a new type of equipment. Robots will work with a different type of equipment than humans, and the creation of such equipment is the task of both manufacturers and creators of DC.

Big cost. This has already been said, however, it is worth repeating. At first, you will have to invest very large funds to create a qualitatively new platform. In the end, all this should pay off, but investments will be needed, and considerable ones.

When will all this happen, and companies will build robotic data centers? According to experts, "robotization" will occur very actively over the next five to seven years.

Via datacenterknowledge