Each data center - by virtual reality

Virtual and augmented reality is a great tool in the hands of a designer or architect. VR is becoming increasingly indispensable in the design, construction or operation of data centers. In particular, virtual reality allows you to conduct a remote presentation of the project, as just designed, and began to build. In addition, using this method, demonstrations of virtual copies of server farms are conducted to potential customers of DCs who would not like to conclude a cooperation agreement, but who do not have the opportunity to visit the data center.

In addition, virtual and augmented reality are used by technical experts to test the performance of the infrastructure of data centers, both those that are being built and those that have already been put into operation. Thus, experts can visually see the problems of the data center and solve these problems in a short time. And VR capabilities in the data center industry are constantly improving.

In particular, the company Future Facilities recently introduced the technology of full VR-simulation of data centers.
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The main specialization of this company is the development of models for the interaction of various media (both gases and liquids) with elements of the data center infrastructure. For such a model, sensors, sensors and a central system are used, which collects such data in real time.


Initially, the company helped its customers solve the causes of problems with cooling systems, gas exhaust and others. Over time, these tools gradually evolved, until they were transformed into a complete data center modeling system.

According to experts, this technology has really great potential. Its advantages are that, in addition to modeling the energy system, cooling plants, machine rooms, the technology opens up the possibility of monitoring and taking into account internal and external factors that can in any way affect the construction and operation of the data center. For example, if there is a database with weather conditions in a specific location where a data center is located, then this system takes them into account, correcting the indicators of the system’s optimal cooling performance during the year.


More recently, the company has created an application in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology. To do this, use the virtual reality helmet Oculus Rift. With it, you can take a virtual walk through the data center, and not only modern. If you wish, you can see how the first data centers appeared in the middle of the last century. You can also walk through the ultramodern DC with all its achievements.

But the main thing, of course, is the modeling of DCs of interest to Future Facilities’s clients. With the help of modeling, one can see a variety of infrastructural layers, as well as flows of liquid and gases showing the degree of influence on the local environment. For example, in a helmet visible air flow, the direction of their movement and temperature. You can "move" server racks, elements of cooling equipment and other objects, checking the impact of such changes on the entire system.


With this approach, many experts agree. For example, the collocation provider Aegis Data is already firmly working with virtual reality. In particular, for planning the placement of equipment, for assessing the appearance of the building and many other purposes. For customers, this is also a plus, in particular, before renting equipment, they can see where it will be located, evaluate the security system and many other elements.

Another field of application for virtual reality in the data center is the training of technical specialists, the transfer of experience between members of different teams of the same company. Various companies are now developing virtual systems for remote control of DCs, which are at a great distance from each other.