IBM is rolling out a custom data center building service called the Scalable Modular Server Room, or SMSR for short, a companion to the Portable Modular Data Center, Big Blue’s riff on containerized data centers, announced in December 2009. The SMSR is a smaller version of a product that IBM’s Global Services and System and Technology Group tag-teamed on back in May 2007 called the Scalable Modular Data Center (SMDC), IBM’s first pass at an energy efficient data center and part of its Big Green marketing push.
The SMSR is aimed at customers with data closet needs in the 150 to 300 square feet range, and comes in three flavors; the entry version
The basic configuration has room for three racks for servers, storage, and other hardware (126U of total usable capacity), delivers between 8 and 12 kilowatts of power, has an N+1 power (with uninterruptible power supplies) and cooling. It also has access control and a fire alarm, and is constructed of a fire resistant shell capable of repelling heat and flame for up to two hours.
Then the “Optima” with 6 racks and 30 kW, and the “Ultima” at eight racks (no indication on whether they considered “Optimus Prime” or “Megatron” as model names). IBM claims that customers can save 15% in CAPEX by buying an SMSR solution versus rolling their own.
If you are at a university or small business and considering a move to a small HPC system but don’t want to (or can’t) do it yourself, you might be interested in this. More in Timothy Prickett Morgan’s article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/01/ibm_smsr_pilot/
