Server rack service utilities for a data center in a shipping container

• US 20080060790A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hillis, W. Daniel, Ferren, Bran, Yates, Randall A., Salter, Kenneth D., Khanlian, Luke W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/80.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/741 aerating by ambient air through openings in the wall
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2001/1283 Small buildings of the ISO containers type
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2005/005 Buildings for data processing centers
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 5/02 Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial purposes, e.g. for power-plants or factories buildings forming part of cooling plants E04H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/14 of cable support type, i.e. frictionally-engaged loop-forming cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1497 Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20754 Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets

Abstract

A movable data center comprising a portable enclosure in which a data processing module is operatively disposed. The data processing module is assembled onto a rack located in the enclosure that is movable between and operative position and a service position. A heat exchange module is arranged in the enclosure in air flow communication with the data processing module on the rack. The rack may be moved from the operative position in which the rack is in air flow communication with the heat exchange module to the service position in which the rack is not in air flow communication with the heat exchange module.

Claims

1. A movable data center comprising:

a portable enclosure;

a rack disposed within the enclosure movable between an operative position and a service position;

a data processing module assembled on the rack; and

a heat exchange tower arranged in the enclosure in air flow communication with the data processing module on the rack;

wherein the rack is moved from the operative position in which the rack is in air flow communication with the heat exchange module to the service position in which the rack is not in air flow communication with the heat exchange module.

2. The data center of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is a shipping container.

3. The data center of claim 2 wherein the container has a floor that is assembled to a base wall of the container.

4. The data center of claim 1 wherein the rack has skids attached to a bottom on which the rack is moved between the operative and service positions.

5. The data center of claim 4 wherein the skids are secured to the enclosure by cleats attached to the enclosure.

6. The data center of claim 4 further comprising a spring support disposed between the skids and the rack that resiliently supports the rack in the enclosure, wherein a lift is used to raise the rack off of the spring support to facilitate moving the rack.

7. The data center of claim 1 further comprising a dolly having a body including a platform that is adapted to engage the rack to facilitate moving the rack, a plurality of casters supporting the platform, and a height adjusting jack forming part of the body that permits the height of the platform to be adjusted.

8. The data center of claim 1 further comprising a network switch in the enclosure that receives and transmits data from outside the enclosure to the data processing module.

9. The data center of claim 8 further comprising an articulated cable guide disposed above the rack and a plurality of data cables that are supported by the articulated cable guide to permit the rack to be moved between the operative position and the service position without disconnecting the data cables.

10. The data center of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange tower is fixed to the enclosure and the rack is moved relative to the heat exchange tower.

11. The data center of claim 10 wherein the heat exchange tower further comprises a chilled water recirculating heat exchange module, and wherein a plurality of fans are oriented to direct air flow across the data processing module and the heat exchange module.

12. The data center of claim 11 further comprising a closed loop air flow passage is disposed entirely within the enclosure, wherein a plurality of the racks that support a plurality of the data processing modules are provided in the air flow passage, and wherein a plurality of the heat exchange modules are provided in the air flow passage.

13. The data center of claim 12 further comprising a center aisle provided in the enclosure, wherein the air flow passage extends around the center aisle, wherein the racks are disposed in the air flow passage in the operative position, and wherein the racks are moved to the center aisle in the service position.

14. The data center of claim 13 further comprising a stationary cable rack disposed over the center aisle, wherein data cables from the data processing module are routed over the stationary cable rack.

15. The data center of claim 14 further comprising an articulated cable guide disposed above the rack and a plurality of data cables that are supported by the articulated cable guide to permit the rack to be moved between the operative position and service position without disconnecting the data cables.

16. A movable data center comprising:

a shipping container;

a data processing module operatively disposed in the shipping container;

a heat exchange module operatively disposed in the container; and

a rack disposed within the container and configured to receive the data processing module, the rack being movable between an operative position in which the rack is in air flow communication with the heat exchange module and a service position in which the rack is not in air flow communication with the heat exchange module.

17. The data center of claim 16 wherein the rack has skids attached to a bottom on which the rack is moved between the operative and service positions.

18. The data center of claim 17 wherein the skids are secured to the enclosure by cleats attached to the enclosure.

19. The data center of claim 17 further comprising a spring support disposed between the skids and the rack that resiliently supports the rack in the enclosure.

20. The data center of claim 16 wherein the heat exchange module is attached to the enclosure and the rack is moved relative to the heat exchange module.