ENCLOSURES
Limitless freedom for edge servers
Andreas Bergbauer, senior product line manager Intel Xeon-D processors at congatec explains how Intel Xeon D processors on COM-HPC server-on-modules offer limitless freedom for edge servers
E
ver since manufacturers like Congatec put the Intel Xeon D processors on COM-HPC server-on-modules on the market, edge server installations have been released from the strict thermal confinements of air-conditioned server rooms and can now finally be utilised whenever large amounts of data throughput with the lowest possible latencies are needed - right up to deterministic real-time.
To facilitate the communication with client systems in real time and without delays, data is typically processed at the edge of the communication networks in edge server computing, rather than in central clouds. Unfortunately, this is problematic for manufacturers of server, networking, and storage technologies. To date, they have been consistently generating rack solutions for their systems, where the thermal management of the racks and the air conditioning of the server rooms are regulated by active ventilation concepts and powerful air conditioning technology. Nevertheless, these methods are no longer convenient when it comes to edge server technology. ASHRAE - The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers - already has considerable experience regarding the practical installment of edge servers in harsh environments. The association has also offered reasonable propositions to ensure that edge data centres remain compatible with high-performance air conditioning and the best available insulation so they can be shielded from the heat and the cold.
Liberate edge-servers from the constraints of air conditioning
Having said that, ASHRAE advises that for optimal performance, edge data centres should only undergo a maximum temperature change of 20 degrees Celsius in one hour and a maximum temperature change of 5 degrees Celsius in 15 minutes. This is, regrettably, hard to achieve as it would necessitate advanced air conditioning technology. Furthermore, these guidelines are even harder to abide by when carrying out maintenance work on edge data centres that happen to be smaller in size than a telephone booth for example as
Figure 1: The world’s first COM-HPC Server-on-Modules with Intel Xeon D processors allow edge servers to be freed from the limitations of air-conditioned server rooms
manufacturers should have the ability to work on these solutions during the maintenance stage and at any ambient temperature. It would obviously be impractical to access such systems swiftly with a control lock then rush to close the door again simply to perform maintenance in the fully air-conditioned edge server room.
Hence, in harsh environments, edge servers and data centeres require system designs that are equipped to handle temperature variations more effectively and that can also function at a much more extensive temperature range than 0-40 degrees Celsius, which is typically recommended for indoor IT equipment. Instead, it is imperative to aim for embedded system designs that can perform at ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C Arctic cold to a hot 85°C Celsius that are more prevalent in industrial environments. Therefore, every component must be evaluated accordingly.
State-of-the-art designs can help reduce air conditioning expenses
The processor technology involved is the most sensitive aspect of the design of edge server, networking, and storage technologies. Determining whether to abide by ASHRAE
38 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
directives and therefore allocate a large amount of money to invest in air conditioning technology and insulation, and operating costs due to secondary energy consumption, hinges entirely on this technology. Alternatively, manufacturers can also decide to rely on other types of systems that do not require these efforts to function efficiently in extreme temperatures and that can be deployed in harsh environments more cost-effectively. Some of these systems include but are not limited to: Installations in factories, outdoor equipment for communications, video surveillance and other critical infrastructures, and servers in mobile systems ranging from trains and airplanes to self-driving shuttle buses in smart cities.
Since the emergence of Xeon D processors, a robust server technology has now surfaced that can be used over a wide temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. So, high-performance server designs can also be freed from the rigid thermal constraints of air-conditioned server rooms and set up wherever latency-free massive data throughput is needed at the edge of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 factories.
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