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10: Green IT Case Studies for Universities and a Large Company 159

solution that also can be readily expanded. Sun Microsystems also has a Data
Center in a Box concept, called Project Blackbox. During its debut in 2007,
Sun installed a Blackbox—essentially a cargo container for 18-wheelers—
outside of Grand Central Station in New York City, to show how easily one of
its data centers could be installed. In addition, Rackable Systems has a simi-
lar data center design it calls ICE Cube. These modular and container designs
will be a significant help for the predicted worsening space crunch for data
centers due to high-performance demands and expensive real estate prices. In
this section, we first look at the details of the Bryant University modular data
center design and then further discuss the future of that type of data center
design approach.
The modular data center technology allowed Bryant University to meet the
school’s technology requirements for its growing enrollment while simultane-
ously becoming more energy conscious by implementing a green data center.
The Scalable Modular Data Center proved to be a cost-saving, energy-efficient
solution that was rapidly deployed as a pre-engineered data center.
Founded in 1863, Bryant University has a history of excellence and inno-
vation, both academically and technologically. The university prides itself on
ptg
being wired with “one port per pillow” in each of its dorm rooms; however,
as the university grew, its three data centers couldn’t handle enterprise infor-
mation technology (IT) for either communication or computing. The IT ven-
dor services included a data center strategy, data center design, server and
storage integration, relocation planning, project management, infrastructure
equipment sourcing, installation services and management, data center test-
ing, and start-up management. A modular data center solution can usually
be implemented in 8 to 12 weeks and is usually about 15 percent less expen-
sive than traditional data center builds.
The modular design solution integrates power, cooling, rack, manage-
ment, services, and security, allowing for selection of standardized compo-
nents to create a solution through modular configurations. By using
standardized components, the architecture easily scales to meet the evolving
needs of the university.

Summary, Bryant University Scalable Modular Data
Center
Rapid deployment of a traditional data center at 20 percent less cost than
a traditional data center raised floor design.