Data Centre Selection
The operational backbone of an on-premises HPC is its hosting facility. Whether you are looking to build, rescope or allocate a data centre your business will be required to make a significant upfront investment for a significant period of time.
We work closely with you to understand your existing and future HPC requirements. This includes assessing factors like:Â
- Capacity & Capabilities: Processing power, storage and network bandwidth requirements.
- Power & Cooling: Power availability, cooling infrastructure, and energy efficiency.
- Budget: Financial constraints and cost optimisation strategies.
- Sustainability: Environmental impact and sustainability strategy.
- Network Connectivity: Bandwidth, network latency and future upgrade requirements.
- Location: Accessibility and disaster recovery considerations.
The Importance of Strategic Data Centre Selection:
- Maximising ROI: A well-chosen data centre minimises unexpected costs and optimises your return on investment (ROI) for your HPC infrastructure.Â
- Ensuring Performance & Stability: Selecting a data centre with the appropriate power, cooling, and network infrastructure is critical for optimal HPC performance, minimising downtime and ensuring smooth operation.Â
- Future-Proofing Your Investment: Choosing a data centre capable of accommodating future growth ensures your HPC system can adapt to your evolving needs without requiring costly infrastructure upgrades.Â
- Sustainability in Focus: Selecting a data centre with a commitment to sustainability which aligns with your environmental goals and reduces your HPC’s carbon footprint.Â
HPC Strategy & Planning
Build a HPC strategy that will deliver on current and future requirements for all users, including funding investment for a sustainable solution. Â
HPC Procurement
Managing the complex process of HPC technical specifications, as in-depth as required, to deliver the right solution, on time and in budget.Â
HPC Expansion & Optimisation
Understand your workflows, the ratio of computational intensity vs data intensity, test performance, speed, agility, whilst analysing all HPC costs to understand its true value and cost.Â
Why Choose Red Oak for Data Centre Selection?
- Independent and Objective: Our recommendations prioritise your needs, not vendor affiliations. We provide comprehensive assessments and unbiased advice to select the optimal data centre for your specific HPC requirements.
- Deep Understanding of HPC Needs: We possess a wealth of knowledge and experience in HPC hosting requirements. We consider factors crucial for HPC performance, including power, cooling, network connectivity, and long-term scalability.
- Future-Proof Strategies: We don't just focus on your current needs; we plan for the future. We help you select a data centre that can accommodate your evolving HPC workloads and growing capacity demands.
- Sustainability Commitment: We prioritise environmentally responsible practices. We help you find data centres that utilise sustainable cooling solutions and prioritise renewable energy sources.
Explore Our Range of HPC Services 
At Red Oak Consulting, we are committed to maximising performance while optimising costs, every step of the way. Contact us today and unlock the full potential of your HPC infrastructure Â
With unparalleled experience in deploying major, multi-million-pound systems worldwide, Red Oak Consulting stands as a leader in the field.
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High-Performance Computing projects delivered
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HPC projects delivered on time
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HPC procurements ranging from £100K to £500 million
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Proven track record of customer satisfaction
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HPC in the Cloud projects
FAQs
When it comes to hosting an HPC system there are several options to consider. These range from on-premises, cloud, HPC as a service (HPCaaS) and more. It is advisable to run a TCO to understand the cost factors and the ROI of each option. Some of the factors to consider are sustainability, security, support, lead times etc.
As part of hosting a HPC cluster, planning and implementation of all the supporting infrastructure has to be taken into account. The list is extensive and amongst others includes:
- Sustainability
- Power
- Cooling
- Security
- Fire protection
- Floor space
- Access
It is essential to ensure the data centre design meets the requirements of an HPC deployment and provides scalability.
Modular data centre deployments are becoming ever more popular as deployment time can be faster and they can provide scalability. This allows for quicker ROI as the HPC can be in production sooner and provides future flexibility. However, there are many other considerations to take into account before making the decision, such as space, maintenance, existing hosting options, costs, etc.
The decision should be based on a requirements gathering exercise and an understanding of the TCO for the project as a whole.
HPC deployments are complex and require project management through the entire procurement and deployment cycle. The project management team must have the experience and expertise of end to end HPC deployments, including the hosting infrastructure. Initially a business case must be approved followed by a rigorous requirements gathering that feeds into the RFP. The hosting infrastructure and the HPC solutions must be coordinated to ensure the infrastructure meets the requirements of the HPC. As an example consider what the cooling solution will be for the HPC as this will impact the hosting facility’s ability to provision the correct solution.
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