If you're brave enough to move full datacenter racks, here's the robot for you
(2023/10/16)
- Reference: 1697435108
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/10/16/jtec_robot_datacenter_rack_movers/
- Source link:
Folks who show up to this week's Open Compute Summit can see something interesting if they visit Meta's stand: a rig designed to automate moves of datacenter racks over considerable distances while they're full of kit.
Material handling outfit Jtec Industries [1]reckons a full rack that meets the Open Compute Project's ORV2 or ORV3 specs can weigh up to 1,500kg apiece, and warns that datacenter staff who try to shift them risk musculoskeletal injuries.
Jtec's bread and butter is motorized carts that move things around inside warehouses. Some of its offerings can do so autonomously.
[2]
The firm has become aware, however, that hyperscalers like to move whole racks, while full, and like to do so promptly as the need arises. Waiting for a puny human to do the job isn't feasible, Jtec suggests.
[3]
[4]
"This demand is particularly pronounced among hyperscalers, who require high-volume rack deployments and decommissioning to achieve their mission," Jtec stated last week.
Enter the "ORV2/ORV3-Compatible Server Rack Cart" which, as the name implies, is a wheeled mount for datacenter racks that's ready to roll when attached to an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) or crewed warehouse tractor.
[5]
As shown in the video below, users load wheeled racks into the cart, which lifts it a little off the floor. Once that's done, a vehicle can move the racks around as required.
[6]Youtube Video
Jtec says it's spent four years developing the carts "with a major hyperscale and AGV manufacturer."
[7]
We think that hyperscaler could be Meta, because when we asked Jtec to identify its partner we were told the device can be viewed on the social networking giant's stand at the OCP Summit,
"Prototypes have been successfully deployed and are operating in several hyperscale datacenters," Jtec asserts.
[8]NTT Data adopting datacenter inspection robots to relieve humans of some chores
[9]Fujitsu to test robot datacenter inspector that – trust us – won't take your jobs
[10]We've never even built datacenters using robots here on Earth
[11]FYI: Alibaba Cloud says it has robot sysadmins that swap faulty disks in four minutes
The product's not quite ready to roll, as it were. Jtec described it has having had a "soft launch" as it awaits final safety tests. But the firm predicts "first deployment of production units expected during the fourth quarter of 2023."
Jtec's signed up as an OCP Partner, too, which may give hyperscalers more comfort that their racks are safe in the claws of warehouse robots.
A final word for would-be users: don't forget to unplug your rack before moving it. We've previously [12]heard of a major outage caused by leaving things connected before a move. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.opencompute.org/blog/overcoming-challenges-the-need-for-automated-rack-movements-in-data-center-facilities
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ikIiBbPw0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/01/ntt_data_center_robots/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/08/fujitsu_5g_4k_datacenter_robot/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/30/data_crown_jewels/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/12/alibaba_singles_day/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2017/02/26/hpes_australian_tax_failures_may_have_been_user_error/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Material handling outfit Jtec Industries [1]reckons a full rack that meets the Open Compute Project's ORV2 or ORV3 specs can weigh up to 1,500kg apiece, and warns that datacenter staff who try to shift them risk musculoskeletal injuries.
Jtec's bread and butter is motorized carts that move things around inside warehouses. Some of its offerings can do so autonomously.
[2]
The firm has become aware, however, that hyperscalers like to move whole racks, while full, and like to do so promptly as the need arises. Waiting for a puny human to do the job isn't feasible, Jtec suggests.
[3]
[4]
"This demand is particularly pronounced among hyperscalers, who require high-volume rack deployments and decommissioning to achieve their mission," Jtec stated last week.
Enter the "ORV2/ORV3-Compatible Server Rack Cart" which, as the name implies, is a wheeled mount for datacenter racks that's ready to roll when attached to an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) or crewed warehouse tractor.
[5]
As shown in the video below, users load wheeled racks into the cart, which lifts it a little off the floor. Once that's done, a vehicle can move the racks around as required.
[6]Youtube Video
Jtec says it's spent four years developing the carts "with a major hyperscale and AGV manufacturer."
[7]
We think that hyperscaler could be Meta, because when we asked Jtec to identify its partner we were told the device can be viewed on the social networking giant's stand at the OCP Summit,
"Prototypes have been successfully deployed and are operating in several hyperscale datacenters," Jtec asserts.
[8]NTT Data adopting datacenter inspection robots to relieve humans of some chores
[9]Fujitsu to test robot datacenter inspector that – trust us – won't take your jobs
[10]We've never even built datacenters using robots here on Earth
[11]FYI: Alibaba Cloud says it has robot sysadmins that swap faulty disks in four minutes
The product's not quite ready to roll, as it were. Jtec described it has having had a "soft launch" as it awaits final safety tests. But the firm predicts "first deployment of production units expected during the fourth quarter of 2023."
Jtec's signed up as an OCP Partner, too, which may give hyperscalers more comfort that their racks are safe in the claws of warehouse robots.
A final word for would-be users: don't forget to unplug your rack before moving it. We've previously [12]heard of a major outage caused by leaving things connected before a move. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.opencompute.org/blog/overcoming-challenges-the-need-for-automated-rack-movements-in-data-center-facilities
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ikIiBbPw0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZS0JxpMpJ@zuOGKjLAIbEQAAAwI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/01/ntt_data_center_robots/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/08/fujitsu_5g_4k_datacenter_robot/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/30/data_crown_jewels/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/12/alibaba_singles_day/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2017/02/26/hpes_australian_tax_failures_may_have_been_user_error/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: I want one
A Non e-mouse
Or a large greasy breakfast.
Re: I want one
jake
I'd want the horizontal version after a heavy breakfast, not the vertical one.
A pallet jack ...
jake
... by any other name is still a pallet jack.
Nice of the driver to stop, drop the load, and then show us how easy they are to pull out of and load into the contraption, by ... err ... rolling the rack around on its wheels.
Doctor Syntax
"Waiting for a puny human to do the job isn't feasible, Jtec suggests."
So wait for a non-puny human instead.
don't forget to unplug your rack before moving it.
Bebu
I was imagining something really clever that maintained the power supply and network/interconnects(infiniband?) wirelessly while moving the rack. :)
Years and years ago I finessed a running *nix mail server onto a trolley and transferred the redundant power supplies to a ups on the trolley and wheeled it to another location (due to an unplanned extended outage.) Wifi wasn't then a big thing :( so it was disconnected for 5-10 minutes.
Try that on a false floor
Dave Pickles
And with typical DC rack densities...
Re: Try that on a false floor
Neil Barnes
Well the supports are probably up to it... not so sure about the tiles!
Re: Try that on a false floor
jake
At least a few of the raised floors dotted around Silly Con Valley would easily support an F-250 full of line printers, card readers, tape drives, and the like. You can guess how I know this.
I want one
Yes for datacenter racks
But also my sorry self after a heavy night