EcStruxure fr Data Centers FAQ Revisin 1 by Patrick Dnvan Executive summary EcStruxure TM fr Data Centers is Schneider Electric s IT-enabled, pen, interperable system architecture fr data centers. This architecture bridges electrical, mechanical, and IT space systems t reduce risk while increasing efficiency and peratinal speed. EcStruxure maximizes the value f data by turning it int actinable intelligence t enable better business decisins. This Applicatin Nte describes the architecture and answers frequently asked questins related t what it is, hw it helps, hw it will impact ur prduct ffers, and mre. Table f Cntents What is EcStruxure and EcStruxure fr Data Centers? What are the benefits? What are Cnnected Prducts? What is Edge Cntrl? What is Apps, Analytics, & Services? Hw is this architecture IT enabled? Hw is EcStruxure pen & interperable? If EcStruxure is an architecture, is it als a platfrm? Is the EcStruxure architecture available tday? Are there new prduct ffers that are part f the EcStruxure fr Data Centers launch? Is this primarily a marketing initiative? Hw des this architecture affect Schneider Electric prduct ffers? Is EcStruxure the same thrughut all f Schneider Electric s businesses? Des this replace StruxureWare?
End t End Cybersecurity Schneider Electric Applicatin Nte Rev 0 2 FAQs What is EcStruxure and EcStruxure Data Centers? EcStruxure is Schneider Electric s name fr ur IT-enabled, pen, and interperable system architecture. A system architecture is a cnceptual mdel that defines the structure and behaviur f a system. In the case f EcStruxure, the system is cmprised f 3 levels: cnnected prducts, edge cntrl, and apps/analytics/services (see Figure 1). The layers cnnect t each ther thrugh the flw f data ver IT netwrks. Cybersecurity technlgies and practices are used at each level t ensure prtectin. The EcStruxure architecture maximizes the value f data t deliver imprved safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability fr ur custmers and their data centers. EcStruxure is ur IT-enabled, pen, and interperable system architecture Figure 1 Graphical representatin f the EcStruxure architecture Apps, Analytics & Services Edge Cntrl Cnnected Prducts Dmains f Expertise The data center end market is served by 3 dmains f expertise: Building: This dmain cvers the facility mechanical, fire, and security systems traditinally managed by a building management (r autmatin) system (BMS r BAS). Cnfidential Prperty f Schneider Electric We deply EcStruxure in a tailred instance fr each f 4 key vertical end markets -- Building, Data Center, Industry, and Infrastructure -- where we have decades f deep dmain expertise and applied experience. Page 11 There is a specific instance f EcStruxure with a unique set f cnnected prducts, sftware, apps, services and analytics fr fur end markets: Industry, Buildings, Grid, & Data Centers. Figure 2 shws the EcStruxure fr Data Centers architecture. Nte that the Data Center end market will cmmnly be served by 3 dmains f expertise: IT, Buildings, and Pwer (see Sidebar). Fr each dmain, there are prduct ffers fr each f the three levels f the architecture. IT: This dmain includes the physical infrastructure systems typically fund in the IT rm r white space f a data center including IT racks, PODs, PDUs, Rack PDUs, air cntain- Figure 2 Graphical ment systems, view and f envirnmental sensrs. fr Data Centers EcStruxure illustrating the prduct ffers Pwer: fr each level f the architecture This dmain cvers the electrical distributin netwrk and UPS systems including switchgear, transfrmers, breakers, panel bards, busway, and meters. EcStruxure Data Centers FAQ
Schneider Electric Applicatin Nte Rev 0 3 EcStruxure is fundamentally abut maximizing the value f data t make data centers mre reliable, mre efficient, easier t manage, and mre cst effective. What are the benefits? Adpting the architecture makes the data center mre reliable, mre efficient, peratinally simpler, and mre cst effective than it wuld therwise be thrugh traditinal peratinal practices. At a fundamental level, it des this by making management easier and by making smarter use f the data cllected by the infrastructure hardware & sensrs. EcStruxure takes advantage f IT and Clud technlgies t ffer a superir alternative t traditinal management systems: Quickly deply and remtely manage all equipment, systems, and sites anywhere frm ne phne Easily cnnect Schneider Electric experts t mnitr and service Unlimited scalability; cllect and analyze massive amunts f data Increase perfrmance and resiliency with redundant Clud & n premise sftware Clud-based analytics engines identify incident patterns and causal dependencies enabling predictive and practive measures What are Cnnected Prducts? Cnnected Prducts refer t the hardware (e.g., pwer meters, UPSs, cling units, etc) that is cnnected t a management netwrk s that it can be cntrlled and mnitred by n premise sftware r Clud-based Web applicatins, analytics r services. These prducts are instrumented (have built-in sensrs) t cllect data abut itself and its envirnment. That data is sent t the sftware r Web app (via a gateway). Cnnected prducts allw varying degrees f cntrl via the sftware r app depending n which prduct and what is allwed by the wner. This might be as simple as cnfiguring user adjustable perating parameters t full cntrl f the unit s functins and peratin. What is Edge Cntrl? Edge cntrl refers t the sftware r systems (either n premise r via Clud) that ffers mnitring, alarming, and individual device cntrls/cnfiguratin fr the physical infrastructure equipment. Edge cntrl is used by the custmer. NOTE: the use f the wrd edge here shuld nt be cnfused with the term, edge cmputing. Instead, edge here is referring t the data center physical infrastructure equipment in the cntext f an IT fcused wrld where the things (i.e., equipment being managed) are n the edge frm the perspective f the Clud. What is Apps, Analytics, & Services? At the tp f the EcStruxure architecture is the apps, analytics, & services level. This is fundamentally where the full value and prmise f the EcStruxure architecture gets delivered. Clud-based applicatins and big data analytics will prvide unprecedented visibility and insight that will reduce risk, simplify peratins, and increase efficiencies. Users will be able t mnitr their sites anywhere, anytime frm any device. Resiliency and visibility will imprve thrugh live sensr data, predictive analytics and smart alarming. Applicatins ffering remte mnitring capabilities EcStruxure Data Centers FAQ
Schneider Electric Applicatin Nte Rev 0 4 (via smart phne) can be dne either by the end user r by Schneider Electric experts prviding peace f mind fr data center peratrs. Data analytic services in the Clud takes the data cllected frm the Edge Cntrl sftware t prvide status, trend, and predictive reprting infrmatin that reduces risk, imprves perfrmance, and reduces peratins csts. Digitized services will prvide a much faster, mre practive respnse. Fr example, live 7x24 technical supprt and field service dispatch all frm Schneider Electric s experts will help prevent prblems, reslve issues mre quickly, and reduce mean time t recvery r repair. These services are integrated within the app simplifying their use. The apps and clud data will als serve as a fundatin fr an pen app develpment platfrm that uses public APIs enabling further innvatin and value t emerge. Hw is the architecture IT enabled? The architecture s fundatin is the cnnected prducts; i.e., the things f IT. The value f analytics, planning, and the edge cntrl functin f the management system depends n the data cllected and sent t the system. Schneider Electric ffers easy-t-cnnect systems with embedded r add-n netwrk management cards. Schneider Electric ensures the secure cllectin and transmissin f the right kind and amunt f data. Hw is EcStruxure pen & interperable? EcStruxure Data Centers relies n pen prtcls including publicly available Web service APIs t make it pssible fr custmers and 3 rd party develpers t create their wn unique applicatins r dashbards t pull in device r system data. It is als designed t be interperable by enabling the sharing f data acrss the 3 dmains f expertise: Buildings, Pwer, and IT. This ccurs tday at the Edge Cntrl layer, and will eventually ccur at the Apps & Analytics level. If EcStruxure is an architecture, is it als a platfrm? EcStruxure Data Centers is fundamentally an architecture. Hwever, the Cnnected Prducts and Edge Cntrl layers d prvide a platfrm fr the develpment f applicatins. While limited in scpe and capability tday, there are plans t make a full and pen platfrm fr EcStruxure Data Centers that includes public APIs and sftware develpment kits. S, while there is a platfrm within the EcStruxure architecture (the platfrm being the cnnected prducts and edge cntrl sftware tls), they are nt ne and the same. The EcStruxure architecture includes the Schneider Electric apps, analytics and services that cme frm the platfrm. T be an EcStruxure slutin r t be an example f an EcStruxure Architecture, there shuld be all three levels present: cnnected prducts, edge cntrl AND apps, analytics, & services. Is the EcStruxure architecture available tday? Yes, acrss all f Schneider Electric s end markets including Data Centers, slutins based n the EcStruxure architecture can and have been specified and installed fr custmers. In the Data Center end market, there are slutins fr each f the 3 layers (cnnected prducts, edge cntrl, and apps, analytics & services) acrss each f the 3 dmains f expertise (IT, Buildings, Pwer) see Figure 2 abve. These slutins cntinue t evlve and prgress ver time t further the visin f EcStruxure. EcStruxure Data Centers FAQ
Schneider Electric Applicatin Nte Rev 0 5 Are there new prduct ffers that are part f the EcStruxure Data Centers launch? Schneider Electric s current data center ffer f cnnected hardware prducts, sftware, and apps fit within the EcStruxure architecture tday. Hwever, ur ffers will cntinue t evlve and imprve with time. In 2018 there will be several new prduct launches frm IT, Pwer and Buildings that will further embrace the visin f EcStruxure. Is this primarily a marketing initiative? EcStruxure represents a fundamental evlutin in ur ffer away frm traditinal nn-cnnected hardware and n premise sftware t ne that is IT-enabled and Clud-based. It takes advantage f increasingly lw cst, small, and varied sensrs alng with the pwer f the Clud-based Big Data analytics t cllect, analyze, and reprt infrastructure data t the great advantage f ur custmers. Our ffer has been evlving twards the visin f EcStruxure fr sme time nw making cnnected prducts, n premise Edge Cntrl sftware, and Clud based apps & services. Our ffers will cntinuusly evlve t take increasing advantage f the architecture and t push its bundaries fr the benefit f ur custmers. Hw des this architecture affect Schneider Electric data center prduct ffers? The EcStruxure architecture impacts ur ffer develpment ging frward. The fllwing is a list f attributes fr each level that are a pririty t ptimize: Hardware Easily cnnectable Edge Cntrl sftware Cyber secure as a thing in the IT wrld Highly instrumented t cllect data needed fr predictive analytics Clud enabled fr limitless scalability & resiliency Cyber secure Apps, analytics & services Open platfrm t enable prlific app develpment Cyber secure Crss dmain (Facilities/IT/CxO) data sharing & integratin Predictive analytics engine Remte management & integrated services (supprt, practive field service dispatch, etc) Is EcStruxure the same thrughut the cmpany? The architecture is the same acrss the cmpany fr every end market there are the same three levels: cnnected prducts, edge cntrl, and apps, analytics, & services. The prducts, sftware tls, apps, and services vary, hwever, by end market. The degree t which these ffers embrace r take advantage f the architecture als varies frm ne end market t anther and frm ne dmain t anther. Over time, hwever, as ffers evlve, these differences will decrease. EcStruxure Data Centers FAQ
Schneider Electric Applicatin Nte Rev 0 6 Des this replace StruxureWare? StruxureWare Data Center Expert and Operatin will cntinue t exist as Schneider Electric s n premise data center infrastructure management (DCIM) sftware tls. Patrick Dnvan Patrick Dnv an is a Senir Research Analyst fr the Data Center Science Center at Schneider Electric. He has ver 22 years f experience develping and supprting critical pwer and cling systems fr Schneider Electric s IT Business unit including several award -winning pwer prtectin, efficiency and availability slutins. An authr f numerus white papers, industry articles, and technlgy assessments, Patrick's research n data center physical infrastructure technlgies and markets ffers guidance and advice n best practices fr planning, designing, and peratin f data center facilities Cntact us Fr feedback and cmments abut the cntent f this white paper: Data Center Science Center dcsc@schneider-electric.cm If yu are a custmer and have questins specific t yur data center prject: Cntact yur Schneider Electric representative at www.apc.cm/supprt/cntact/index.cfm 2017 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. EcStruxure Data Centers FAQ