SAP Data Centre

SAP is a multi-billion dollar international company that creates and manages financial software. Three quarters of all transaction revenue in the world goes through their network at some point, and their hub in Vancouver is a very important part of their operation. Naturally, when they decided to trade out their CRAC systems in late 2016 for a more sustainable chilled loop system, they needed to make sure that link was maintained during the work. That’s where we came in.

The Challenge

It was determined that 165 tons of cooling was needed in various areas of the data centre. Air-cooled units were not an option; the data centre was sealed inside of concrete walls (preventing us from venting the heat) and the rooms being located at the centre of the building (too far to duct in cool air from units situated outside). The only choice was a number of water-cooled units positioned throughout the server room. There was no room for error; servers overheating would cost SAP hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity and data.

The Solution

A total of nineteen 10-ton and 5-ton water-cooled units were used, as well as heavy-duty fans to direct the flow of air to where it was needed most. The installation was completed over four days, which allowed for extensive testing of the units in stages. Additional testing and maintenance for all the units was carried out weekly during the rental period to ensure that the units were always in top condition and never in danger of failing or malfunctioning.

The Result

The units were in place for three months over the winter season while the CRAC systems were replaced with a chilled loop. During that time our units managed 100% of the heat load and the temperature in the server rooms was more consistent than it had ever been with the CRAC systems. With the help of Cool Air’s expertise and available 24-hour service, SAP safely switched over to an energy-efficient air-conditioning system with significant cost savings and increased reliability.