The data centre is part of a "smart campus" development that will also benefit from the deployment of WiFi6 to facilitate collaboration between the university's UAE and UK campuses.
Schneider said the new facility is set to become one of the UAE's "most advanced on-site data centres".
“We aim to deliver a flexible and powerful teaching environment in Dubai that students and staff will enjoy,” said Professor David Sadler, Provost at the University of Birmingham Dubai.
“In delivering an educational experience like no other in Dubai, we wanted to create a data centre that would be future-proof – supporting our goal of a tech-smart, energy-efficient campus. This data centre’s performance, efficiency and sustainability will create the platform upon which we will build out our IT systems. By working with CDW and Schneider Electric, our staff, students and academics can enjoy an excellent technology platform that will enhance their campus experience.”
Schneider Electric's hardware and software included Easy Metered Rack Power Distribution Units (Rack PDU) for real-time remote monitoring of power usage, as well as power management for connected loads. Uninterruptible Power Supply devices provide battery backup power in case of a sudden loss of electricity, and Easy Rack mounts simplify the data centre’s design and maintenance.
Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT software has been deployed to monitor, manage and optimise energy use across servers, cooling and electrical equipment either on-site or remotely. Further, in-built cybersecurity will reduce the risk of a security breach by running vulnerability assessments on all devices within the data centre.
Schneider's tech was implemented by system integrator CDW. It is designed to be "as energy efficient as possible" and includes features such as remote management and performance benchmarking against thousands of other data centres worldwide. Connected to the University of Birmingham’s UK campus, the centre will allow rapid data exchange between the two sites.
