Genomics research organization the Wellcome Sanger Institute has revealed it has reduced energy use in its data center by 33 percent.

EfficiencyIT and Schneider Electric led the transformation project at the institute’s 4.5MW data center, located at the Wellcome Genome Campus outside Cambridge in the UK.

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is one of Europe’s largest independent research facilities and plays a key role in multiple genome sequencing projects. Its sequencing machines can produce up to 4TB of data each day.

Sensors and custom PDUs

Working with EfficiencyIT, it transformed its data center using Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT Advisor, on-premises data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software, and more than 300 custom-designed APC pack power distribution unit (PDU) systems.

A host of sensors were installed across the data center to gather environmental and mechanical information, which was then analyzed using machine learning-based data analytics systems to help remove stranded capacity and manage operating expenses.

Speaking to DCD, Nick Ewing, managing director of EfficiencyIT, said: "We have physical sensors on the cooling units and racks so we understand the core metrics around the cooling environment, and we have full electrical metering and monitoring on all the electrical subsystems and PDUs.

“Then we’ve got virtual sensors that are deployed using software and we can create virtual power groups for different systems. A lot of the researchers at the Sanger Institute are making decisions about which hardware platforms to use, so if we have two platforms that are doing the same types of sequencing we can monitor those and see which platform performs most efficiently.”

Growing its GPU cluster

The Wellcome Sanger Institute has also utilized the latest advancements in sequencing equipment, using high-performance computing and a larger estate of GPUs to increase its computational output by 50 percent. This has helped accelerate the production of research data, allowing the institute to launch and contribute to new projects.

“The technologies hosted within our data center power a host of HPC and GPU-intensive systems for both the complex genomic research we undertake on campus, and the applied sciences undertaken by our partners,” said Simon Binley, campus data center operations manager at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

“As the hosting, density, and energy requirements of these technologies change, it’s vital that we keep the science as sustainable as possible. Our work with EfficiencyIT and Schneider Electric has played a key role in helping us save energy, while increasing our computational capability, significantly.”

The institute had also deployed a host of APC Smart-UPS systems to protect the sequencing machines hosted in its labs, and protect them from power failures, where a single outage could cause a catastrophic loss of data. These sequencers produce up to 4TB of data per day.

Mark Yeeles, VP in the secure power division at Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, said: “Data centers, HPC, and AI have been integral to the life science sector for decades, and play a vital role in global lifesaving research, from cancer and dementia to infectious diseases.

“We’re delighted to see the results of this data center sustainability initiative, and to see the benefits our EcoStruxure platform has delivered to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, showcasing how critical national infrastructure can be efficient, resilient, and sustainable.”