Linux Networx models airflow in data centers

Linux Networx, a maker of Linux server clusters, recently announced it would launch a service to help customers conduct airflow simulations in their data centers to avoid overheating.

Users are concerned that the high density of blade servers or 1U servers in data centers will lead to their overheating, causing downtime.

Linux Networx would conduct airflow simulations of current air-conditioning and ventilation systems to identify any trouble areas before servers are installed. The company will partner with Fluent, a company that provides animations for computational fluid dynamics. They will use Fluent’s Airpak modeling software on Linux Networx Evolocity clusters to identify airflow and temperature distribution in a data center.

Linux Networks would work with customers to size their installations and place racks and cooling equipment so the room would be maximally used. The simulations could be useful for customers either building new data centers or retrofitting existing sites.

Images of Airpak simulations are available at: https://linuxnetworx.com/services/airpak.php

Linux Networx also offers a variety of professional services such as infrastructure design and the parallelization of applications so they will run distributed across a Linux Networx cluster.

Linux Networx Evolocity clusters consist of 1.6U and 0.08U nodes that are placed vertically in an enclosure to encourage front-to-back airflow and allow cool air to flow onto the processors. The company claims they are significantly cooler than systems in which the nodes are oriented horizontally.

Evolocity clusters use an open source BIOS called LinuxBIOS, which allows them to boot quickly and be clustered.