Insights

Navigating Efficiency: A Collaborative Approach to Data Center Automation

Author: Jupiter Lin 

This blog is co-authored by Alex Pagliere, Robotics Lab Manager at Beyondsoft

In today’s digital era, data centers are the backbone of countless businesses, powering operations, storing critical information, and facilitating fast, seamless user experiences. At Beyondsoft, we pride ourselves on not only excelling in cloud computing but also expanding our expertise into data center automation, robotic operations and finding ways to reduce carbon footprint for our clients.

Our client runs massive, distributed server infrastructure systems, and we collaborate with them to optimize operations and maintain the cutting-edge automation and robotic technologies that drive modern data centers.

Rack moves, server repairs, and network maintenance are traditionally labor-intensive and time-consuming. However, with the introduction of robotics and automated processes, we are supporting our clients to streamline how these tasks are performed. With automation, our clients reduce the complexity of managing large-scale infrastructure which can often lead to errors and outages. 

“Our autonomous systems improve efficiency in tasks like server setup, maintenance, monitoring, and streamline communications between our engineers and our on-site technicians. This boosts operational efficiency and frees up our clients’ time to focus on strategic initiatives.”  

Alex Pagliere

Pioneering Automation at Scale

Working with the clients who operate some of the largest distributed server infrastructure systems globally has provided us with invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities of data center automation. When an operation spans more than 200 data centers across the world and millions of servers to manage, our clients turn to us to integrate autonomous technologies to enhance efficiency and scalability.

We have practical experience in supporting our clients in managing the construction and integration of autonomous systems to streamline various tasks, including server installation, maintenance, and monitoring. By deploying autonomous devices, we optimize on-site operations, driving productivity and scalability.

Addressing Critical Needs: The Beyondsoft Advantage

We have emerged as the preferred partner in physical automation due to our reputation as a reliable service provider and our team’s extensive experience across relevant domains. Our fully integrated team seamlessly collaborates with the clients’ teams, assuming ownership of mission-critical tasks within deployment, development, operations, maintenance, and technical troubleshooting programs.

Deploying, supporting, and advancing autonomous systems is a time-consuming process that demands highly specialized skill sets. Our clients need comprehensive support from a managed service partner they can trust to get their autonomous program off the ground.

Data Center Automation: Key Wins

The growth of data center footprints underscores the critical need for automation. As data centers evolve to accommodate diverse hardware and technologies, traditional manual workflows become increasingly untenable. Without automation, scaling operations requires a proliferation of human handoffs, elevating the risk of errors and outages. Here are two core data center operations that can be immediately addressed by automation:

• Rack moves represent a significant portion of the manual labor in a data center environment. Engineers walk many miles daily, handling tasks like populating new data halls with racks of very heavy servers. While process enhancements have eased some aspects of this work, substantial manual effort remains. Given the potential risks of injury moving materials of this size, and the growing number of rack moves in the coming years, robots and automation solutions are perfect for addressing these challenges.
• Server maintenance involves technicians addressing hardware issues, often requiring additional workflows such as hard drive destruction for data security. Despite some automation in this process, numerous manual touchpoints persist, underscoring the need for further automation.

Innovating Towards an Automated Future

We are pioneering the use of advanced robotics to revolutionize data center operations. Technologies like Rack Movers and Asset Scan Robots automate tasks previously deemed costly, slow, and physically challenging, like relocating hundreds of heavy, populated racks, and scanning assets autonomously. By embracing robotics, we enhance facility uptime, productivity, and safety while driving compliance and accurate, real-time inventory management.

We are deeply involved in all aspects of our clients’ data center automation projects, from deployment and maintenance to technical troubleshooting and testing. By leveraging our expertise, our clients can fast-track growth and prioritize delivering products and services to their customers sooner.

Join Us at the Forefront of Data Center Automation

As we navigate the next frontiers of infrastructure automation, we invite you to join us on this collaborative journey. At Beyondsoft, we are committed to driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and shaping the future of data center operations. Together, let’s realize the full potential of automation and propel the industry toward a more sustainable, resilient future. 

In conclusion, we have practical experience in the transformative power of automation in data center operations. We are charting a course toward a more efficient and scalable future by addressing critical needs, embracing advanced robotics, and fostering collaboration.  

Partner with us to unleash the full potential of data center automation and propel your business toward sustained success.