Digital twin at the Green IT Cube: DC Smarter and GSI cooperate

Ottweiler/Darmstadt, 27 April 2023 – DC Smarter and the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschungconclude a forward-looking cooperation agreement: The German IT company is the first industrial partner to move into the Digital Open Lab at GSI's Green IT Cube, where it will make its DC Vision® solution available. By combining a digital twin with augmented reality, the software optimizes key data center tasks such as remote hands services, documentation management, and visual inspections. In the Green IT Cube, the functions of the DC Vision solution can be tested under real operating conditions and — according to the goal of the cooperation — provide insights for further enhancing the software. At the same time, IT experts at the high-performance data center are provided with the latest technology to evaluate general strategies for running a sustainable data center.

Digitization requires data centers and competent personnel to operate them. But this is precisely where the challenges lie: On the one hand, the requirements and complexity of IT systems increase; on the other hand, it is becoming more and more difficult to find well-trained data center technicians and engineers. This is exactly where DC Vision comes in. The software centralizes all information about the various components in the data center. For each individual rack, a digital twin is created that exactly replicates reality. If changes have to be made to a rack, AR glasses provide data center engineers with a variety of additional information about the rack they are currently working on. This greatly simplifies remote services in particular, as all work steps can be clearly defined. The probability of errors drops precipitously. Furthermore, technical staff can access other sources as needed, updating or adding data to the digital twin as appropriate.

Dr. Helmut Kreiser, head of the Green IT Cube from the GSI IT department, sees a lot of potential in the technology: "Our data center has multiple levels, and we’re currently running 128 racks per level. Documentation management takes a lot of time, but it’s crucial to ensure the security of the infrastructure. We’re pleased to be able to utilize the concept of the digital twin with DC Vision, which reduces this effort and provides considerable added value." In the future, there are plans to use sensors more intensively in the data center and integrate them into the digital twin concept, as Dr. Kreiser explains: "Our goal is to enable visual inspections with AR glasses that provide all the relevant information at a glance. Having all this data in view, we could directly identify errors and even anticipate potential interruptions.”  

For DC Smarter, the Green IT Cube represents the ideal environment for demonstrating the software to interested companies or organisations. Jörg Hesselink, CEO of DC Smarter, is enthusiastic about the cooperation: “We’re delighted to be the first partner to move into the Digital Open Lab at the Green IT Cube. For us, it’s the ideal combination of research environment and real data center infrastructure. Here we can both comprehensively present our software to prospects and receive valuable suggestions for additional functionalities.”  

DC Vision is based on an existing data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system. The digital twin is created on the basis of existing information. Jörg Hesselink knows from experience: “Only 50 percent of all companies regularly update the required information. The user-friendly interface of our software simplifies asset management and prevents media disruptions, thus ensuring the secure and reliable operation of the infrastructure over the long term.”

About DC Smarter

DC Smarter is a brand of FacIT FixIT GmbH, a managed service provider based in Germany. The founders Jörg Hesselink and Ismar Efendic have many years of experience in the data center market. The DC Vision® software they developed is based on the concept of the digital twin and uses augmented reality glasses, smartphones, or tablets to optimize the maintenance and care of the IT infrastructure in data centers. For more information, see https://dc-smarter.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn

About the Green IT Cube

The high-performance computing center Green IT Cube operated by GSI and FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe) is a highly energy-efficient and sustainable computing center. The cooling technology is based on cold water cooling of the computer cabinets (‘racks’); part of the dissipated heat is used directly on the company's own campus. Interested partners have recently operated their own computer systems in the Digital Open Lab ‘living laboratory’. In March 2023, hessian.AI's AI innovation laboratory, which is unique in Germany, was opened at the Green IT Cube.