Wellcome Sanger Institute revamps genome sequencing datacentre to cut energy usage

The Wellcome Sanger Institute (WSI), which owns one of Europe’s largest genomic research datacentres, claims to have cut the energy consumption of its server farm by a third by revamping its power setup.

Working with datacentre digital transformation consultancy EfficiencyIT, the WSI wanted to increase the energy efficiency of its 4.5MW datacentre in Cambridge, UK, while also boosting the resiliency and visibility of its critical systems.

The WSI datacentre is home to one of the world’s largest DNA sequencing facilities, with its Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation (CASM) programme responsible for sequencing and analysing tens of thousands of cancer genomes a year, as part of a research project to uncover the mutational causes for the disease.

EfficiencyIT deployed Schneider Electric’s on-premise EcoStruxure IT Advisor datacentre infrastructure management (DCIM) software and combined that with more than 300 of the company’s custom-designed rack power distribution unit (PDU) systems to bring about a 33% drop in the datacentre’s energy consumption.

As well as energy savings, the WSI increased its computational output by 50% through the deployment of new high-performance computing (HPC) equipment, graphics processing units (GPUs) and sequencing equipment.

It is also on course to make annual savings of $1m through the deployment of NVIDIA’s accelerated computing technology, it is claimed.  

“This computational capacity has been integral in accelerating the production of valuable research data, allowing the Wellcome Sanger Institute to both undertake and contribute to a host of ground-breaking projects,” said the WSI in a statement.

Simon Binley, campus datacentre operations manager at WSI, said the revamp of its datacentre setup was essential to keep the facilities energy usage in line with the amount of compute it is responsible for.

“The technologies hosted within our datacentre 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 Binley.

“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.”

Nick Ewing, managing director of EfficiencyIT, said the project marks a new phase in its ongoing partnership with the WSI.

“EfficiencyIT has been a strategic partner to the Sanger Institute’s datacentre operations team for many years, and to see this project go full circle and deliver these outstanding energy savings is testament to their vision for sustainable, cutting-edge science, powered by best-in-class technology,” he said.

“Together, not only have we been able to reduce their datacentre energy consumption by a third, but we’ve been able to gain valuable data to help improve operational efficiency, and increase the reliability of the power systems deployed in labs across the campus.”

Mark Yeeles, vice-president of the secure power division for Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, added: “We’re delighted to see the results of this datacentre 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.”