Team Lotus Designs and Deploys an Enterprise-Class Environment
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Team Lotus designs and deploys an enterprise-class environment, including a HPC cluster in less than • Backup, recovery and archiving 22 weeks • HPC • Mobility • Virtualization “ We soon realised that Dell understood our industry – everything from the technology needed to design an F1™ car, to our requirement for trackside laptops and storage that could withstand extreme temperatures and vibrations.” Bill Peters, Head of IT, Team Lotus Customer profile Company: Team Lotus Industry: Sport Country: UK & Malaysia Employees: 200 Benefits Website: www.teamlotus.co.uk • Intel® Cluster Ready HPC saves time and money in optimal environment for utilisation and productivity Business need Team Lotus aimed to become the fastest new team in Formula 1™ (F1™). • EqualLogic storage with solid-state It wanted to build a powerful enterprise and trackside infrastructure drives performs in harsh trackside and lay a foundation for success in future seasons. environments • Dell ProSupport Enterprise-Wide Solution Contract ensures a four-hour response The team worked with Dell consultants to design an enterprise anywhere in the world environment, including an Intel® Cluster Ready high performance computing (HPC) cluster, network and trackside environments with • Enterprise IT environment designed Dell servers, storage, laptops and support. and deployed in less than six months • Team Lotus is fastest of the new teams in F1™ Every business in the world hones its systems for maximum performance and competitive advantage, but few can say that the difference between success and failure can come down to millimetres or a hundredth of a second, as is the case with Formula 1™ (F1™) racing teams. To get an F1™ car to peak performance and keep it there takes hundreds of people, multiple IT infrastructures and constant monitoring – plus an environment that can move seamlessly to a different country each week. This is a huge challenge for the teams company works and the importance competing in the F1™ season, but of our timeframes,” says Peters. “ We needed the especially for the newly formed Team Dell consultants held a series of maximum amount Lotus, which is making its debut. In workshops covering the design a sport where time is precious, Bill and implementation of servers, of processing power Peters, Head of IT at Team Lotus, was storage, networks and infrastructure in the minimum of given a matter of months to build applications. This process mapped the IT Infrastructure needed to run the team’s short and long-term space – and we needed a competitive racing team. Peters business goals to its IT strategy. it quickly. The Intel® says: “We found out quite late on that we’d been accepted into the 2010 F1™ season, and had less than 22 weeks Cluster Ready HPC that Technology at work Dell recommended is to build everything from scratch – including a high performance Services ideal for us because computing (HPC) cluster, network Dell Consulting Services it offered the right and trackside infrastructures, a design environment and storage. I knew we Dell ProSupport Enterprise-Wide performance at the needed a tier-one IT partner to work Contract – Service Delivery Manager right price.” with us at every stage.” Building an enterprise infrastructure Hardware Bill Peters, in a few months is no simple task, Head of IT, Team Lotus Intel® Cluster Ready HPC but Peters has 15 years’ experience in the F1™ industry and had three Dell PowerVault MD 3200/ key requirements from a potential MD1200 storage arrays IT partner. First, a single provider Dell EqualLogic PS6000S storage for hardware and service across area network all projects. Second, a partner that ™ ™ was responsive and able to work to Dell PowerEdge M610/ R710 servers with Intel® Xeon® tight deadlines with a global support processor 5570 network. Third, an excellent price– performance ratio. Peters says: “We Dell PowerEdge M1000e modular spoke to a number of suppliers, but blade enclosures only Dell proved it could deliver in Dell Latitude™ E6500/E4300 every category. Against other firms, laptops with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Dell was more responsive. The Dell processor Consulting team came in and listened to our requirements, quickly turning Software them into a statement of work.” Symantec™ Backup Exec™ Dell consultants design an VMware® vSphere™ 4 enterprise-class environment Platform Cluster Manager Dell “As a new business, we’re heavily Edition reliant on Dell services. Dell did a Platform LSF fantastic job of bringing everything together. It understood how an F1™ The team had requirements specific minimum of space – and we needed to the F1™ industry, so Dell’s it quickly. The Intel Cluster Ready “ When an F1™ engine experience with other F1™ teams HPC that Dell recommended is ideal was invaluable, as Peters explains: for us because it offered the right starts, the ground “We soon realised that Dell understood performance at the right price. This shakes, so we have our industry – everything from the cluster is critical to the success of technology needed to design an F1™ the team. It works around the clock solid-state drives in our car, to our requirement for trackside simulating aerodynamics and helps EqualLogic storage, laptops and storage that could us design the cars. It gives us our withstand extreme temperatures competitive edge.” plus Dell demonstrated and vibrations.” Creating a resilient trackside IT that the PowerEdge Building a powerful HPC environment to travel the world servers and storage had environment for Computational The team’s HPC environment helps been tested in extreme Fluid Dynamics prepare the cars for each competition, Team Lotus needed the HPC solution but on race day the team needs a heat – more than 40 for Computational Fluid Dynamics – completely different infrastructure. degrees Celsius, as we a way of accurately simulating wind This trackside environment must tunnels in a virtual space. With their deliver all the functionality and experience in knowledge of the F1™ industry, Dell’s performance expected of an Abu Dhabi.” consultants worked alongside the in- enterprise-class IT infrastructure, house IT team to design Team Lotus’s but it must also be highly resilient, Bill Peters, HPC solution. The initial designs were and – most importantly – mobile, Head of IT, Team Lotus completed on a cloud-based HPC because the team travels across the environment provided by Cambridge world. With the latest blade servers University. When ready, the project and laptops from Dell, the team’s was migrated to Team Lotus’s own overall IT footprint is half that of most HPC platform. competitors. This means it saves space when travelling long haul – space that The team selected an Intel® Cluster can be used for spare car parts and Ready HPC – a production-ready other necessities. Peters explains: “On system that comes in a configuration race day, we’re entirely reliant on our pre-tested with Linux, Platform and ISV trackside IT environment. Quite simply, applications – so Team Lotus can be if our IT fails, we can’t race. We need confident it will work as expected from excellent communications within the the start. This consists of 186 Dell™ team, plus a lot of storage capacity and PowerEdge™ M610 blade servers with powerful systems to handle our data.” Intel® Xeon® processor 5570. These are housed in energy-efficientDell Once again, Dell consultants’ expertise PowerEdge M1000e modular blade and experience within the F1™ industry enclosures and connected to Dell ensured that Team Lotus deployed the PowerVault MD 3200 and MD1200 right environment within a short space storage arrays. of time. With little time to test, Dell designed an environment comprised Peters says: “We needed the maximum of four Dell PowerEdge R710 servers amount of processing power in the connected to a Dell EqualLogic PS6000S SAN with solid-state Anytime, anywhere service drives. The servers are virtualized with Dell ProSupport Enterprise- with VMware® vSphere™ 4, and Wide Contract the team’s data is protected with The F1™ season currently consists Symantec™ Backup Exec™. Peters of circuits across 20 countries, so says: “I had a high-level idea of what to ensure maximum reliability and we needed, but Dell designed and performance, Team Lotus has Dell deployed everything to meet our ProSupport Enterprise-Wide Contract. challenges. When an F1™ engine This support, which has proved starts, the ground shakes, so we have invaluable already, gives the team a solid-state drives in our EqualLogic four-hour response in any country. storage, plus Dell demonstrated that Peters explains: “I’ve used ProSupport the PowerEdge servers and storage Enterprise-Wide Contract for simple had been tested in extreme heat – replacements or when we’ve had more than 40 degrees Celsius, as questions. Regardless of where we we experience in Abu Dhabi.” are in the world, we see the same high-level response within a few On-track performance supported hours, even in the middle of the by a powerful network and Dell night when we’re preparing the car.” laptops A key element of the trackside Fast issue escalation with a Dell environment is the network, as Service Delivery Manager Peters explains: “At the track, a strong As part of the Enterprise-Wide network is essential. We pull huge Contract, Team Lotus has a dedicated amounts of data out of the cars Service Delivery Manager at Dell – because they’re racing every lap, a direct, single point of contact to so high performance and stability report and track incidents. Peters says: is paramount.” The team uses Dell “Our Service Delivery Manager helps us Latitude™ E6500 and E4300 laptops resolve issues quickly, and gives us fast with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor. escalation when there’s a serious issue. These are good for Team Lotus It’s another reason we’re confident that because they’re extremely powerful, we can deliver maximum uptime for but they’re also tough – built with the team.” magnesium-alloy chassis and display backs that meet rigorous standards for Heading for pole position durability.