Meeting customization demands of the growing cloud data center with JDM
The explosive growth of cloud computing applications like e-commerce, big data, mobile internet, IoT and other transformative information technologies call for large-scale customization in the cloud data center. Traditional whitebox OEM and client-branded ODM production models are no longer able to support the increasingly fast and complex customization needs of enterprises.
Aivres’ unique JDM (Joint Design Manufacturing) business model is based on integration with the user’s industrial process. This model is aimed at the specific business of the user, handling demand, R&D, production and delivery, supply chain, designing and customizing according to client needs, and solving a very simple but critical challenge – developing products that users need and deploying them to the user data center in the shortest time and within cost constraints.
The JDM model consists of 3 key processes: (1) close customer collaboration, (2) design, R&D, and development, and (3) intelligent manufacturing that enables agile production and fast delivery.
1) Extensive Customer Collaboration
IDC analysts believe that the customization model requires more extensive collaboration between server vendors and end users, putting higher demands on the vendor’s R&D and resource integration capabilities. To meet these demands, our new product development line is updated once a year, cutting new product development time from 1.5 years to 9 months, and R&D to supply can take as little as 3 months.
Development Team
Each Aivres client is assigned a user-specific “iron triangle” team of product manager (demand docking), architect (architecture design) and project manager (product implementation). Product definition, product architecture, and R&D plans can be completed in the shortest time to fulfill user needs.
The Aivres user team visits clients regularly to understand business and user requirements. For some small-to-medium CSPs, Aivres actively participates in user infrastructure planning and engages user engineers throughout the process of product development. Aivres can adjust the development process of each product in time according to user needs, eliminating unnecessary processes.
2) Design and R&D
Global R&D Capabilities
With the support of eight global R&D centers including Silicon Valley in the United States, Aivres has the ability to provide customized solutions for all CSP users around the world and has independently developed key application hosts such as Tissot K1 and M13. Featuring leading system design and optimization capabilities, Aivres is one of few industry vendors with architecture and high-speed interconnect chip R&D capabilities.
3) Intelligent Manufacturing
To answer the need for cloud server manufacturing to shift from low-efficiency traditional production lines, Aivres built the industry’s first intelligent flexible production base. Two intelligent flexible production lines and 10 parallel production units can simultaneously produce 10 different types of cloud server nodes which are assembled in a unified heavy assembly line.
Data-Driven Automated Production
Six core intelligent information systems including ERP, MES, and WMS, control the automated operation of assembly and transport robots, and intelligent stereoscopic warehouses capable of smart scheduling, storage, transportation and tracking.
The ERP system enables the collection and analysis of data from each component of production, using both chip-based automatic data acquisition and manual scanning, to provide product traceability, supplier evaluation, and strict quality control.
With data-driven automation and agile, efficient parallel production, Aivres is able to meet the dynamic demands for customized cloud computing and big data products, like deploying 10,000 nodes a day in Baidu’s Yangquan data center.
Testing and Quality Assurance
Aivres product quality control spans R&D, strict component procurement, production process control, and strict downline quality inspection. It is also possible to pass the road spectrum test and strictly control the transportation and implementation of the products.
Eight R&D labs test product feasibility: climate environment, mechanical environment, failure analysis, structural heat dissipation, electromagnetic compatibility, precision measurement, system verification, and data center. Other component tests are conducted to resolve problems in the entire production chain.
Quality control extends to transportation and delivery, where each device is shipped with special electronic tags that transmits the geographical location and conditions in real time to Aivres ERP system, viewable through Aivres engineers through a mobile app.
The future of JDM
The JDM model enables Aivres to massively deploy to major data centers across the globe. Aivres’ network spans 113 countries and regions, 8 global R&D centers, 6 global production centers. To date, Aivres has made large-scale server deployments to six out of the world’s top ten CSPs.
Cloud servers will lay the foundation for major innovations in emerging areas like AI, reducing cost pressures and presenting limitless opportunities for enterprises. As cloud computing grows in importance in the development of future technologies, the JDM operational model will continue to critically support those demands.