Data Center Simulation

Work for CHPC- University of Utah

This is an unreal application designed for the remote workers of the Center of High-Performance Computing at the University of Utah.

The Goal

I am currently working for the University, making a simulation of the downtown data center that my office operates. The objective of this simulation is not to make the most visually accurate representation of the data center; it needs to be clear and have all the data points that someone debugging remotely might need. To achieve this, I used some basic design elements and processes, like:

We are having the environment low-poly and nebulous, to extenuate any alerts that show up.
Visually loud alerts ensure that a user sees them even if they are on the other side of the room.
Creating an environment that lacks clutter makes it easier to focus on what's important; the same target is also met by lighting the space in a way that shows the server fronts.

Something that was made certain to us when we were in a position to launch this project was that this project needs to be hosted on the web to allow our consumer base, who use a diverse set of OSes and systems, to utilize this project. Another reason for web hosting was to allow people to access the project without downloading anything, since that would be another obstacle for the consumer.

Given the ongoing nature of the project, I'm uncertain about its outcome and unable to disclose many details at this time.

Asset Creation

To accurately represent the physical infrastructure, I integrated over 200 unique server units into the Unreal Engine project. Each asset was assigned a distinct front-panel texture to visually differentiate models, and scaled according to real-world dimensions provided by the inventory management team. This ensured that rack occupancy, spacing, and visibility matched operational reality, while still maintaining a readable, low-clutter layout optimized for alert detection and remote monitoring. The result is a simulated environment that feels authentic to technicians, supports fast visual parsing, and scales to the full size of the center’s hardware footprint.

OUTPUT

View of distinct servers being loaded into their designated locations in each server.

Data table in unreal engine 4 to optimize ram usage, contains the name of the server, a texutrue, a material and physical size of the server.

Left- Part of the Google sheet used to maintain the servers that are currently in the data center.

There is a large, complex process that goes alongside adding a server to the simulation in Unreal Engine. I am working in a large team and created this workflow pipeline. I also created a supporting document that explains the process in simple words, to allow someone who is new to the project to add a server on their own.