The Data Center Frontier Show

Sustainability is a critical factor in data center design.  The topic encompasses a series of design trade offs including: reliability, site selection, water usage, operating parameters, construction materials and cooling efficiencies. Due to a couple of key paradigm shifts in the industry, today’s data center owners and operators are looking to meet their cooling demands with air cooled solutions. All this needs to be done in conjunction with optimizing energy efficiency leading to a significant change in HVAC system products and design.   

In this conversation, Jeffrey Jerwers can discuss the trends driving the need for water conservation and associated equipment impact. He will detail the types of economizers available for mechanical cooling systems, application by climate zone and their associated design tradeoffs.

Data centers are complex, high-stakes environments where downtime is not an option. The sheer volume of interconnected systems and components creates a daunting challenge for operators. This is where digital twins shine.

Because of this complexity, data centers require a new level of understanding. Digital twins—virtual models fed by real-time DCIM data—can offer a transformative solution. The key is that the Digital Twin is only as good as accurate real-time data.

This continuous flow of real-time information allows operators to see the bigger picture, from power usage to equipment health. Imagine a live, digital replica predicting bottlenecks, optimizing cooling, and enabling proactive maintenance.

A digital twin can allow your data center to analyze your infrastructure, highlight potential issues, and provide highly accurate details on the impact of proposed changes − viewable as your monitored values change. Watch an ATS or PDU view with the power load that reflects your changing values and plan. Watch a power load peak during a fail-over with your plan changes applied to the real-time data.

Power management with digital twin capabilities can simulate the failure of a device or load change and accurately model the effects of that failure, including triggering failure over to redundant partners and cascade failures.

With a DCIM solution with digital twin capabilities, you gain insightful reporting that identifies potential risk areas in your infrastructure. For instance, it can flag power distribution gear that represents a single point of failure, which could lead to equipment de-energization and impact customers and SLAs. This proactive approach to risk management is a vital advantage of a DCIM solution with digital twin capabilities.

Imagine a planning module based on a digital twin model and its capabilities. It doesn't just show simple details like additional loads but also simulates complex scenarios. For instance, it can predict when a device will fail, reroute load in the virtual model to redundant partners, and show the effect on those devices as well. This comprehensive approach to planning is where a true digital twin adds much more value than a simple load addition or removal.

By using real-time DCIM data, digital twins become intelligent partners, ensuring peak performance and a more resilient data center.

While the idea of a digital twin for your data center has existed for a long time, operators now can have that digital twin fed by millions of data points per minute inside a full-fledged powerful DCIM. The view of Modius is that anything less makes it just a "Digital Cousin".

The company believes its Modius ® OpenData® is the gateway to these next-gen capabilities and is using this podcast to kick off this effort.

As everyone on the Data Center Frontier and Endeavor Business Media (EBM) teams regroups from last week's sold-out DCF Trends Summit (Sept. 4-6) conference in Reston, Virginia, for today's episode of the DCF Show Podcast we bring you something a bit different.

Recorded earlier this year, EBM's Data Center, Communications, and Power Infrastructure Confluence Forum is a shared discussion among the lead editors of key brands and publications in EBM's Digital Infrastructure and Energy Groups.

The discussion frames and addresses the topic of rapidly expanding stakes and implications for the data center, information and communications technology (ICT), fiber broadband, and on-site power generation infrastructure sectors in the age of advanced computing and connectivity for AI/ML, IoT, 5G LTE, all flavors of Ethernet, and other pertinent technology applications.

EBM editors in order of their participation in this discussion include:

00:00 - 14:00 - Matt Vincent, Editor in Chief, Data Center Frontier

The discussion winds up with a bit of cross-questioning among the editors.

We at Data Center Frontier hope you'll enjoy this podcast, and will resume with our regular, data center industry-specific coverage later this month.

For this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, we welcome Mark Seymour, Distinguished Engineer with Cadence Design Systems, for a discussion of the big question on everyone’s mind right now in this industry: data center power demand and where it's going in the context of rapid digitalization and exponential growth of HPC and AI computing needs, and how that compares and contrasts, or even conflicts, with increasing environmental concerns and regulations. 

The conversation also highlights the importance of digital twins for managing data center efficiency and the advantages of liquid cooling technology, and particularly immersion cooling, as a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. In the course of our interview, Seymour also emphasizes the data center industry's responsiveness to societal demands for sustainability, citing initiatives such as ubiquitous tree planting by project developers, and the need to adapt to new technological challenges.

Here's a timeline of the podcast's key moments:

2:59 - Seymour explains that AI is essentially high-performance computing, which is now required in many data centers that previously did not need it.

12:05 - Addressing the challenges and potential of immersion cooling technology: Emphasizing its growing acceptance, but also the need for confidence in its operation.

17:52 - Talk turns to the importance of digital twins in ultimately managing data center efficiency, with Seymour highlighting the necessity for understanding the interrelated behaviors of IT infrastructure and cooling systems.

24:18 - Discussion circles back to immersion cooling as a sustainable option for data centers, with Seymour expounding on its advantages over traditional cooling methods.

27:44 - Seymour elaborates on the improvements in compute efficiency per watt in modern systems, arguing that the data center industry is responding and adapting to societal demands, rather than being inherently unsustainable.

30:42 - Seymour acknowledges the industry's focus on sustainability and environmental impact, citing examples such Cadence's tree planting initiatives and the ongoing challenge of meeting new technological demands.

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Data Center Frontier opens our podcast interview catching up with CyrusOne CEO Eric Schwartz by discussing the company's recent $12 billion in announced financing, highlighted by a new $8 billion warehouse facility in the U.S. to support growth driven by demand from hyperscalers and AI technologies.

In the course of the discussion, Schwartz notes CyrusOne's strong growth trajectory, new leadership, and expansion plans in Europe and Japan, while emphasizing the organization's principles of earning customers' trust and a commitment to operational excellence. 

We also receive an update on the progress of the company's Intelliscale offering for build-to-suit AI data centers. Additionally, the talk covers CyrusOne's 2024 sustainability report, focusing on the company's carbon neutrality efforts, renewable energy investments, and the overall industry's commitment to reducing carbon footprints.

This May, Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) announced a collaboration with Oracle to accelerate the growth and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) computing among enterprises. For this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, we asked Digital Realty Chief Revenue Officer Colin McLean to expand on key points of his company's AI data center design and implementation efforts in light of the new partnership with Oracle.

In their announcement, Oracle and Digital Realty said their new strategic collaboration aims to develop hybrid integrated solutions that "address data gravity challenges, expedite time to market for enterprises deploying next-generation AI services, and unlock data and AI-based business outcomes."

We also asked McLean about how he's seen the trend lines for data center pricing, leasing and capacity changes over the past 5-6 years of the cloud industry, compared to roughly the past year of AI growth since he's been CRO for Digital Realty.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

 0:32 - Data Center Frontier asks McLean to elaborate on the salient points of AI data center design in light of Digital Realty's partnership with Oracle. McLean explains the significance of the partnership, emphasizing how it addresses the challenges of managing high-density workloads in AI and data-intensive applications.

6:19 - DCF continues asking about trends in AI data center design, particularly regarding pricing, leasing, and capacity changes over the past few years. Citing how enterprises and service providers are planning for increased capacity requirements due to AI growth, McLean highlights the need for forward-thinking capacity planning due to evolving requirements, increasing workload density, and the introduction of new programs to support higher density requirements.

8:14 - Trends in AI data center design since the industry's ChatGPT inflection point of 2023 are addressed. McLean emphasizes the importance of designing data centers to accommodate mixed densities globally, sustainability considerations, and the need to closely collaborate with clients and partners to meet evolving requirements.

12:20 - McLean discusses the global scale of Digital Realty, emphasizing capacity requirements, major metros, emerging markets like Frankfurt, and the growth of the platform across various regions.

15:06 - DCF Editor in Chief Matt Vincent directs the conversation toward the topic of power, highlighting its significance in the data center industry and asking McLean about aspects related to renewables, the grid, and onsite powering options.

15:45 - McLean elaborates on the importance of sustainability for Digital Realty, emphasizing the company's efforts to work with municipalities, support a greener world, and address power concerns globally, including plans for future expansion into markets such as India and Africa.

17:42 - DCF acknowledges the critical link between sustainability, AI, and power issues, prompting McLean to reiterate the company's commitment to supporting a sustainable world and navigating the balance between local needs and economic growth.

Welcome to the forefront of data center innovation! Today, we'll explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving a revolution in data center design. We'll delve into three key areas: high-performance networking, cutting-edge cooling solutions and advancements in fiber optic technology. These advancements are all essential for supporting the ever-growing demands of powerful AI systems.

For this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, we interviewed Chris Downie, Chief Executive Officer for Flexential, who as a frequent industry commentator has emphasized the transformative impact of AI on IT infrastructure and the need for thoughtful deployment in terms of responsible use and ethical standards. 

In a recent LinkedIn post, Flexential's CEO wrote, "Drawing on nearly two decades in the data center industry, I've seen transformative changes, but the rise of AI marks a true paradigm shift, redefining our approach to IT infrastructure...The true test of our leadership will be how we manage the dual challenges AI presents—its potential to revolutionize and its power to disrupt. As industry leaders, we must ensure our advancements in AI are matched with advancements in ethical practices. Our legacy will hinge not just on the technologies we deploy, but on the conscientiousness with which we wield them."

Additionally on social media, Flexential's Downie recently recounted various interconnection discussions he took part in at this Spring's ITW 2024 (May 14-17) conference in Maryland.

We asked Downie about an ITW discussion he took part in regarding the connectivity challenges and solutions essential for supporting new-scale compute campuses, and how these demands are driving the evolution of connectivity infrastructure to meet future needs. "As AI's footprint expands, so does its energy consumption, which can rival that of entire nations," noted Downie.

He added, "As cloud services, IoT, AI, and digital transformation demands escalate, the importance of robust, interconnected data centers has never been more critical. Over the last 18 months, AI GPU demand has significantly increased, highlighting the importance of robust networking both inside and between facilities. At Flexential, we're proactively addressing these challenges to ensure our network solutions keep pace with growing demands and industry needs."

Our far-ranging podcast discussion also touched on the evolution of high-density data centers among enterprise, cloud and AI use cases, and Downie's assessment of current trends in power and cooling, innovations in liquid and air cooling, as well as sustainable practices, power generation considerations, and workforce challenges in the data center industry.

Notably, Flexential CEO Chris Downie is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for DCF's inaugural Data Center Frontier Trends Summit, a live conference event to be held from Sept. 4-6 in Reston, Virginia.

Here's a timeline of the podcast discussion's key moments:

2:53 - Flexential CEO Chris Downie highlights the transformative impact of AI on IT infrastructure, stressing the need for thoughtful deployment due to the significant pace of change and the implications for privacy, equity, and biases.

13:22 - Downie mentions the opening of new Flexential facilities in Denver and Atlanta, emphasizing the evolving significance of Denver as a destination for large-scale workloads, and the growth potential in Atlanta as a Tier One market.

17:24 - Downie elaborates on the evolution of Flexential's high-density data centers from its gen four to gen five designs, the blend of CPU and GPU infrastructure, the current state of GPU environments, and the ongoing exploration of liquid cooling solutions.

22:34 - The discussion touches on data center considerations for on-site generation, battery backup, sustainability, and alternative energy, prompting Downie to discuss the industry's exploration of new ways to manage power demands, including nuclear and natural gas options.

26:05 - Backup power sources such as hydrogen and batteries are addressed. Talk then then shifts to discussing workforce challenges and community relations in the data center industry. Flexential's Downie reflects on the increasing public understanding of data centers' importance and the evolving generational shift towards appreciating digital infrastructure.

The increased demands of cloud services and artificial intelligence are changing the data center landscape. The days of a 20 MW to 50 MW hyperscale data center being sufficient to meet the requirements of high performance computing are quickly fading away. Today, Exascale data centers capable of providing more than 500 MW of power are increasingly taking center stage, ushering in the gigawatt era.

For this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show Podcast, ark data centers CEO Brett Lindsey explains the reasons behind the company's recent rebranding (from Involta) and its strategic direction toward data center colocation edge and AI disciplines. 

Also during the interview, Lindsey discusses the new company's planned expansions and recent entry into new markets such as Green Bay, Wisconsin; its investment strategies; and theories of customer segmentation based on colocation and cloud needs.

Additionally coming in for review during the interview are the significance of ark data centers' CMMC [Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certifciation] 2.0 compliance capabilities, its partnerships with government entities, and the company's unique positioning to cater to specific regulatory needs and edge demands.