AI training clusters can show rapid and large swings in power consumption. This behavior is likely driven by a combination of properties of both modern compute silicon and AI training software β and may be difficult to manage at scale.
This report provides a regional view of the results from the Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2024 and highlights some of the different challenges and strategies of data center owners and operators across the globe.
Examining staffing trends in Chinaβs data centers could provide insights into how US and European data center teams can expand their talent pipeline and address workforce shortages caused by an aging population.
Software for data center management and control is well established, if not always widely used. Some operators are also benefitting from integrated facility and IT software.
Uptime analysis suggests a growing interest in public cloud by financial institutions. But concerns over cloud providersβ support for regulation compliance ahead of the EUβs Digital Operational Resilience Act may cause some to pull back.
The European Database on Data Centres is operational, but EU member state processes to provide required IDs are still being finalized. Operators should begin the data submittal process as member state coordinator(s) are assigned.
The main challenges facing their customers, according to suppliers that responded to the Global Data Center Survey 2024, is predicting future data center capacity and the impact that staffing shortages will have on capacity growth.
Generative AI models brought about an influx of high-density cabinets. There has been much focus on how to best manage thermal issues, but the weight of power distribution equipment is a potentially overlooked concern.
Increasing supply air temperature is gaining interest as an approach to potentially save data center energy. However, savings will not be universally possible and understanding its potential involves a complex multivariable analysis.
Pulling reliable power consumption data from IT is increasingly important for operators. Although third-party software products offer promise, significant roadblocks still hinder adoption.
Data center cybersecurity risks need to be managed in line with corporate objectives and across a wide range of cyber adversaries and threats. This means understanding the organizational risk tolerance and being able to identify the best options for
Data center operators are already required to reduce their impact on the climate and soon they may have to do the same with local habitats. Emerging nature restoration rules will demand action to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity.
UPS systems are the number one root cause of significant and severe outages. Analysis of reliability data from data center management software provider Fulcrum Collaborations sheds more light on the prevalent UPS component failures.
Densification is β once again β high on the agenda, with runaway expectations largely due to compute power requirements of generative AI workloads. Will this time be different? Uptimeβs 2024 global survey of data center managers offers some clues.
Trust in AI as a tool for data center operations has declined sharply in the past three years. It is possible to control for the factors that drive mistrust β and see better outcomes when employees interact with AI-based systems.