UII RESEARCH AGENDA | UPDATED AUGUST 2024
Intelligence Update
Uptime Intelligence Research Agenda
The latest Uptime Intelligence research agenda includes a list all published and planned reports from January 2024 to October 2024, and is focused on Uptime Intelligence primary coverage areas: 1) power generation, distribution, energy storage; 2) data center management software (automation, AI); 3) sustainability, energy efficiency; 4) silicon and systems; 5) resiliency: outages, topology, climate risks; 6) cooling and heat rejection; 7) staffing and skills; 8) security and human risk
January 2024
Tools to improve power use by IT are underused
Tracking of IT equipment varies widely and often fall short
EU’s EED: proposed reporting revisions
Five data center predictions for 2024
How server power management works
Colocation and public cloud growth masks enterprise expansion
Resiliency versus low PUE: regulators a catalyst for innovation
What does embedded carbon of IT really represent?
AI startups innovate in cooling and IT operations
Uptime’s predictions 2022 to 2024 — relevant and actionable?
Air-assisted direct liquid cooling
February 2024
Most operators plan to spend more on rising demand
Critical role for EU data center code of conduct
The role of AI in digital infrastructure management
Managing server performance for power: a missed opportunity
EU battery regulations: what do the new rules mean?
Long shifts in data centers — time to reconsider?
UK prepares resiliency, cybersecurity legislation for colocation
March 2024
Ineffective cyber policies increase corporate risk
Data collection for IT metrics: is the industry ready?
Capacity expands rapidly, but complexity is challenging
Sustainability data exchange in colo and cloud contracts
Cloud outage insurance: assessing policy option
US mandates crypto energy reporting: will data centers be next?
Generative AI and global power consumption: high, but not that high
Confusion reigns over EED May 15 reporting deadline
EED delegated regulation is finally final
April 2024
Sustainability strategies face greater pressure in 2024
Tutorial 1: Scoping data center cybersecurity
Equipment prices rise despite supply chain improvements
Increased requirements for Scope 3 reporting and energy certificates
Underwater data centers: lessons from the deep
Next-gen refrigerants: another environmental plight?
Time to collaborate on contracts for sustainability
OT protection — is air-gapping the answer?
The threat to data center security from state-sponsored hackers
Scope 3 accounting: once is not enough
Uncertain power demand figures will lead to poor decisions
DLC momentum rises, but operators remain cautious
Maturity model for sustainability downplays site-level resiliency
May 2024
The impact of AI on data center operations (Part I)
Data center sustainability standards (updated)
Uptime Institute Cooling Systems Survey 2024: Direct liquid cooling
A deep dive into certificates for carbon-free energy
Capacity planning for liquid-cooled data centers
Operators are pushing net-zero targets beyond 2030
Why DC racks are still rarely used outside of hyperscalers
Is this air cooling's last gasp?
High-impact outages highlight ongoing resiliency challenges
iPDUs: a critical step for next generation efficiency
Complexity versus cybersecurity in the data center
June 2024
The long journey to concrete and steel decarbonization
Tutorial 2: Identifying and addressing data center cybersecurity threats
Operators boost cybersecurity efforts, but more work is needed
Effective EOPs: how cognitive science can help
EED reporting deadlines are clarified
Ignore Li-ion fire risks at your peril
Mitigating OT risk from third-party requests
DCIM past and present: what's changed?
Immersion fluids hold promise, but fire risk a concern
Targeted recruitment could widen the talent pool
July 2024
Using optimization software for cooling and capacity gains
Uptime Institute Global Data Center Survey 2024
Tutorial 3: Effective data center governance for cybersecurity
Interest in two-phase cooling warms up
European legislation prompts greater environmental action
Six AI infrastructure conundrums
Europe taxes waste heat recovery: can data centers make it work?
Global IT disruption highlights concentration, third-party risk
Digital EOPs: the appliance of science
Water cold plates take a big lead in the small world of DLC
August 2024
Tutorial 4: Roles and responsibilities in data center cybersecurity governance
Water is a local issue: site selection and facility design
Hydrogen in data centers: an introduction
Hardware for AI: what makes it different?
Sustainability teams: key players and crucial collaborations
Shaky start for Europe’s EED legislation
Global IT outages raise the question: who bears responsibility?
Grid growth and decarbonization: an unhappy couple
Building trust: working with AI-based tools
Rack densification: is it really happening this time?
UPS component failures: what are the leading issues?
Nature laws to play key role in planning and building facilities
September 2024
Considerations of raised supply air temperatures
Data center management and control (DCM-C)
Heat reuse engineering
The impact of AI on data center operations (Part 2)
Corporate and facility strategies for water use (Part 2)
Tutorial 5: Cyberwsecurity risk management
Collecting IT power metrics: using software
Electrical implications of high-density (an introduction)
AI and worker productivity: protecting your staff from Solow paradox
Power issues and cyberattacks: how are they connected?
Who is using natural gas, and why?
Venue selection: the importance of location for AI training
Netherlands EED reporting forms: completely worthless
UPS failure data (MCIM)
A primer on SMR
Is the data center Scope 3 focus headed in the wrong direction?
October 2024
Water: cooling system selection (Part 3)
Hydrogen power and data centers (Part 2)
Tutorial 6: Cybersecurity policies and procedures
A sustainable data center in the AI era
Collecting IT power metrics (Part 3)
How mission critical does AI need to be?
The business side of heat recapture
Off-grid data centers
The coming of quantum usefulness
Is inferencing a killer app for the edge?
Would you run your manufacturing facility at 30% capacity?
Global outage follow-up
Annual survey 2024: vendors report fewer delays in 2024
(Titles, dates and descriptions are subject to change. Further details and extra reports and updates will be added to further iterations of this sheet as needed and will be available closer to the date of publication.)
About the Author
Douglas Donnellan
Douglas is a Research Associate at Uptime Institute covering sustainability in data centers. His background includes environmental research and communications, with a strong focus on education.
ddonnellan@uptimeinstitute.com