THE ERA OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES
The latest technologies in critical digital infrastructures, including data centers, are aimed at improving performance, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Leading trends in data processing include the use of powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) and tensor processing units (TPUs) for Artificial Intelligence (AI) tasks, the implementation of liquid cooling for optimized thermal management, and the transition to high-speed NVMe SSDs to minimize latency in data processing.
There are also growing demands on the volume of stored data, on the distribution of computations, on bringing data processing centers closer to consumption, etc. To ensure energy independence, renewable energy sources are increasingly being used, and energy management systems themselves use AI.
Liquid cooling for data centers
Data centers currently support rack power requirements in excess of 20 kilowatts (kW), but the market is moving toward 50 kW and beyond. Next-generation central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) have higher thermal densities than previous-generation architectures. Additionally, server manufacturers are installing more CPUs and GPUs in each rack to meet the growing demand for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence applications.
NEW APPROACH
Air processing has already shown its limits. Traditional air cooling cannot cool these high-density racks efficiently and sustainably.
As a result, data center operators are exploring the possibilities of liquid cooling. Liquid cooling uses the higher thermal conductivity of water or other liquids to provide efficient and cost-effective cooling for high-density racks and can be up to 3,000 times more efficient than using air.
PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS
Liquid cooling, long established in mainframes and gaming applications, is expanding to protect rack-mounted servers in data centers around the world. Vertiv has created a wide range of resources to help you understand the challenges, opportunities, and technical requirements of liquid cooling. These resources will help you decide how to implement and scale liquid cooling in your data center.
Modular data centers
Over the past decade, there has been a significant shift in the way data centers are built. In the past, traditional brick-and-mortar approaches involved assembling system components and erecting the building, then installing the equipment and commissioning it. In contrast, modern modular data centers are designed, manufactured, and tested in an off-site factory at the same time as the site is being prepared, saving more than 40% of the time required to build a traditional data center.
ADVANTAGES
Prefabricated modular data centers offer a number of compelling benefits that are changing the way data centers are designed and deployed. Their inherent modularity provides scalability, allowing organizations to easily expand their infrastructure as their needs grow. The standardized nature of these modules simplifies maintenance and operation, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Additionally, the sustainability aspect cannot be overlooked, as the use of recyclable materials such as steel in the manufacturing process reduces the environmental impact.
EFFICIENCY
By integrating assembly into a controlled factory environment, these data centers not only save time but also minimize disruptions to on-site operations, resulting in faster deployment and optimized performance. Overall, prefabricated modular data centers are a testament to innovation, offering adaptable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solutions for the ever-changing demands of the digital age.
Transition to 5G with VERTIV
The promise of 5G is an exponential increase in the speed and volume of data transmitted on the network. As more advanced and mission-critical applications come online, network reliability and security become paramount. This challenge for operators is compounded by the millions of additional cell sites needed to support 5G, each requiring more power than previous generations.
As a hybrid of traditional telecom access nodes and edge nodes, these 5G deployments introduce new complexities around AC/DC power integration, environmental control and protection, physical and virtual security, and remote management and maintenance. We offer unique telecom and IT expertise and the broadest portfolio of infrastructure solutions to secure and optimize 5G deployments.
Edge Computing Infrastructures.
An edge data center is a small data center located near the edge of a network. It provides the same devices as traditional data centers, but in a smaller footprint and is closer to end users and devices. Edge data centers can deliver cached content and cloud computing resources to these devices. The concept is based on edge computing, which is a distributed IT architecture where customer data is processed as close as possible to its source. Because small data centers are located close to end users, they are used to provide fast services with minimal latency.
CHOICE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Physical infrastructure is a key element of any edge computing strategy. The power, cooling, and enclosure equipment, and the compute they support, provide the foundation for applications to run and enable the myriad edge computing use cases.
Choosing the right physical infrastructure is even more important at the edge, as many deployments occur in locations that require additional support and protection. Navigating edge infrastructure is also complicated by the broad and varied definitions of edge infrastructure. These factors complicate the task of 49% of enterprises exploring edge computing. They must make decisions about how to best leverage their existing infrastructure and where to invest today to meet the needs of tomorrow.
VERTIV CONCEPT
Building on Vertiv’s work on edge archetypes, which provided a taxonomy for classifying edge computing use cases, this report takes these archetypes further to identify four distinct edge infrastructure models. The framework was developed through interviews with a variety of practitioners, data center experts, solution providers, and industry organizations working in areas such as smart city, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
Dynamic Power
Vertiv Dynamic Power is a suite of advanced power management technologies designed to optimize the energy consumption, reliability, and scalability of modern data centers, especially those running high-performance computing (HPC) and AI workloads. A key component is the Vertiv Trinergy UPS, which delivers exceptional double-conversion efficiency (up to 97.1%), increasing to 99% in Dynamic Online mode. This reduces cooling requirements and overall operating costs while ensuring minimal power dissipation.
DYNAMIC GRID SUPPORT
Dynamic Power solutions also include features such as Dynamic Grid Support, which enables participation in demand response programs to further reduce costs. The system supports renewable energy sources, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells, promoting decarbonization and environmental sustainability. These technologies are especially valuable for data centers that require uninterruptible power supply, high reliability, and integration with modern energy systems.
ENERGY AND POWER MONITORING SYSTEM
Additionally, the integration of Vertiv energy monitoring systems, such as the EPMS (Energy and Power Monitoring System), provides real-time information on energy consumption and system status. This increases operational visibility, reduces the risk of downtime, and optimizes energy consumption. These systems are designed to work seamlessly with renewable energy sources, which contributes to decarbonization initiatives.
MODULARITY AND SCALABILITY
Vertiv Dynamic Power solutions focus on modularity and scalability, enabling data centers to efficiently adapt to changing workloads and growth requirements. For example, the modular architecture of Vertiv Trinergy UPSs allows individual power modules to operate independently of each other, increasing fault tolerance and providing non-disruptive servicing. This flexibility is critical for AI and HPC environments that require high uptime and workload adaptability.
DYNAMIC SUPPORT
Dynamic grid support further differentiates Vertiv solutions by enabling data centers to participate in grid-level energy management, contributing to grid stability and creating opportunities to save costs or generate revenue through energy trading. These innovations are in line with Vertiv’s commitment to building resilient, future-ready infrastructures that meet the growing demands of data-intensive applications.