Five ingredients for a future-proofed data centre

By David Lloyd, Head of Connected Energy Performance at Johnson Controls UK&I

Today, data centres hold a strong claim to be perhaps the world’s most important infrastructure. After all, as our lives become increasingly hybrid, data centres sit at the epicentre of digital operations, powering the storage, processing, and distribution of colossal volumes of information. Without them, modern businesses, websites, governments, and healthcare systems simply wouldn’t be able to function. However, their importance also brings challenges, too.  

Data centres consume roughly 3% of all electrical energy worldwide, predicted to swell to 4% by 2030. As a result, their collective carbon footprint is around 330Mt CO2 equivalent, larger than the global aviation industry. And with data centres’ importance only set to increase, so too will their carbon footprints — unless owners adapt. Sustainability also sits hand in hand with another key challenge: the rising costs of running a data centre. Inflation and the energy crisis have caused expenses like utility and maintenance bills to multiply. Add in the fire risks ever-present in a hot, electrical environment like a data centre, and organisations need to take crucial measure to protect both their physical and reputational preservation. So, how can owners ensure data centres are safe, efficient and sustainable? 

Let’s explore the five most important steps:

Plan for flexibility and resilience 

Flexibility and resilience should be the most important priority for today’s data centre operators. By placing flexibility and resilience at the forefront of your strategy, achieving uninterrupted service delivery, an enhanced reputation, and the ability to confidently navigate the uncertainties of the digital age becomes increasingly possible. 

Flexibility can empower operators to swiftly adapt to shifting demands and bounce back from any sudden changes. This could mean opting for large open floor plans to facilitate better space and resource utilisation, making your airflow management fool-proof to let you experiment with the design of the room, or opting for racks with adjustable depths for enhanced scalability. 

Meanwhile, achieving resilience can ensure that your data centres withstand and recover from unexpected incidents, including power outages, cyber attacks, and natural disasters. Overall, resiliency helps to minimise downtime and ensures business continuity. But it also means everything from server and network to storage system management must contribute.

Bake in operational efficiency 

Streamlining processes, enhancing server utilisation, and adopting innovative cooling techniques contribute both to substantial cost savings and sustainability. Here, maintaining absolute control of the ambient temperature and airflow in the data centre is critical. However, data centres are renowned for having complex cooling needs. And since cooling can account for up to 40% of a data centre’s total operational expenses, efficiency is key. 

As computing power grows and data processing intensifies, it’s increasingly difficult to manage the heat generated by high-performance servers. Balancing the need for efficient cooling with energy conservation requires sophisticated approaches such as hot/cold aisle containment, liquid cooling, and precision air distribution. Moreover, the geographic location of data centres adds an additional layer of complexity, with varying climate conditions influencing the choice of cooling systems.

Build and retrofit for scalability

Deloitte estimates that data creation is estimated to hit 175ZB by 2025. That’s just a year away, meaning data centre scalability must become a paramount priority. The surging influx of data to centres and the ever-evolving technological landscape means that operators need the ability to seamlessly expand infrastructure to meet growing demands. 

With the rapid adoption of cloud computing, IoT, ML, and AI, data centre operators must ensure that their facilities can accommodate the fluctuating needs of their clients, too. Scalability not only future-proofs operations but also enables cost-effective resource allocation by allowing operators to scale up or down as needed. Data centres therefore need to be designed with the continuously increased networking, computing, and storage requirements in mind. Crucially, owners need to make sure they leave room for growth in space, power, and cooling.

Prioritise security and fire safety 

Data centres demand advanced security and fire safety measures due to the complex, critical nature of the data they house. The convergence of digital assets means there’s a need for multi-layered cyber security protocols, guarding against cyber attacks that could compromise sensitive information. 

Simultaneously, due to the concentration of high-performance hardware, fire safety measures are crucial to prevent potential catastrophic losses and ensure uninterrupted operations. By making security and fire safety central priorities, you can instil confidence in your clients, shield against devastating breaches, and guarantee the continuity of services within an environment where data protection and operational stability are critical.

Collaborate with an expert partner

Ultimately,the most successful data centres are the ones that operate flexibly, scale rapidly, and deliver operational efficiency in the face of change. To achieve this, owners need to work with a trusted partner: one that understands the data centre landscape and can recommend and provide the right solutions.

A partner can bring industry-leading digital solutions, building automation, and hyper-efficient heating and cooling systems to save energy and reduce emissions. Plus, their advanced fire detection and protection and smart security systems can protect the safety of precious data and uphold the reputation of the business. By collaborating with a provider that can offer the full spectrum of required solutions, alongside tailored advisory, design, financing, installation, and maintenance, data centres can accelerate their journeys towards a smart, healthy, and sustainable future.

The post Five ingredients for a future-proofed data centre appeared first on Data Centre & Network News.

By David Lloyd, Head of Connected Energy Performance at Johnson Controls UK&I

Today, data centres hold a strong claim to be perhaps the world’s most important infrastructure. After all, as our lives become increasingly hybrid, data centres sit at the epicentre of digital operations, powering the storage, processing, and distribution of colossal volumes of information. Without them, modern businesses, websites, governments, and healthcare systems simply wouldn’t be able to function. However, their importance also brings challenges, too.  

Data centres consume roughly 3% of all electrical energy worldwide, predicted to swell to 4% by 2030. As a result, their collective carbon footprint is around 330Mt CO2 equivalent, larger than the global aviation industry. And with data centres’ importance only set to increase, so too will their carbon footprints — unless owners adapt. Sustainability also sits hand in hand with another key challenge: the rising costs of running a data centre. Inflation and the energy crisis have caused expenses like utility and maintenance bills to multiply. Add in the fire risks ever-present in a hot, electrical environment like a data centre, and organisations need to take crucial measure to protect both their physical and reputational preservation. So, how can owners ensure data centres are safe, efficient and sustainable? 

Let’s explore the five most important steps:

Plan for flexibility and resilience 

Flexibility and resilience should be the most important priority for today’s data centre operators. By placing flexibility and resilience at the forefront of your strategy, achieving uninterrupted service delivery, an enhanced reputation, and the ability to confidently navigate the uncertainties of the digital age becomes increasingly possible. 

Flexibility can empower operators to swiftly adapt to shifting demands and bounce back from any sudden changes. This could mean opting for large open floor plans to facilitate better space and resource utilisation, making your airflow management fool-proof to let you experiment with the design of the room, or opting for racks with adjustable depths for enhanced scalability. 

Meanwhile, achieving resilience can ensure that your data centres withstand and recover from unexpected incidents, including power outages, cyber attacks, and natural disasters. Overall, resiliency helps to minimise downtime and ensures business continuity. But it also means everything from server and network to storage system management must contribute.

Bake in operational efficiency 

Streamlining processes, enhancing server utilisation, and adopting innovative cooling techniques contribute both to substantial cost savings and sustainability. Here, maintaining absolute control of the ambient temperature and airflow in the data centre is critical. However, data centres are renowned for having complex cooling needs. And since cooling can account for up to 40% of a data centre’s total operational expenses, efficiency is key. 

As computing power grows and data processing intensifies, it’s increasingly difficult to manage the heat generated by high-performance servers. Balancing the need for efficient cooling with energy conservation requires sophisticated approaches such as hot/cold aisle containment, liquid cooling, and precision air distribution. Moreover, the geographic location of data centres adds an additional layer of complexity, with varying climate conditions influencing the choice of cooling systems.

Build and retrofit for scalability

Deloitte estimates that data creation is estimated to hit 175ZB by 2025. That’s just a year away, meaning data centre scalability must become a paramount priority. The surging influx of data to centres and the ever-evolving technological landscape means that operators need the ability to seamlessly expand infrastructure to meet growing demands. 

With the rapid adoption of cloud computing, IoT, ML, and AI, data centre operators must ensure that their facilities can accommodate the fluctuating needs of their clients, too. Scalability not only future-proofs operations but also enables cost-effective resource allocation by allowing operators to scale up or down as needed. Data centres therefore need to be designed with the continuously increased networking, computing, and storage requirements in mind. Crucially, owners need to make sure they leave room for growth in space, power, and cooling.

Prioritise security and fire safety 

Data centres demand advanced security and fire safety measures due to the complex, critical nature of the data they house. The convergence of digital assets means there’s a need for multi-layered cyber security protocols, guarding against cyber attacks that could compromise sensitive information. 

Simultaneously, due to the concentration of high-performance hardware, fire safety measures are crucial to prevent potential catastrophic losses and ensure uninterrupted operations. By making security and fire safety central priorities, you can instil confidence in your clients, shield against devastating breaches, and guarantee the continuity of services within an environment where data protection and operational stability are critical.

Collaborate with an expert partner

Ultimately,the most successful data centres are the ones that operate flexibly, scale rapidly, and deliver operational efficiency in the face of change. To achieve this, owners need to work with a trusted partner: one that understands the data centre landscape and can recommend and provide the right solutions.

A partner can bring industry-leading digital solutions, building automation, and hyper-efficient heating and cooling systems to save energy and reduce emissions. Plus, their advanced fire detection and protection and smart security systems can protect the safety of precious data and uphold the reputation of the business. By collaborating with a provider that can offer the full spectrum of required solutions, alongside tailored advisory, design, financing, installation, and maintenance, data centres can accelerate their journeys towards a smart, healthy, and sustainable future.

The post Five ingredients for a future-proofed data centre appeared first on Data Centre & Network News.