EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
WHAT WILL THE DATA CENTRE OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?
eveloping the data
D centre of the future requires immediate action , especially when it comes to sustainability . It is critical that these facilities must be designed with the environment top of mind .
Ensuring viable green energy technologies and alleviating risks from fluctuating power and unplanned downtime also remain vital priorities for data centre professionals building hyperscale and Edge data centres , according to new insights from temporary utilities specialist , Aggreko .
Detailed in a series of reports – The Inside View – industry professionals explain the challenges they face in the management and maintenance of data centres , following a number of in-depth interviews . Aggreko ’ s two reports explore in detail concerns around power provision and risk management in the booming hyperscale and Edge data centre markets from those who run the day-to-day operations of the facilities .
Aggreko interviewed 10 key industry professionals , including energy managers , facilities managers , managing directors , consultants and those involved in the dayto-day operations of a hyperscale facility .
The reports identify issues around facilities not always having the right provision for consistent power in the wake of growing national grid strain , and implementing maintenance strategies that pre-empt disruptive events rather than in response post-incident . It also highlights issues around sustainable energy sources when building due the construction phase of both Edge and hyperscale data centres , including the practicality of implementing green technologies costeffectively and at scale .
“ Data centre construction continues to boom throughout Europe , but with more demand comes more questions about what issues may arise as additional facilities are built ,” said Billy Durie , Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko . “ In such an in-demand market , it is crucial
DATA CENTRE CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES TO BOOM THROUGHOUT EUROPE , BUT WITH MORE DEMAND COMES MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ISSUES MAY ARISE AS ADDITIONAL FACILITIES ARE BUILT . that key stakeholders working within it are aware of ongoing and upcoming trends , and nowhere is this more apparent than in utilities provision .
“ Put simply , if there is no contingency plan in place for power provision or appropriate maintenance strategies , data centre uptime can be threatened . Yet alongside this , sustainability poses a similarly existential issue , especially with the regulatory landscape expected to tighten further in the coming years . In such a challenging situation , the sector needs to have suppliers that can provide agile and effective equipment solutions .”
Alongside power and equipment upkeep concerns , the reports examine issues professionals working on hyperscale and Edge facilities face scaling up existing data centres to meet skyrocketing demand . Issues raised include ageing infrastructure and how it can cope powering modern IT equipment , and how to expand existing facilities quickly and effectively .
“ Our research has clearly shown that the data centre market is continuing to struggle with ever-increasing latency requirements , balancing inefficient existing plant against rapidly advancing data-intensive technologies . As well as this , insufficient energy infrastructure and unclear regulations can result in situations where stakeholders are not willing to upgrade existing equipment to meeting pressing challenges . However , as these new reports demonstrate , if the sector is to meet decarbonisation demands while meeting growing service levels , innovative strategies must be explored around the provision of key site utilities .” www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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