Data Centres -
The Bigger, The Faster, The Better
It's not just about storing data in one place anymore
For avid online gamers, playing games like “League of Legends”
would typically be on their checklist. Having a decent desktop
equipped with one of the best graphics cards, a high-performance
microprocessor and a reliable wireless network router, is
essential for a smooth gaming experience, ensuring efficient
storage of in-game character data and glitch-free processing.
Now, imagine scaling a game or application by 100 million times. Cutting-edge technology would be required as a desktop alone would not suffice, and this is where data centres come into play, offering the power and infrastructure to handle massive workloads.
A data centre is a centralised facility where organisations house their essential IT infrastructure and critical systems such as cabinets, racks, power supplies, and HVAC systems, to enable data storage, processing and analysis. Originating in the 1940s, the initial concept of data centres began when the U.S. Army was required to calculate artillery fire during World War II1.
Now, imagine scaling a game or application by 100 million times. Cutting-edge technology would be required as a desktop alone would not suffice, and this is where data centres come into play, offering the power and infrastructure to handle massive workloads.
A data centre is a centralised facility where organisations house their essential IT infrastructure and critical systems such as cabinets, racks, power supplies, and HVAC systems, to enable data storage, processing and analysis. Originating in the 1940s, the initial concept of data centres began when the U.S. Army was required to calculate artillery fire during World War II1.
There are various types of data centres in use today,
with three common models:
with three common models:
Enterprise Data centres
Located and owned by private or public organisations in
their premises to house all IT infrastructure
Due to rising maintenance costs and the widespread trend of
adopting cloud computing, many are transitioning away from
on-premise data centres, and redeploying to a colocation
equivalent.
Colocation Data Centres
Operated by independent providers who own the physical
facility space alongside the equipment to provide power,
cooling, and related support services
Other organisations can approach these providers to rent or
lease the space to host their hardware, such as racks and
servers, within these facilities. This data centre modelling
is rapidly growing, as new facilities can be up and running
in just 1.5 to 2 years.
Hyperscale Data Centres
Typically owned and operated by leading cloud providers such
as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Alibaba
Having grown in prominence, these data centres offer a broad
range of services, from hardware to software, security
suites and big data analytics. Due to its large scale among
the different types, hyperscalers also utilise Colocation
data centres to host some of their equipment and services,
considering the complexity in building such facilities while
ensuring healthy revenue growth.
EVOLVING WITH DATA CENTRES
The global data centre market is consistently developing with
a remarkable growth rate.
In Asia alone, the total
data centre capacity pipeline is already projected to increase
by 2.2 times2.
2024 is set to bring transformative developments and trends
that could revolutionise
the design of new data
centres.
Introduction of Generative AI
Since making headlines in 2023, this new technology has
boosted the importance of data centres as they undertake the
main task of computing large sets of data. As workloads
intensify, the demand for advanced cooling technologies has
surged in demand to manage the increased heat generated by
modern hardware. Older data centres are also looking into
renewing their existing hardware with the latest Graphics
Processing Units (GPUs) to fully support the capabilities of
Generative AI.
Improvement in Sustainability for Data Centres
Data centres consume high amounts of power and other
resources, amounting to about 1.5% of global electricity
usage, which is expected to double by 2026 due to the
growing AI computational analysis loads3.
Recognising the impact about five years ago, Singapore
enacted a moratorium on new data centre construction. This
decision highlighted the need for balance between the vital
role of data centres as critical digital infrastructure, and
owners’ renewed commitment in building sustainable
facilities accessible to renewable energy sources, for the
nation’s ongoing consideration to approve new data
centres4. Meanwhile, this moratorium has
benefited neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and
Indonesia, positioning them as prime destinations for new
data centre developments.
Growth in Popularity of Modular Data Centres
Similar in concept to containers of a Battery Energy Storage
System (BESS), this emerging development is ideal for
organisations seeking a small and simplistic data centre
setup within their existing facilities. Largely due to its
cost-effectiveness and quick deployment speed, the market
size for modular data centres is projected to reach
USD 81 billion by 20305.
At LAPP, we recognise the accelerating growth of the data centre
segment and are committed to support it with essential products such
as HVAC systems, to ensure seamless 24/7 operations.
These peripheral sets of equipment are key to maintaining sustainable data centres for many years to come.
These peripheral sets of equipment are key to maintaining sustainable data centres for many years to come.
UNITRONIC® LIYCY
ÖLFLEX® VFD 2XL
References:
- https://www.xyzreality.com/resources/evolution-and-future-of-data-centres
- https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/singapore/insights/apac-data-centre-update
- https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/global-data-center-electricity-use-to-double-by-2026-report/
- https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/singapore-pilots-new-scheme-to-grow-data-centre-capacity-with-green-targets
- https://www.cliffordchance.com/briefings/2024/01/2024-data-centre-industry-outlook.html