Modular Edge Data Center for AI
With the rise of AI, ML and IoT, the low latency and location benefits of edge and remote computing will likely become a must-have proposition rather than just a nice-to-have.
In his insightful recent LinkedIn post, he states:Embracing the Micro Data Center Revolution“Data center industry heavyweight and recognized business and technology leader Tony Grayson, currently the veteran chairman of Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) and general manager of Seattle’s Compass Data Centers, claims the shift to micro data centers (DCs) has begun.”
Grayson says deploying micro DCs is an attractive proposition because it offers not only scalability, but also critical flexibility and responsiveness to the changing demands of the digital world. “When it comes time to upgrade or expand, deploying a new set of micro DCs can be easier and more cost-effective than retrofitting old infrastructure,” he says.
Grayson continues.
“The pace of change in our industry is staggering, rendering traditional long-term planning ineffective. As we look to the future, it is increasingly clear that building for the ‘what if’ of three to five years down the line is a bet that many are missing the mark. [so] Think of a micro-DC, like the servers it houses, as a consumable item. It has a useful lifespan. As the servers reach the end of their lifespan, technical and operational requirements will evolve, making new facility designs not only a necessity but also an opportunity for innovation.”
Data Center Frontier Trends Summit Alerts
Next month, Tony Grayson will present a technical information paper to data center industry participants at the Data Center Frontier Trends Summit (September 4-6) in Reston, Virginia, from 3:10 to 4 p.m. on Monday, September 4, including: “Why Modular Data Centers are Critical to the Future of Enterprise and Defense Digital Infrastructure.”
The thesis of Grayson’s paper, to be presented at the DCF Trends Summit, is as follows:
“The evolution of the edge and the associated modular data center has not met initial expectations, primarily due to a lack of network infrastructure and a lack of commercially viable platforms requiring local computing. Nevertheless, there is an emerging shift towards modular solutions compliant with hyperscale standards, a trend that is being adopted by enterprises, the Department of Defense, and various federal and state government agencies.
This change is driven by several factors, including rapid technology advancements, the growing need for faster time to market, the growing power and cooling demands of AI, sustainability requirements, data sovereignty, and regional power restrictions. This trend toward modular data centers is growing but has gone unnoticed, overshadowed by the industry’s focus on AI and the growth of large hyperscale data center campuses. This white paper explores the factors that are driving customers to choose modular data center solutions over traditional on-premise, retail, or wholesale spaces.
At the Trend Summit, a formal response to Grayson’s paper will be presented by Maureen Russell, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Telecommunications in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Office of Policy Development and Analysis (OPAD).
OPAD develops, analyzes, and advocates for internet and communications-related public policy that promotes digital inclusion, innovation, competition, jobs, and economic growth for the benefit of the American people, and supports NTIA agencies as the President’s principal advisor on communications and information policy.
To date, NTIA has allocated more than $42.45 billion to 56 states and territories as part of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which provides $42.45 billion in funding to expand high-speed internet access across the United States by funding planning, infrastructure deployment (much of the fiber optic and route mile variety) and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
In a recent guest article for Data Center Frontier as part of our Voices of the Industry forum, Ilissa Miller, founder and CEO of iMiller Public Relations, analyzes how federal broadband mandates are driving the need for connectivity hubs to support America’s data centers.
Sustainability in Practice at Danfoss
Danfoss is already using heat reuse technology at its headquarters campus in Denmark, where heat is captured from Danfoss’ on-site data centre and circulated via heat pumps to other nearby buildings for heating purposes.
Danfoss already produces grid converter power conversion technology used to facilitate smart grid interconnection with battery storage assets and microgrids.
As we all know, the data center industry is not alone in the race to decarbonize: heating and cooking in homes and commercial buildings accounts for 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to research and management consulting firm McKinsey.
