DCNN Winter 2023 by All Things Media

DCNN is the total solution at the heart of the data centre industry

WHAT’S INSIDE

WIRELESS NETWORKING

PERFORATED METAL, WOVEN WIRE & LASER CUTTING DCIM

www.graepels.com WINTER 2023

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

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inteliPhy net

A DCIM designed for simplicity

r u o y t ge L A I R T E E FR ! w no

Bandwidth is as much a part of basic supply as water and electricity Connectivity infrastructures from R&M – from the core network to the house connection

Reichle & De-Massari UK Ltd. 450 Brook Drive, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 6UU gbr@rdm.com

INTRODUCTION

WINTER 2023

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Hello and welcome to this issue, I write this to you from my desk laid with hundreds of post-it notes with daily agendas and affirmations, a few cups of leftover coffee, a bundle of print magazines, and lots of Christmas sweets. I can see bare trees from my window, frosty autumn leaves and a seeping darkness telling me that the hot chocolate season is here, and so is the Winter issue of the DCNN magazine! Reflecting on this year, the data centre and networking industry has seen digital advancements similar to this changing season. With the current global progress, the future ESG targets, the pressure to do more, to be transparent, while also being innovative - the urgency to evolve fast has been ever-increasing. I realise that while it is a relief that this year is coming to a close, there is so much more waiting for us in the next one. As winter brings a final resolution and a new beginning all at once, I want to ask you, what are the new beginnings you are looking forward to?

For us, we have introduced Key Issue to the magazine, where we aim to uncover important discussions that may be overlooked in the industry. This time, we dive deeper into the significance of soft skills in leadership positions. We also explore the evolution in Wireless Networking; the dynamic facets of Data Centre Infrastructure Management or DCIM; and technology, safety and strategy in Intelligent Buildings. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the DCNN newsletter to have the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, and please get in touch with me at isha@allthingsmedialtd.com if you would like to contribute to a future issue. All that remains is for me to wish you a warm and Happy New Year! Until the next issue… Isha Jain Editor

STUDIO: MARK WELLER T: 01634 673163 E: mark@allthingsmedialtd.com

GROUP EDITOR: CARLY WELLER T: 01634 673163 E: carly@allthingsmedialtd.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR: DAVID KITCHENER T: 01634 673163 E: david@allthingsmedialtd.com

GROUP ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: KELLY BYNE T: 01634 673163 E: kelly@allthingsmedialtd.com

ACCOUNTS T: 01634 673163 E: susan@allthingsmedialtd.com

SALES DIRECTOR: IAN KITCHENER T: 01634 673163 E: ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

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Published quarterly by All Things Media Ltd., Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Kent ME5 8UD. Tel: 01634 673163 Fax: 01634 673173

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS REGULARS

From the Editor’s Desk

Industry News

Cover Story

20 The evolving connectivity landscape: Mastering the data deluge in a decade of transformation

Graepels: Buy direct, from the people who make it

22 Wi-Fi 7 brings new opportunities

Key Issue

24 The future of the wireless network

Soft skills, mentoring and the ascent of the career ladder

WIRELESS NETWORKING

Interview Isha Jain talks to Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat, about his experience in the enterprise storage industry, the future of data storage and data centres, and his journey at Infinidat.

42 Advertisement Feature Centiel working as your power protection department

54 AI Feature Ethical AI in data centres: Insights from the EU AI Act

56 Products

Cooling

Susta

ISSUE

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DCIM

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

28 How software and automation can unlock data centre sustainability and resilience

44 Powering 5G in intelligent building networks safely

47 Navigating the optical market for quality,

32 Considerations for running your HPC workloads

35 The impact of digitalisation on

compatibility and cost

50 Green data centres: A blueprint for intelligent building strategies

data centres

38 It’s time to get OCP-ready 40 The strategic role of critical infrastructure monitoring and management

WINTER 2023 To get involved, contact:

ainability

Cloud Computing & Storage

Isha Jain isha@allthingsmedialtd.com 01634 673163 Kelly Byne kelly@allthingsmedialtd.com 01634 673163

@DCNNMagazine

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ATNORTH ANNOUNCES HEAT REUSE ENABLED MEGA SITE IN KOUVOLA FIN04 will have an immediate power supply of 60MW in the first phase, ready for operation in the second half of 2025, and a path to power to several hundred megawatts when fully built. The site will cater for both colocation customers and build-to-suit projects. Working closely with the city of Kouvola and energy partner, KSS Energia, the new FIN04 site will atNorth has announced further expansion into Finland with a new mega site planned on a 21Ha plot, in Kouvola, 139km north-east of Helsinki and 52km from the city of Hamina. The site, called FIN04, aligns with atNorth’s growth strategy and will be its 10th data centre in the Nordics and its fourth campus in Finland.

be enabled with heat reuse capabilities, which will enable the recovery of excess heat from the data centre to be recycled for possible reuse within the local community. atNorth, atnorth.com

FROM CAMPUS TO COMPUTE: KAO DATA AND JISC’S GAME-CHANGING COLLABORATION Kao Data has formed a new commercial partnership with Jisc, the UK’s digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research and innovation. As part of a new data centre referral agreement, Jisc has chosen to work with Kao Data, specifically its Harlow campus, due to the high-capacity connectivity that already exists between the facility and the Janet network, to provide members of Jisc’s user-base with access to scalable, sustainable, and highly connected data centre capacity. “As the UK’s preeminent provider of data centres engineered for AI, we’re delighted to have formed this unique commercial partnership with Jisc, providing its academic and research communities with high performance infrastructure designed to deliver the highest levels of sustainability,” says

Spencer Lamb, Chief Commercial Officer, Kao Data. “We look forward to working with Jisc to support its members’ lifesaving research efforts, and to help them establish a new high performance data centre resource in close proximity to major technology hubs, which will benefit its users for years to come.” Kao Data, kaodata.com

HOST-IT ENDS YEAR WITH A FIFTH DATA CENTRE OPENING

Host-IT has announced its latest data centre. Located in Chester, it is ideally situated to serve the North West of the UK. Host-IT’s Chester facility follows four other site openings during 2023 in Birmingham, Bristol,

Nottingham and Leeds, expanding the total portfolio to six with its pre-existing Milton Keynes data centre. Built to Tier Three standards, the 3MW site has full UPS with generator backup and all power is sourced from renewable energy suppliers. Set in 3.4 acres, the facility includes meeting rooms, office spaces and kitchen facilities. The full range of Host-IT services are available including shared colocation, quarter, half and full racks. More advanced services such as dedicated servers, bare metal and back up are also accessible. The secure facility has 24/7 access and provides onsite engineering support. Host-IT, host-it.co.uk

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THE FIVE KEY CHALLENGES FACING DATA CENTRE OPERATIONS TEAMS IN 2024 EkkoSense has identified five key issues that it believes will be key drivers to data centre operations success in 2024: • Improving energy performance – research from Uptime Institute suggests that 68% of data centre managers are very or somewhat concerned about improving energy performance for their facility’s equipment. Almost nine out of 10 also say that IT or data centre power consumption is their top reporting priority. • Data centre resourcing – with over half of data centres struggling to find skilled operational resources in 2023, attracting and retaining talent will remain difficult in 2024. Attracting and retaining top-tier talent, particularly for more technical roles, is one of the biggest challenges for operators as we head into 2024.

• Energy reporting compliance – with European compliance deadlines fast approaching, data centre teams will be subject to a clear accountability framework around climate reporting and the detailing of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. • Managing escalating workloads – data centre workload volumes continue to grow, with predictions suggesting workloads will increase between 10-20% per year over the next five years. EkkoSense, ekkosense.com

• Progressing towards sustainability goals – operators are under pressure to cut energy usage and deliver carbon savings, with KPIs demanding tangible improvements.

VERNE GLOBAL UNVEILS LIQUID COOLING AT ITS DATA CENTRE CAMPUS IN FINLAND

Verne Global has announced the integration of liquid cooling technology with its data centre campus in Pori, Finland, known as The Rock. The surge in AI, machine learning and high-performance computing is amplifying the need for robust data centre cooling solutions. At a time when increasing energy efficiency is paramount for most data centre operators, the average data

centre commits 40% of its energy consumption to cooling its infrastructure. The network demands of the AI models also require a significantly higher level of computational density, putting further strains on conventional air cooling technologies. As a result, liquid cooling is quickly gaining traction in the market. Recognising this pressing need for cooling innovation, Verne has collaborated closely with Dell Technologies and Intel to introduce direct liquid cooling (DLC) to The Rock campus in Finland. The deployment features DLC on Dell DLC3000 rack solutions with up to 80kW+ cooling capacity and 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors to maximise performance and cooling efficiency. Verne Global, verneglobal.com

COLT DCS EXPANDS WITH THIRD FRANKFURT HYPERSCALE DATA CENTRE Colt Data Centre Services (DCS) has commenced the construction of its third data centre in Frankfurt, Germany. Recognising Germany’s pivotal role as a digital business hub with essential infrastructure for seamless internet traffic across Europe and beyond, it has strategically chosen to continue to invest in the Frankfurt market in order to meet customer demand. The latest project is strategically situated in close proximity to Colt DCS’s existing Frankfurt data centre, offering seamless connectivity to the Rhine-Main region and convenient access to Frankfurt’s major financial district. Designed for a leading cloud service provider, this facility will provide 32.4MW of IT power capacity, ensuring exceptional data storage capabilities and scalability for the tenant’s IT infrastructure.

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Colt DCS’ design is future-proofed to accommodate liquid cooling and high-density racks layouts, with flexibility to deliver hybrid solutions (air and/or liquid cooling) depending on the customer’s use case. Colt Data Centre Services, coltdatacentres.net

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COVER STORY

GRAEPELS: BUY DIRECT, FROM THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT Understanding the advantages and choosing to work with a manufacturer is crucial for achieving optimum results. Graepels manufactures physical security solutions of exceptional strength and durability, using only the highest quality materials and understand the intricacy between security and operational efficiency.

ENGINEERED METAL PRODUCTS REDEFINING DATA CENTRE SECURITY

The second quarter of 2023 showed no signs of slowing demand for data centres across Europe. The period from April to June 2023 was a pivotal period marked by record demand. Engineered metal is just one solution that serves this ever-growing market.

NO COMPROMISE

Graepels provides end-to-end solutions to its clients to meet their requirements. Graepels manufactures physical security solutions of exceptional strength and durability, using only the highest quality materials and understands the intricacy between security and operational efficiency. With over six decades of expertise across the UK and Ireland, Graepels’ engineers and technical specialists provide valuable guidance on the capabilities, issues and limitations for woven wire mesh and perforated metal.

STRENGTH AND ADAPTABILITY

Graepels’ perforated metal and woven wire mesh are two adaptable products for applications in IT security cages, partitions, server colocation cages, aisle containment and ventilation panels due to their inherent strength, structural integrity, and flexibility. Woven wire panels are three times stronger than welded mesh, and are easily welded and framed for rigidity and strength. The process of weaving wire is achieved by crimping the straight wire on the horizontal and vertical lengths (the warp and weft), and then weaving the wires together, securing the wires in place. Graepels manufactures to its customers technical specifications and offers a range of aperture sizes and wire diameter set by industry standards for optimum security. Where woven wire cannot meet the needs of a project, Graepels offers perforated metal, often used for air intake and for visual and physical security. The perforated sheets can be designed and manufactured to exact specifications. Perforated metal is lighter than solid

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unperforated sheets, making it easier to handle for installation. Graepels’ experience in manufacturing flat sheets and supplying complete 3D kit forms means its team will work with your design engineers to eliminate cumbersome frames with numerous cut-outs, to create easy sheet metal components that can be easily assembled into cabinets without the need for any framework by its in-house engineers.

WORKING WITH GRAEPELS, THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT

ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Graepels invests in its people, technology, and innovation to stay competitive. By collaborating, its customers gain access to its people, products and services.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE As a manufacturing company, Graepels is well-versed in industry regulations and industry standards, and is ISO, UKAS and CE 10.90 accredited.

Understanding the advantages and choosing to work with a manufacturer is crucial for achieving optimum results, and a strategic advantage by leveraging Graepels’ expertise, resources, and efficiency, ultimately contributing to the overall success of your project.

TIME EFFICIENCY

EXPERTISE AND SPECIALISATION

COST PREDICTABILITY

Graepels is a manufacturer that is known for its bespoke work. Benefit from the company’s experience, as it understands the nuances of production and can work closely with you to provide valuable insights to enhance your products, making them cost effective by eliminating unnecessary design elements.

COST EFFICIENCY

From tailor-made solutions to standard designs, Graepels has the capability to purchase materials in bulk and reduce production costs.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

As a reputable manufacturer, Graepels adheres to quality standards and implements rigorous quality control measures, ensuring consistent product quality and customer satisfaction.

Graepels is equipped to handle production processes efficiently, often resulting in faster turnaround times. This time efficiency is crucial for meeting tight deadlines and responding quickly to market demands.

Working with a manufacturer like Graepels allows for a better cost predictability, as pricing structures are usually negotiated and agreed upon in advance. This helps in budgeting and financial planning for your projects. Don’t just take it from Graepels, take it from its customers: “We have collaborated with Graepels over the past six years on several projects, and their quality of service and product cannot be faltered. They prove to be extremely professional and reliable time and time again,” says James Whelan, Business Development Manager, Allwood Architectural Joinery. “Graepels’ engineering solutions, expertise and short turnarounds are very much appreciated for our fast design and fabrication capabilities. With their support we never disappoint our clients in the likes of design and deadlines,” adds Jost Valic, Mechanical Design Engineer.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Graepels offers a lunch and learn on its woven wire mesh and is in the process of submitting this presentation to RIBA for accreditation. Its perforated metal CPD is already accredited with the RIAI and RIBA. For more information or to book a CPD, email enquiry@graepels.com. Graepels, graepels.com Tel: 01925 295609

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KEY ISSUE

SOFT SKILLS, MENTORING AND THE ASCENT OF THE CAREER LADDER Sarah Draper, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer, Telehouse, shares how to navigate through the complexities of the changing corporate world, find mentors in unexpected places, and embrace the journey of persistent learning. In the ever-evolving world of technology and telecommunications, the demand for talent continues to surge. Within these industries, we universally recognise that we need skilled individuals to harness the latest advances to ensure competitiveness in the short term and into the future. While employees can gain technical skills such as data analytics and programming through formal education and training, soft skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, communication, delegation, active listening, and leadership are less easily taught through structured academic programmes. A study conducted by the Workforce Institute has shed light on the lack of some of these skills among Generation Z. It found they often feel

ill-prepared for common workplace activities such as negotiation and public speaking. Alarmingly, a third of them express fear of failing in leadership roles. This presents a formidable challenge not only to the technology and telecommunications sector, but also to the overall performance of individual organisations. In the coming years, we may face a shortage of influential, capable leaders that are adept at expanding businesses and nurturing customer relationships. Contrary to popular belief, in Sarah’s experience, soft leadership skills do not magically materialise with job seniority. Simply holding a high-ranking position does not automatically make someone an effective leader. Yet, formal education often falls short in preparing people

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in these crucial areas. Soft leadership skills generally have to be actively sought, developed, and nurtured. Sarah says that from her personal experience, a pivotal first step in this journey is the proactive pursuit of mentors who can offer guidance, serve as sounding boards for questions, provide valuable feedback, and dispense wisdom accrued through years of experience.

THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP AND COACHING

Sarah says she considers herself really fortunate to have encountered mentors and coaches at various stages of her career who generously offered their guidance. This continues right up to today. This guidance played a pivotal role in helping Sarah navigate her career path and the intricacies associated with it. It is almost a skill in itself to appreciate the guidance that different people can provide, whether it be related to providing you with business knowledge, helping you develop gravitas, or even giving you pointers around team management and collaborative techniques. This support can come from many different sources, including professional coaches or more experienced colleagues within an organisation (not necessarily from your own). It can also come from reverse mentorship, which also shouldn’t be underestimated. Mentorship takes many diverse forms and doesn’t necessarily require a single designated mentor or structured, paid-for coaching, which not all organisations offer. If this is the case, it is worth remembering that you can take the initiative and request a mentor or external coach through your employer. If it isn’t possible, try tapping into your personal network to identify individuals capable of providing guidance. We encounter people all the time from different backgrounds, each with a unique perspective and valuable experience that can help reshape our thinking and behaviour, equipping us for current and future leadership roles. Sarah says that from her experience, she knows the value of seeking out advice from as diverse a set of people as possible, both working in her field and elsewhere.

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KEY ISSUE

Another avenue is seeking guidance or answers to specific questions at industry events, interactive webinars, or simply requesting half an hour of someone’s time. This can seem daunting at times and demands a degree of resilience, as not everyone may agree to help, and some may not even respond. Nevertheless, keep trying. Mustering the courage to ask questions and seek assistance is an investment well worth making. Even the most seasoned leaders continue to learn. Sarah shares she has seen extremely senior people recognising that they do not possess all the answers. This is certainly the case in our rapidly-changing world and the technology industry in particular feels like it is in the midst of constant change right now. Being able to seek guidance from a wide network of people is, therefore, more important than ever, as we seek to navigate these changes. No one person has all the answers.

SOFT SKILLS THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER We talk about technical skills a lot earlier on in our careers, but in Sarah’s view the importance of soft skills remains a constant. Skills such as understanding others’ perspectives, presenting complex issues clearly, addressing larger audiences, teamwork, collaboration, actively listening to team members and such like are invaluable at every career stage.

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That said, Sarah adds that the specific set of soft skills required evolves as a career progresses, or it certainly has for her. As a junior professional, she didn’t find herself chairing board meetings or delivering high-stakes presentations, so presentation skills early in her career were focused on small team meetings or negotiations within transactions. She says she also needed to hone her skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and effective communication. Like Sarah, you may also find that you need to learn how to ask the right questions at the right time. Sarah mentions this as you may feel you want to master all soft skills simultaneously. Her view is that this is probably an impossible task, it’s also likely to be impractical and ineffective and just isn’t necessary. Sarah’s advice is to focus on the skills that are most relevant to your current stage in your career lifecycle and spend some time identifying those that will be necessary for your next career step, building your skillset progressively. Above all, it is important to embrace learning throughout your career. To continue to be effective, we should never stop learning and developing. Soft skills, often overlooked in formal education, play a crucial role in navigating the complexities of the corporate world. Telehouse, telehouse.net

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INTERVIEW

PLAYING TO WIN: INSIDE THE WORLD OF A STORAGE EXPERT Isha Jain talks to Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat, about his experience in the enterprise storage industry, the future of data storage and data centres, and his journey at Infinidat. IJ: Tell us about yourself and how you got into the sector. EH: I was recruited into the storage industry in 1986 by a friend who had been my finance manager in another company, and I have worked on all types of storage solutions ever since. This includes tenures at Fortune 500 corporations such as EMC, IBM, Seagate/Maxtor and I’ve also worked at eight startups, each across several different sectors of the storage industry. Throughout my career I have held a broad range of roles such as CMO, VP of Sales, CFO, VP of HR, and VP of Manufacturing Operations at three different companies. This gives me a strong technical, sales, operational, and marketing background, which translates into a very deep

understanding of enterprises’ needs. It’s the ideal preparation to be an effective CMO.

IJ: For those who may not know, can you give us an overview of the work that Infinidat does? EH: Infinidat was founded just over 20 years ago, by a team of well-renowned storage industry experts focused on delivering business value and eliminating the compromises between performance, availability, cyber resilience, and cost at multi-petabyte scale for enterprise storage. This remains our overarching strategic objective, as we strive to enable our customers to spend less on their storage infrastructure and focus more on innovation, growth, and garnering competitive advantages.

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IJ: Can you tell us about your current role, what you’re responsible for, and what your normal working day consists of? EH: As CMO, I am responsible for global marketing. My working day is based on a 24-hour, international clock, which can mean starting meetings as early as one o’clock in the morning, California time, where I reside. I try to be there for all my team members whenever I can and take a very flexible and adaptable approach to my working day.

IJ: What do you like best about your role? EH: I love the teamwork and the interaction I get from so many teams across different functions within the business. Good marketers are very tightly integrated with their entire organisation they work very closely with sales, product management, engineering specialists and with systems development teams. This is the level of teamwork that I’m used to and what I really enjoy about my role.

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IJ: What do you think is the most challenging part of your work? EH: Infinidat operates in the high-end enterprise market, but we are still a relatively small company. Although we are growing dramatically, our closest competitors dwarf us in revenue size. They are multi-billion dollar businesses and yet customers are choosing Infinidat. Our solutions are pioneering, but it’s still challenging to compete because we have far fewer resources in comparison to these larger companies. This makes us more ‘go-getting’ and we have to be very tenacious to stand out.

IJ: What do you think will be the future of storage? EH: The future of storage begins with looking at cyber security and cyber storage resilience. As they have traditionally been treated separately in the enterprise, it is difficult to create a comprehensive enterprise cyber security strategy. Due to the exponential growth and intensity of cyber threats, cyber storage resilience needs to be part of every

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INTERVIEW

enterprise’s overall cyber security arsenal. It will be especially important for datastores that are moving between on-premises enterprise data centres and the public cloud. In hybrid cloud environments, security experts agree that it’s vital for enterprises to be investing in creating secure datastores for both primary datasets and for backup datasets that use immutable snapshots and air-gapping. This is leading to enterprises and service providers more proactively deploying enterprise storage products that have baked-in cyber storage resilience capabilities. To facilitate rapid cyber recovery, copies of data, especially critical data, must be unalterable. Data integrity cannot be compromised while combatting a cyber attack.

IJ: How do you see the data centre industry developing over the next few years? EH: The data centre industry is continuing to evolve and will continue to be subject to the vicissitudes of both the impact of tighter cyber security and financial budgets. Anything that simplifies running a data centre and allowing it to become more automated and cost-efficient will continue to grow. Environmental impacts are also important, so any developments that reduce power and cooling budgets will become more prevalent.

IJ: What makes a great data centre? EH: Three key things. Automation, as the more self-managing a data centre is, the better, which means it frees up technical manpower to work on high value activities like software development. Resilience, because today’s world runs 24/7/365, so the more resilient the data centre is to cyber attacks, the better. And performance, because everyone prefers their systems to perform well and expectations continue to rise.

IJ: What is next for you and for Infinidat? EH: We continue to expand the company’s enterprise customer footprint all over the world and we are doing very well. In the first half of 2023, when many of the storage companies were shrinking, Infinidat grew bookings by 29%. We are growing profitably and will continue

WINTER 2023

to develop our technology and release new solutions on a regular basis, with at least two to three new solution launches every year. Our goal is to continue with this level of innovation and development. For me, personally, I will continue to drive Infinidat to become bigger, faster, and better. That’s my goal.

IJ: Do you have any career advice for anybody that’s starting out in the industry? EH: This is just my personal philosophy, but I believe in striving for perfection. Of course, no one is perfect, but if you do not strive for perfection, you won’t even be mediocre. The second thing is to be a team player, because business is the ultimate team sport.

IJ: What are you most proud of in your career so far? EH: The number of people who have worked for me who have had very successful careers and become senior executives in various fields. I am proud of all their successes and that I have been able to play an integral part in helping them reach their full potential.

IJ: What are your interests away from work? EH: I’m a sports fanatic. I like to watch sports and used to be a collegiate level athlete, so I also love to play, and I follow American football, baseball and Olympic wrestling. Infinidat, infinidat.com

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WIRELESS NETWORKING

THE EVOLVING CONNECTIVITY LANDSCAPE: MASTERING THE DATA DELUGE IN A DECADE OF TRANSFORMATION As the fabric of global commerce becomes increasingly digitised, the flow of information is now a critical currency, and robust connectivity is its guardian, writes Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Telehouse Europe. In an era marked by relentless digital acceleration, the connectivity blueprint for businesses has undergone a seismic shift. Remote collaboration, the Internet of Things (IoT), and vast data generation are transforming the operational landscape. This transformation is driving businesses to explore new territories of digital innovation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in data management and customer interaction. Today’s organisations face a stark decision. Adapt swiftly to the burgeoning demands of hybrid work models, IoT proliferation, and surging data volumes, or risk obsolescence.

Those who choose to embrace these changes are finding that beyond the challenge lies a wealth of opportunities to redefine their industry and lead in a digitally driven market. The adoption of high-speed networks and powerful processing capabilities is no longer a luxury, it’s a strategic imperative. Organisations must boost their network speeds and processing power to cater to evolving customer demands and comply with tightening regulations. This is not only a matter of meeting expectations, but also an exercise in future-proofing businesses against the next wave of digital transformation.

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growth in the volume of data they manage over the next decade. This trend is not solely driven by AI; the increasing interconnectedness through IoT devices and edge computing technologies also plays a significant role in the data explosion. This data growth underscores the necessity for scalable and high-performance IT infrastructure. Businesses will require systems capable of storing immense data volumes and executing complex computations and analytics to harness the full potential of the data they collect.

REGULATION AND CYBER SECURITY: THE NEED FOR VIGILANCE

EMBRACING THE FAST PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

The rapid pace of technological progress presents every sector with opportunities to innovate and streamline operations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer, offering unprecedented capabilities in customer service and operational efficiency. With AI’s potential becoming increasingly tangible, its integration into business processes is not just expected, it’s imperative. However, integrating AI and data analytics is seen as the largest infrastructure challenge for the coming years by a third of businesses, according to recent research from Telehouse. The ‘Vision for Digital Infrastructure in 2030 Report’ surveyed 250 IT decision-makers across various UK industries to explore their connectivity demands, challenges and requirements over the next decade. This finding is a significant concern for those who continue to depend on legacy on-premises solutions, which are often inadequate for today’s data requirements.

PREPARING FOR THE DATA DELUGE

The data landscape is expanding at an astonishing rate. Not only is data everywhere today, but 75% of the IT decision-makers surveyed anticipate even more substantial

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As technology evolves, so do the accompanying regulatory and cyber security challenges. New regulations emerge, aiming to balance innovation with consumer and business protection. With the advent of stricter data privacy and protection laws, companies are pressured to manage data transparently and responsibly. Out of the IT decision-makers surveyed by Telehouse, 44% view cyber security regulations as a significant obstacle, reflecting the increasing complexity of safeguarding digital assets against sophisticated threats.

STRATEGIC CONNECTIVITY FOR THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, organisations need to re-evaluate their infrastructure to stay compliant and competitive. The demand for digital connectivity is driving a shift towards hybrid infrastructures that combine the cloud’s scalability with the security and reliability of colocation services. Colocation data centres, in particular, provide businesses with the flexibility to scale and the bandwidth to ensure reliable service distribution, which is essential for the successful deployment of AI and other new technologies. As we move closer to 2030, we can expect the connectivity landscape to experience even more changes. Those organisations that anticipate and adapt to these developments will be well-placed to succeed. In the end, the future will belong to the agile, the proactive, and the prepared. Telehouse, telehouse.net

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WIRELESS NETWORKING

WI-FI 7 BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES Wi-Fi 7 is just around the corner and it boasts great promise for businesses and home users alike. There are also new potential revenue streams to be opened up for industries that can effectively offer a new generation of Wi-Fi products and services to the market, writes Arturo Sordo, Business Development Manager for TSN, IP Testing and Cloud at Spirent. Wi-Fi 7 builds upon the developments of Wi-Fi 6 in enhancing the individual experiences of single users while multiple users are connected to a single Wi-Fi network. This latest generation of Wi-Fi is based on IEEE standard 802.11be to deliver extremely high throughput for users, dramatically increased traffic capacity, lower latency, less congestion and greater reliability. A number of new features within Wi-Fi 7 will enable that - a denser modulation scheme called 4KQAM; wider channels of up to 320MHz after the unlocking of the 6Ghz spectrum for unlicensed access; and the adoption of multi-RU OFDMA which will add latency improvements. Crucially, Wi-Fi 7 will also include Multi-Link Operation, which will

allow one device to transmit a single flow of information over multiple radios, thus improving the performance and reach of the network. However, with the upgraded quality and new functionality, Wi-Fi 7 brings new expectations and new requirements on the businesses that stand to gain from it. Wi-Fi 7 presents challenges and considerations for testing. Its new modulation scheme, 4KQAM, will need high levels of signal quality to work correctly. This will mean that the transmitter must be very linear so as not to distort the constellation. Similarly, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) must be reasonably high, which requires a quiet Radio Frequency (RF) environment with minimal path

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loss. Similarly, Multi-Link Operation - as a key improvement in Wi-Fi 7 - brings new testing requirements. Because it uses multiple radio links to form a single data path, testing requires simultaneous observation using sniffing and measurement using KPIs for each radio link. Those have to be synchronised to a central time base for correct data fusion. These new requirements mean that Wi-Fi 7 devices will need to be tested within systems that can effectively emulate realistic scenarios to validate the new features that it provides. In order to do this, some organisations may have to uproot their existing testing processes. Traditional manual testing in cabled environments will be overly burdensome for testing Wi-Fi 7, especially considering the multitude of devices and environments that will need to be tested. Furthermore, its complexity will mean that testing has to become more automated, as more devices with more features - and an overbearing pressure to bring them to market quickly come into view.

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These should be able to validate the compliance of Wi-Fi performance standards such as broadband forum TR-398, as well as test the critical components like mesh SW and HW. Moreover, testing with latency histograms will allow businesses to establish the true cost of latency in the network, as well as its variance and the levels of determinism in the network, which will be crucial to industrial communications, gaming and AR applications. There are real opportunities here for home and office applications in 8K video, low latency gaming and augmented/virtual reality applications, but only with a rigorous automated testing strategy. If businesses don’t take the necessary steps to rigorously test their Wi-Fi 7 products, then undiagnosed issues could quickly turn into frustrated revenue streams, unhappy clients, high maintenance costs, and, in some cases, the very safety of users. Spirent, spirent.com

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WIRELESS NETWORKING

THE FUTURE OF THE WIRELESS NETWORK As demand for wireless networking changes rapidly, Ian Wharton, Technical Architect at Principle Networks, highlights the need to embrace future-ready infrastructure. The office as we know it no longer exists. Hybrid working has reshaped how we work and redefined the essence of the workplace itself. The modern workspace has become a multifunctional hub, blending work with client interactions and social events, and at its core is a fast, reliable and secure wireless network. However, the shift to the modern office isn’t as simple as updating old systems. It’s a comprehensive overhaul which demands a fundamental reimagining of existing infrastructure and all that underpins it. The density of traffic travelling through today’s networks is no longer akin to those of the past, which means on-premise Local Area Networks (LAN) and clunky, standard guest Wi-Fi connections are no longer fit for purpose. Businesses want multifaceted networks that are about more than just connectivity. They

want to create cloud-based environments that embody flexibility, adaptability and efficiency. Perceptions of wireless networks have changed, and expectations have risen.

WHY IS THERE A DESIRE FOR CHANGE? For many organisations, the office wireless network hasn’t been a priority. Guest Wi-Fi of any form was considered enough and it could be installed onto the existing network infrastructure. Fast-forward 10 years and those same businesses are attempting to transition to the cloud and using the same network connection to host multiple users. Almost immediately, they found it had limited bandwidth and couldn’t cope with the density of devices trying to connect.

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This kind of technical debt – the implied cost incurred when businesses don’t fix problems that will affect them in the future – is hindering innovation for businesses across the globe. A recent survey of over 500 IT decision-makers found that organisations spent an estimated 40% of their annual IT budget on maintaining legacy technology. Furthermore, 69% of respondents acknowledged that technical debt is hindering their ability to innovate. There has been a shift in what organisations need, want and expect from a wireless network. Why? Hybrid working is one reason, but another is the fact consumer brands have transformed our experiences as technology users. We now expect to receive the same level of instant service in a working environment as we do when ordering clothes, food or taxis online. For example, hybrid working has made it possible for us to use public spaces, such as coffee shops, as a place to work. They offer instant internet access that is fast and secure, which can make it a more appealing option than going into the office. It has highlighted flexibility as the cornerstone of modern network infrastructure. Organisations need to match

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this with a network that seamlessly adapts to the dynamic nature of the current working environment. When a new starter begins employment at your organisation, or if you have a customer or partner visit your office, being able to connect to your network with the utmost simplicity is now a benchmark of a modern business. It sounds simple, but getting it right requires attention to detail and a strategic approach to creating a wireless network that delivers on business objectives to be as efficient from an operational perspective as possible.

TRANSITIONING TO THE FUTURE The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recently published its Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, which details the government’s plan to deliver world-class wireless infrastructure to premises across the UK by 2030. But how do we get there? Organisations need to move away from simplistic, standard networks and embrace more secure, user-friendly and cloud-based infrastructure that reflects the needs of the modern office. This shift should be a necessity and is driven by several key factors.

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WIRELESS NETWORKING

Firstly, the security concerns within the current threat landscape require a more robust network. Standard solutions often lack the required security measures to safeguard against a potential cyber attack. Any attack could prove extremely costly to your business, whether financially or reputationally. The rise of hybrid working and the handling of sensitive data across dispersed environments means security protocols are imperative to maintain data integrity and minimise the threat of unauthorised access to a network. Secondly, scalability and flexibility are central to organisations’ operations. Traditional networks can struggle to adapt to the evolving needs of multiple devices and a fluctuating workforce. Cloud-based infrastructure provides the required adaptability, scaling up or down to meet the changing needs without compromising network performance. Furthermore, the modern office demands a more intuitive, user-centric network experience. Cloud-based systems ensure a hassle-free connection across various devices and locations. This accessibility drives productivity and collaboration, delivering a user experience that surpasses physical boundaries. Optimised performance is another crucial factor when it comes to upgrading wireless networks. As mentioned previously, legacy

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networks often can’t handle the density of devices and applications in a contemporary workspace. Cloud-based infrastructure can effectively manage high-density environments, ensuring speed, latency and reliability are not compromised, regardless of how busy the network is. Transitioning to the cloud also facilitates ongoing innovation. It supports the integration of new technologies and enables the deployment of updated security measures, which is essential to businesses striving to stay ahead in a competitive marketplace.

THE OFFICE WE ONCE KNEW, NO LONGER EXISTS IT decision-makers have an opportunity to mould what the office of the future looks like. By prioritising network upgrades and designing a network infrastructure that aligns with their business objectives, they’ll create a modern workspace that enables their business to thrive. It’s about implementing networks that facilitate change rather than hinder it. The office as we knew it, no longer exists. The need to embrace future-ready infrastructure is imperative. It’s time to overhaul legacy systems, transition to the cloud and build a secure, reliable and scalable network that drives success. Principle Networks, principle-networks.com

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DCIM

HOW SOFTWARE AND AUTOMATION CAN UNLOCK DATA CENTRE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE Mark Yeeles, VP, Secure Power UK and Ireland, Schneider Electric, unveils how data centre resilience and sustainability can be unlocked by employing the new and emerging range of digital software and automation tools. In recent times, data centres have become the focus of much attention, as demand rises, energy costs soar, and sustainability issues persist. Energy consumption and efficiency have rightly come under the spotlight, but questions about capital and operational expenditure have given way to an awareness and understanding of total expenditure. Similarly, as carbon emissions are considered, so too is embodied carbon for a complete picture of lifecycle carbon assessment. Data centre resilience and sustainability can be unlocked by employing the new and emerging range of digital software and

automation tools during the design stage, through operational life and even into decommissioning. Through techniques such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), digital twins, and DCIM software that can enable operators to reduce operating costs and energy consumption via automation. Data centres can and must be designed, constructed, managed and operated using software and automation that ensures maximum resilience and awareness of the impact they are having on the environment around them to future-proof their sustainability and ensure they can provide answers to global ESG goals.

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and load layout to avoid challenges with capacity utilisation. In essence, software platforms, including digital twins, have now become more sophisticated and, taking inspiration from the metaverse, are being run alongside their operational counterparts for change management, scenario exploration and experimentation. This level of digitalisation can provide greater insight, including the implementation of science-based emissions metrics and common reporting frameworks, while addressing key points such as embodied carbon, which were previously difficult to gauge.

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

DESIGN AND BUILD OPTIMISATION Through the evolution of advanced software, it is now possible to digitise the infrastructure design process beyond 3D modelling and create a digital twin that can predict, through artificial intelligence (AI), the complete lifecycle of a data centre. Tools such as energy management platforms, smart construction applications, and unified operations for data centres, can effectively create and model new facilities, allowing multiple configurations to be tried and tested before a single brick is laid. This ensures that resilience and sustainability criteria are designed and incorporated from the outset. When combined with CFD technology, airflows can be modelled and optimised, while end-users and operators can experiment with IT layouts, capacity, and scaling to find the optimum configuration. This approach, however, can determine far more than hot aisle and cold aisle layouts. For example, it can identify problem areas for cooling IT equipment such as hotspots, and help address them before they become an issue. Furthermore, the use of CFD software can provide insights in terms of future planning

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Within the data centre industry too, the power of software is creating new efficiencies and opportunities to drive sustainability. Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) systems have evolved to become hosted on the cloud, thereby becoming interoperable systems architected to cope with hybrid IT, homogeneous estates and services from a multitude of data centre environments. The term DCIM 3.0 has also come into fruition, where the monitoring, management, planning, and modelling of IT physical infrastructure is made possible, with flexible deployment options that include on-premises and cloud-based solutions to support distributed IT environments from a few to thousands of sites globally. With the assistance of AI, next-generation DCIM not only orchestrates and manages the distributed, hybrid enterprise, it brings your data to life, builds a picture of operations to offer insights for optimisation, reducing the incidence and impact of stranded capacity, and identifies underutilised or unreliable equipment in need of replacement.

INCREASING UPTIME Another benefit from digitally designed facilities is that end-users and operators can become familiar with the facilities and systems digitally, before ever setting foot inside. This is seen as critical in reducing human error in maintenance and configuration changes. The 2022 Outage Analysis from the Uptime Institute, for example, reports that almost

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DCIM

two-thirds (60%) of failures now result in at least $100,000 in total losses, with the vast majority (85%) of incidents stemming from staff failing to follow procedures or flaws in the processes themselves. An IDC estimate puts the organisational cost of human error at $62.4 million annually. DCIM 3.0 also facilitates predictive maintenance, further increasing resilience. As such, the software can help proactively plan maintenance cycles to reduce costs, ensure adequate levels of uptime and mitigate the potential impact of failures. Moreover, advanced software can serve as the basis for increased automation and ‘lights out’ operations.

CONCLUSION

The new software capabilities found in digital design tools, operational systems, and modelling, can allow data centre operators to better understand the complete impact and

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lifecycle operation of a new facility in detail not previously thought possible. Leveraging developments in sensors, monitoring systems and advanced data analytics, modelling in the form of digital twins is giving unprecedented opportunities to meet the needs of energy efficiency, resilience and adaptability, while enabling sustainability targets to be both met and exceeded. Furthermore, the lifetime impact of a data centre can be better understood and controlled, from design and operations to decommissioning, reuse and recycling. With digital design and development tools allied to new operational management controls, the data centres of the future will be more efficient from the day they are deployed, more resilient for their operational life, and ultimately, more sustainable. Schneider Electric, se.com

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ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DCIM

CONSIDERATIONS FOR RUNNING YOUR HPC WORKLOADS With the explosive demand for high-performance computing driven in part by AI applications, what are the considerations prospective customers need to know about their data centre’s infrastructure? Arpen Tucker, Senior Business Development Manager, Vantage Data Centers UK, discusses why HPC is a different matter to simply hosting and supporting more powerful computers. High-performance computing (HPC) is now a necessity for enterprises seeking to maintain a competitive edge. The question is not whether to invest in HPC, but how best to leverage it to achieve strategic business goals. However, making the decision between housing HPC infrastructure on-premise or using colocation facilities can have a significant impact on costs, as well as your organisation’s agility and scalability. While the public cloud as a delivery model may be a viable alternative or complementary

SPACE

option for certain HPC applications and

The first consideration is whether you have sufficient space on-premise to house a high-performance system. Given that these

standard workloads, for example, highly parallelised codes or ensembles and where

there is a high tolerance for individual job failure and execution locality is not a prerequisite, many won’t be optimised. This brings the decision down to self-build on-premise or renting your data centre space, critical infrastructure and engineering support services through colocation. The key focus areas to help with making the right decision will most probably include the following:

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machines are many times more powerful than anything else in the corporate data centre, it’s not just a matter of racking another box in the server room.

EFFICIENT COOLING HPC rigs generate a significant amount of heat that needs to be managed carefully. Depending on the power of the system, existing cooling systems may be insufficient, and upgrading the cooling system to accommodate HPC requirements can be a costly and time-consuming process that involves removing large volumes of generated heat. Therefore, liquid-cooled systems, which circulate and recirculate within water-cooling systems, become a necessity. These systems typically snake in and out of the building and are worth considering, even if your HPC needs are relatively modest. Retrofitting these systems once a system is in operation can be an even more complicated, costly, and time-consuming process that involves significant downtime.

ABUNDANT POWER HPC systems, due to their high-component density, necessitate specialised power and

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cooling provisions. While standard computing systems commonly operate on a power density of 5kW-8kW per rack, with high-density blade platforms running at approximately 12kW per rack, HPC systems can require significantly higher levels. Requirements have been seen for 50kW and even 100kW per rack. The energy demands of HPC systems are remarkable. To put it in perspective, a 40-teraflop system requires around 2MW of power, roughly the equivalent of a small data centre. And as HPC systems become more advanced and power-hungry, the challenge of meeting their energy demands only increases. The ultimate limitation for most on-premise and indeed colocation data centres will therefore be the availability of sufficient power. Highly concentrated power to rack in even smaller footprints is critical, as dense HPC equipment needs high power densities.

FIBRE CONNECTIVITY/LATENCY The majority of colocation data centres have far higher levels of diverse fibre connectivity compared to on-premise campuses. Basic public connectivity solutions will generally not be sufficient for HPC systems.

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DCIM

Ensuring connectivity through multiple diverse connections from the facility is crucial, along with specialised connections to public clouds, especially in the case of hybrid cloud solutions. These bypass the public internet to enable more consistent and secure interactions between the HPC platform and other workloads the organisation may be operating.

CRITICAL SERVICES Maintaining an HPC system is no small feat and demands a specialised skill-set. Merely relying on your existing IT department will not suffice. The complexities of a supercomputer require dedicated professionals with deep expertise. It is not just one role, but several full-time positions that need to be fulfilled around the clock. When you invest in a multimillion-pound computer system, idle time is simply not an option.

COLO CREDENTIALS While utilising a colocation provider resolves certain power and cooling challenges, only a limited number of providers can adequately cater for HPC requirements. Many have little experience of it and their business models do not support the custom builds required. This

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limitation stems from various factors, such as insufficient access to consistent power supply from the national grid. Cooling can also pose difficulties, as traditional methods may not meet the targeted cooling needs of HPC. Additionally, effectively managing heat removal remains a concern, even with modern in-row cooling solutions. Furthermore, maintaining uninterrupted power during grid failures proves crucial for HPC workloads. Some colocation providers expect customers to prioritise workloads, which may be acceptable for general computing and storage tasks, but is impractical for HPC, where the entire workload must be sustained to avoid significant time and resource losses. In summary, choosing between housing complex HPC workloads on-premise or outsourcing to a cloud or colocation provider requires careful consideration. In the many instances where migrating HPC workloads into the cloud or running them on-premise is not most viable, colocation can offer the optimum solution. However, thorough due diligence on your potential HPC colocation partner’s credentials and facilities is essential. Vantage Data Centers, vantage-dc.com

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DCIM

WINTER 2023

THE IMPACT OF DIGITALISATION ON DATA CENTRES As businesses, institutions and individuals rely more on data, data centres have become increasingly important. Digitalisation is profoundly affecting data centres in several ways, partly through the availability of new tools and information, and partly because of the need to accommodate fast-changing requirements, writes Carsten Ludwig, Market Manager DC, Reichle & De-Massari. The amount and variety of generated and stored data has grown exponentially in recent years. This has resulted in vastly higher demand for storage, complex data management, and more and larger data centres, with higher-density equipment. Decentralisation and hybrid/multi-cloud strategies are becoming more prevalent. As a result of market, business and technology developments, data centre usage and scope will continue to change. Designs will need to accommodate expansions and upgrades at short notice and offer layout and infrastructure flexibility. That means data centre operators and asset managers need

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to make informed choices about physical layout, space utilisation, power, cooling, HVAC, connectivity, safety, security, risk mitigation and much more. At the same time, they need to keep an eye on how decisions affect business cases, performance, reliability and energy-efficient practices.

THE CHALLENGES Balancing workloads and optimising resource utilisation remain key to cost-effective operations. Planning for future capacity needs and scaling infrastructure. while maintaining high availability and minimising service interruptions

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DCIM

is a constant challenge. This is made more complicated by the fact that equipment is continuously added, moved or replaced, as data centres scale and change. That makes maintaining accurate, real-time visibility into processes and assets more difficult. To make matters even more challenging, the data centre industry is facing a shortage of trained staff, and facilities need to comply with a wide variety of regulations and standards, depending on their location and the type of data being stored and processed. Based on business growth, technology advancements, resource availability, timelines for capacity planning, procurement, deployment, upgrades, and maintenance may vary significantly.

HOW DIGITALISATION CAN HELP Digitalisation can play a key role in streamlining data centre operations. Automation reduces the need for manual intervention and minimises errors, particularly in the areas of server provisioning, resource allocation and monitoring. data centre managers can maintain up-to-date hardware and software inventories, track equipment lifecycles, and effectively plan for upgrades or replacements. Tracking assets’ lifespan ensures they are retired at the appropriate time, preventing unnecessary maintenance costs and minimising the risk of failures. Up-to-date and accurate information

on assets and capacity - including their performance and how they work together makes it possible to optimise resource allocation and plan for unexpected events, while minimising downtime and security risks. This also helps ensure assets are retired at the appropriate time to prevent performance degradation.

THE ROLE OF DCIM As the scale and complexity of data centres grows, there is an increasing reliance on automated management systems and data centre infrastructure management solutions. Early DCIM versions focused on merging disparate management systems to make data centre operations easier and more efficient. Collected rack, cooling and power distribution data supported improved use of space, cooling and power. The next generation of DCIM tools also included asset and capacity management. Today, Internet of Things (IoT) devices collecting real-time data on asset conditions, environmental parameters and energy are enhancing asset monitoring and management. Each generation of DCIM has expanded its digital capabilities and benefits. Introducing IoT and asset and capacity management functions has made DCIM essential to operational activities. An ‘expert layer’ can pull meaningful KPI-related insights from across data centre systems and present these in immediately

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understandable and actionable ways. Thanks to digital tools, administrators can analyse large datasets to gain insights into trends, usage patterns and optimisation opportunities. DCIM can also support compliance with standards and anticipate potential issues before they result in non-compliance. Audit trails and operational reports help demonstrate compliance during audits. New developments will take data centre asset management to the next level. Incorporating AI and AR into data centre asset management can lead to enhanced resource utilisation and decision-making capabilities. AI ‘digital twins’ can be used to optimise data centre design and building. Usage patterns and historical data can be analysed to predict future asset needs and enable better planning for procurement and replacement. AI algorithms and AR overlays can optimise cooling, power and resource allocation. AI and machine learning can help optimise operations, predict failures and enhance efficiency. However, it’s important to note that successful implementation requires very careful analysis, planning and integration with existing systems.

OPTIMISE UTILISATION, MINIMISE DOWNTIME AND EXTEND LIFESPAN OF RESOURCES Digitalisation allows operators to monitor and manage systems, servers and infrastructure continuously, from any location. This is very

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useful for troubleshooting, maintenance, updates, inventory management and ensuring hardware is utilised effectively. Equipment failures and performance degradation can be predicted, and maintenance and replacements can be scheduled before critical failures occur. Monitoring and control systems can enhance cooling, power usage and equipment utilisation. Virtualisation and cloud technologies replicate data and support failover to remote locations. This ensures data integrity, availability and business continuity in case of unexpected events. Sharing documentation, configuration files, monitoring dashboards and other information improves communication and coordination, especially in geographically dispersed teams. Digital tools enable data centre staff to work together remotely and identify data patterns that human operators might not recognise. In short: Digitalisation has not only amplified the significance of data centres, but also reshaped their operational, strategic and architectural paradigms. The future of data centres will likely evolve in response to the demands of an increasingly digital world. At the same time, Digitalisation will play a key role in facilitating this continuous change. Especially because it will be practically impossible to manage the hybrid architecture of upcoming data centre infrastructures without advanced digital support! Reichle & De-Massari, rdm.com

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DCIM

IT’S TIME TO GET OCP-READY Paul Mellon, Operations Director, Stellium Data Centres, advises data centre managers, operators and solutions architects on standardising data centre layouts and planning effectively in accommodating IT/HPC environments quickly and at reduced costs. There are still hundreds of millions of highly inefficient IT environments with PUE levels in-excess of 2 across the public, commercial and industrial sectors. The solution must be in transitioning these to efficient cloud environments, faster and more smoothly. This calls for a concerted effort on standardisation in the data centres. Stellium says it bets on HPC being the catalyst to drive this forward. Enterprises and cloud hosting providers and their colocation data centre partners and operators are under growing pressure to respond faster to escalating demand for more space and power to house HPC environments. At the same time, they must ensure optimised cooling and energy efficiency. This is where the Open Compute Foundation comes in with its OCP-Ready certification program. Launched five years ago, it is starting to gain traction in the market. Its goal is to

help end users, such as solutions architects, to identify colocation data centre providers and facilities where OCP IT equipment can be deployed without complications. Because the program’s standards are open-source (like some software), operators will know what a given rack needs to do in terms of size, capability and power, before it arrives onsite and ensure the design and layout is ready to support this class of equipment. This is not a tick box exercise. Certification entails colocation data centres working with the OCP to achieve compliance against its rigorous criteria for power, cooling, IT technical space layout and design, facility management and control, and facility operations. Thereafter, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and, of course, sharing. The certification is reviewed every two years to track development against the core principles and PUE.

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IN PRACTICE

too long ago, a small data centre might be

The majority of Open Compute hardware is deployed as a fully populated rack. OCP-Ready data centre facilities must be able to easily accommodate racks of these weights and dimensions and be able to deploy multiple racks of such equipment at scale. As a minimum, the rack sizes can weigh 500kg to 1500kg, and 47U in height. The workloads can be anything from 6.6kW to 36kW and beyond. In addition, the density of compute to meet scale demands and efficiency goals raises the bar for power and cooling specifications for racks. Cooling of the racks will potentially require a range of solutions – immersive, chilled water/air, chip cooling. For the higher densities, the expectation is for PUE to be sub 1.1. The real value of OCP is that these elements are researched at such scale as to short circuit the development and standardisation process from decades to years and sometimes months. What was the preserve of a small number of mainframe computers, high power density and cooling is now readily available at all levels in the data centre community. Not

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considered to be a cluster of 50 to 100 racks with a combined IT load of 100kW. A single rack can now accommodate 100kW in normal chilled water cooling, and this scales to 250kW with immersive cooling. These developments represent giant steps forward in terms of efficiency. Furthermore, OCP-Ready fits neatly alongside other global standards within the industry, such as BREAM, LEED, ISO and Uptime, while complementing The European Code of Conduct for Data Centres (EU DC CoC), which Stellium also supports. To summarise, OCP-Ready is likely to gather momentum as the demand for AI-enabled applications and, therefore, fit for purpose HPC equipment and infrastructure, continues to grow at scale. The challenges this brings for colocation operators and its customers can be addressed more easily and efficiently with an industry wide open standards-based hardware certification program. It’s time to get OCP-Ready. Stellium Data Centres, stelliumdc.com

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DCIM

THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT Diego Chisena, Software and Monitoring Hardware Offering Manager at Vertiv, picks up the baton of critical infrastructure and uncovers how operational disruptions can be avoided to ensure functionality of essential systems and services. It is now a fact of life that our business and personal lives rely more and more on data; something we all now accept and take for granted. But what many people don’t know is that the continuity of data flow is related to the availability of critical power and cooling infrastructure, and that monitoring and management are key to enabling the storage and flow of data. Relying only on technological infrastructure without constant monitoring and management of what is happening with IT systems, may not be enough to avoid operational disruption and inefficiencies, which could be disastrous for businesses and end users alike.

The importance of monitoring and management of the critical infrastructure cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in ensuring the functionality and resilience of essential systems and services that we all rely on, such as online purchases and payments, cash machines, business or educational video calls, healthcare diagnostics, gaming, movie streaming and so on. It is the continuous exchange of data with the critical equipment and the adoption of a monitoring system that allows the identification of potential threats and anomalies that could impact business or service continuity. The identification of patterns and anomalies in the collection of large amounts of data permits a

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faster and more accurate problem discovery, diagnosis and resolution. This monitoring of critical equipment adds an important layer of protection to continuity and, therefore, availability of the infrastructure. By leveraging sophisticated algorithms, some monitoring systems can predict equipment failure and maintenance needs based on data analysis. Analysing historical performance data and real-time parametric data provided by critical equipment makes it possible to forecast when infrastructure elements like power and cooling equipment could potentially fail, allowing for proactive maintenance to prevent costly breakdowns and long restoration time. Monitoring and management systems can also help to optimise the utilisation of critical equipment by operating it more efficiently, for example, identifying stranded capacity, thus, reducing energy waste and costs. This is made possible by analysing the vast amounts of data coming from sensors, equipment and other sources, and presenting them to operators and decision makers in a more understandable and actionable format. It can also contribute to reducing human errors by automating many decision-making processes. Combining monitoring with remote control capabilities also makes it possible to reduce the need for on-site personnel and to enhance the ability to manage the infrastructure in challenging or remote sites and locations. Moreover, environmental factors like heat, humidity and moisture pose a severe threat to mission-critical infrastructure. By complementing the monitoring system with environmental sensors, these risks can be minimised. The ability to use the data collected by monitoring systems to identify trends and

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predict outcomes is a relatively new feature that has been added to the traditional monitoring of connected equipment to detect potential anomalies and be notified about it. This trending capability is the most interesting aspect of critical infrastructure monitoring and management. With the pervasiveness of data-related activities which characterise our daily lives, it is extremely important to avoid any disruption to these services. Thanks to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), identifying trends and making predictions can be taken even further and add more intelligence to monitoring and management solutions. By its very nature, AI needs an enormous amount of data to learn and evolve. If data is constantly collected from the equipment connected, critical infrastructure monitoring can contribute to populating the data lake, where the algorithms that are the basis of artificial intelligence work to enable it to evolve. Through algorithm evolution, the precision of the prediction related to data trending can continuously improve. In summary, the role of critical infrastructure monitoring and management is extremely modern and forward-looking. It makes use of critical equipment data to protect IT data, that is the servers stored within the racks, and therefore, the continuity of the business and services relying on those servers. At the same time, by providing data to the data lake, it can contribute to its evolution, moving away from simple trending and heading towards more robust predictions about potential threats and anomalies that could affect critical infrastructure. Vertiv, vertiv.com

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CENTIEL WORKING AS YOUR POWER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT Centiel’s class-leading UPS and power protection solutions can transform organisational experiences and help reach net zero and sustainability targets, says David Bond, Chairman, Centiel UK. No one can be an expert on every aspect of technology. Technology advances quickly, and so working with trusted advisors who are experienced in their particular sphere makes complete sense. Centiel supplies class-leading UPS and power protection solutions and its team has been at the forefront of the development of power protection technology for many years. For example, its R&D team developed and brought to market the first three-phase transformerless UPS and the first, second, third and fourth generations of true modular, hot-swappable uninterruptible power supplies. Recently, following four years’ development, Centiel launched StratusPower, to sit alongside its class leading CumulusPower in its true-modular UPS portfolio. StratusPower provides 9-nines (99.9999999%) power availability, while helping data centres achieve their net zero and sustainability targets with its 30-year design life, almost 98% online efficiency and near 100% recyclability. Centiel knows that establishing the best way to protect critical power is a complex topic. This is why it works closely with its clients

and encourages them to think as their power protection department. Its relationships with customers is not transactional, it is relational as well, where both organisations trust each other and want to deal and work together over the long term. Centiel’s engineers and UPS solutions experts are not required to ‘sell’ UPS, they are required to establish long term, trusting relationships by offering their wealth of experience and expertise. They take time to understand the challenges faced by their client and always provide sound advice based on best practice and the prevailing circumstances. If the best solution is a system repair or refurbishment, then this is what is recommended. Similarly, if the best solution is a system replacement, then this is recommended. It’s not about the short-term gain of the sale, it’s about establishing a long term, mutually beneficial relationship. All Centiel clients will have a power protection solution that meets their existing and future needs, while also reducing their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and maximising their system availability.

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The way Centiel chooses to work with customers is reflected in how it works with the entire supply chain, and its supplier relationships are strong as a result. Close collaboration, plus working hand-in-hand with long term suppliers who are flexible and trustworthy, has enabled Centiel to guarantee some of the fastest delivery times in the industry. Even amid a component shortage, it ensures timely delivery within four to six weeks from the date of order, compared to 16-20 weeks for some other manufacturers. Centiel’s strong partnerships with worldwide suppliers also allows it to source the highest quality components efficiently and ensure an uninterrupted flow of materials. This strategic approach means it can always deliver on its commitment to excellence for its valued customers. Centiel was honoured when Frost & Sullivan had recently presented it with this year’s Best Practices Technology Innovation Leadership Award in the global UPS industry. This award recognises the use of technology in new ways to improve existing products and services and elevate the customer experience. Recipients must develop a pioneering technology that enhances current products and enables the advancement of new products and applications.

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Frost & Sullivan said at the time, “Centiel stands out from competitors based on its commitment to innovation and creativity while achieving commercial success. In addition to its market-driven innovation, the company’s collaborative, partner-focused approach drives the acquisition of new channel partners while retaining its existing network. As a result, Centiel expects to continue its strong growth trajectory, aiming to register over 70% growth in the next two years. With its strong overall performance, Centiel earns Frost & Sullivan’s 2023 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award in the UPS industry.” The award-winning, proactive approach to innovation and consistent commitment to finding better ways of working with suppliers, partners and customers has led to Centiel’s success over the years. Its detailed understanding of the challenges faced by the industry has enabled it to develop world-class leading solutions to address and provide tailored solutions to specific power protection needs while reducing TCO for clients. In short, clients trust Centiel as their power protection department; should you? Centiel, centiel.com

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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

POWERING 5G IN INTELLIGENT BUILDING NETWORKS SAFELY Stuart McKay from Panduit gives an insight on using intelligent building infrastructure to supply higher voltage across the numerous and growing number of powered devices used in buildings and data centres. The European intelligent building market is estimated to grow from $5.27bn in 2023 to $18.59bn by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights, as we continue to adopt connected devices across every aspect of daily business life. Networked systems and architectures are a key driver, as more and more devices are connected and data volumes increase. Currently 5G connectivity is a key driver in much development, and there are two prime factors to delivering 5G within buildings. One is that 5G is power hungry, and the other is that a building’s construction can reduce signal penetration into and around the interior and requires DAS (distributed antenna system)

to support the network. Therefore, building operators need to change their thinking on structured cabling to support the latest 5G technology, and the next generation that is already in development. Increasing in-building deployment of 5G requires the capability to support many internal wireless devices and connected equipment in a seamless and simple-to-install manner and maintain structured architecture. To maximise data reach, most, if not all, 5G transmitters today require single mode fibre which maximises bandwidth and data reach. Therefore, building operators today are running single mode fibre in their buildings. The challenge is how to power those transmitters.

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Traditionally, building operators had the option of using local power or using Class 2 power, which is limited in the amount of power and distance reached per copper pair. However, fault managed power systems, such as pulse power, offers an alternative method of power to these essential communications devices. This new category of power source equipment allows the building operator to introduce a new level of benefits to the intelligent cabling infrastructure that will support 5G deployment. Converting standard AC to higher voltage DC power is key to creating a pulse current across the network. Delivered over standard multiconductor cable, each pulse provides safe end-to-end power delivery up to 2km, with end point waveform conversion to 48Vdc to power multiple devices. A massive benefit of pulse power technology is that any break or shorting of the cable is automatically detected and, due to its pulse waveform, the system shuts down power within milliseconds to eliminate risk of electrocution. As a centralised technology, it allows for effective battery backup to ensure networked IoT devices have hierarchical sequenced shutdown in case of power outages. This technology simplifies installation and increases deployment speed while reducing deployment costs.

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Single Pair 16 AWG Cable

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Class 4 Panuit FMPS Delivered Power (W)

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IMPACT OF 5G ON FIBRE OPTIC CABLING Supported 5G will expand the connectivity capability of every application that uses it to transmit and receive data and drive the increased use of fibre optic cabling within intelligent buildings. Moreover, pulse power technology provides for cheaper cabling, such as small diameter 18AWG single pair copper cable to be utilised in the 5G network, providing power requirements similar to the less flexible hybrid fibre optic solutions. Fiber optics is a well understood technology platform, therefore, it is expected to be a consideration in increasing numbers of intelligent infrastructure plans. Likewise, pulse power’s capability to deliver fault managed power to the devices, is and will be, an alternative solution to the AC hybrid fibre solution. Applications such as tunnels and underground facilities need a safe electrical power, and pulse power meets these requirements. It is expected the expansion of 5G will open up the marketplace as new solutions come to market. Fault managed power is an important enabler for 5G, PoE and smart buildings. Together, a pulse power backbone in a building, where power is required to all PoE switches, is the platform for safe and intelligent power and Ethernet connectivity for all end devices.

Single Pair 18 AWG Cable

PULSE POWER CABLING IN THE DATA CENTRE For data centres to continue to drive down costs and find efficiencies to reduce their CO2 emissions and improve their sustainability, increased data capture is essential, and 5G is an important technology in continuous remote data collection. Gartner predicts that by 2028 there will be over four billion connected IoT devices in commercial buildings, including data centres, with 5G at the forefront of data capture. Technologies that create efficient platforms for 5G in data centres such as pulse power, and add capabilities to the intelligent infrastructure to increase underlying benefits to the operators and customers by delivering power and data efficiently, safely, and securely, are a positive step.

CONCLUSION Fault managed power systems, such as pulse power, offer remote monitoring and control capabilities that provide total visibility into power usage to manage and troubleshoot remotely. The plug and play configuration is flexible and scalable, allowing for growth with increased wireless demands in buildings and data centres, while a hot-swappable configuration minimises equipment downtime and business interruptions. Panduit, panduit.com

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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

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NAVIGATING THE OPTICAL MARKET FOR QUALITY, COMPATIBILITY AND COST George Ashwin, Channel Development Director at AddOn Networks, debunks misunderstandings within the industry surrounding the purchase of optical materials and provides guidance on options that would prove beneficial to data centre operators. The modern data centre operator faces a difficult choice when sourcing networking equipment. If they are to overcome the growing demands for bandwidth, they need to turn to components capable of forming the backbone of intelligent infrastructure, and this places significant pressure on them to find the right solutions in what is becoming an increasingly difficult market. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) continue to make a lot of noise regarding the suitability of their products when implementing intelligent buildings. For many operators, this makes them the ‘obvious’ choice when selecting networking equipment materials.

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Brand recognition and influence that the OEMs have on the market goes a long way in convincing businesses that buying ‘from the source’ is the best option available to them.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD However, operators need to be aware that the entire concept of ‘buying from the source’ is a façade. The vast majority of OEMs are not producing their own optical modules – often they will buy them from suppliers responsible for coding and labelling these products on their behalf. Unfortunately, this open secret is something many operators are unaware of.

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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

As the industry looks towards intelligent infrastructure, OEMs continue to promote their brands as the only ones capable of optimising data centres. While it is true that their solutions can enhance performance, customers still need to be wary. OEM optics are often coded to work exclusively with their own hardware, and if an operator relies on a single OEM for their components, they risk being ‘locked in’ to an unsuitable product range. Not only does this make switching to more suitable components difficult, but it also means operators can find themselves in a waiting game with OEMs to develop the right solutions. With many of these manufacturers being industry titans, lacking the personal touch, it’s unlikely they will have the capacity to create tailored solutions for businesses experiencing unique issues, or test products within the customer’s environment to assess their suitability.

UTILISING FLEXIBLE, ‘FUTURE-PROOFED’ COMPONENTS Businesses may be sold on the idea that the components they’ve bought from an OEM can lead to the development of an intelligent

data centre, but proprietary issues can quickly leave them with unsuitable products and infrastructure that is insufficient for their operations. To avoid this issue, they should instead turn to cost-effective, versatile alternatives offered through third-party suppliers. The third-party components available on the market, such as transceivers, are often created in the same factories used by OEMs and can also be sourced through suppliers, such as AddOn Networks. These solutions provide a worthy alternative to ‘branded’ products, offering substantial cost savings and high quality, whilst preventing operators being tied into a single OEM. Operators are able to select the most suitable components compatible with a range of manufacturers, such as Juniper and Cisco. As a result, not only can optimal data centres be built with ease, but replacing and maintaining components becomes a much simpler process. As these solutions are more compatible, and come at a fraction of OEM pricing, operators have greater freedom and resources to build intelligent buildings using the latest generation of optical solutions on the market. They can also embrace any future technologies without the fear of being locked-in with a single OEM.

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MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR DATA CENTRE When choosing the right option for their operations, businesses must now assess the offerings of each manufacturer and supplier on the basis of quality, cost, availability, and technical support. Operators need to trust that the components bought from a third-party supplier have been tested and validated for optimal quality. For those taking the leap and moving away from OEM solutions for the first time, they will want to rest assured the purchased products match or exceed the capabilities of the solutions they are used to. To this end, the best third-party suppliers will carry out extensive inhouse testing of their solutions against OEM specifications to guarantee they hold up to the latest industry standards. This includes full application testing in the customer’s environment to ensure low failure rates and greater customer satisfaction. Third-party suppliers must also commit to offering competitive pricing and greater compatibility if they are to entice operators. Through companies like AddOn Networks, customers can make up to 70% savings when compared to OEMs, with greater choice for their data centre infrastructure. Operators

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should choose third-party suppliers offering multi-coded transceivers and components, for all-in-one solutions suitable for smart infrastructure. OEM service contracts shouldn’t be a consideration when choosing materials, as despite a common misconception, a few third-party suppliers will offer their own lifetime warranties which do not violate any existing service plans. Availability is also a necessity. Purchased components all play a crucial role in business operations, so operators need a supplier that can ship these as and when they’re required. The best third-party suppliers should distribute solutions in a matter of days, and if anything is out of stock, have the ability to fulfil these orders quickly. They should also offer technical support that surpasses the services offered by OEMs. Offering round-the-clock support with engineers readily available to visit sites may prove a key decision-maker for operators. If all these pillars are met, then operators can trust that their third-party supplier is the best option when selecting network materials and building a smart data centre capable of overcoming increasing demands. AddOn Networks, addonnetworks.com

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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

GREEN DATA CENTRES: A BLUEPRINT FOR INTELLIGENT BUILDING STRATEGIES Jad Jebara, President and CEO at Hyperview, sheds light on sustainable building solutions and shares how data centres can be a model for constructing intelligent buildings. In an age where technology is transforming our world at an unprecedented pace, data centres stand as the unsung heroes powering the digital revolution. These colossal hubs of computational power are the backbone of our digital infrastructure, and as data demands surge, so too does the energy consumed by these facilities. In the midst of this rapid growth, there is hope in the form of the ground-breaking innovation coming from within the data centre sector.

These technological advancements are shaping the data centre landscape by enhancing its sustainability, optimising efficiency, and curbing energy waste. Data centres are at the forefront of pioneering sustainable technology strategies. If we take a page from their playbook and use them as a model for constructing intelligent buildings, they have the potential to completely transform the way we design and manage sustainable structures of all shapes and sizes.

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A SHARED VISION OF A GREEN FUTURE

In the battle against climate change, creating smart buildings is no longer sufficient; they must evolve into intelligent, sustainable structures. Though these terms are frequently used interchangeably, and often lack precise definitions, it’s important to discern the difference between smart buildings and intelligent buildings. A smart building typically uses automation for things like lighting, climate control and security. Intelligent buildings, however, take this a step further by integrating advanced technologies like data analytics, machine learning, and AI to optimise the building based on user behaviour and environmental factors. With a mission to attain carbon neutrality by the year 2050, the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has set forth stringent requirements for significant enhancements in energy utilisation within buildings, encompassing aspects such as

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heating, cooling, lighting and hot water systems. As per the EU’s assessment, a staggering 75% of the existing buildings within the region fall short of meeting the standards. While this goal may appear ambitious, the transformation is already in motion within the development of cutting-edge data centres for the modern era, otherwise known as green data centres. Fresh findings from Synergy Research Group unveil a significant projection - hyperscale data centre capacity is forecasted to nearly triple by 2029, driven by cloud providers gearing up for high-intensity generative AI workloads. With data centres currently constituting around 1% to 1.5% of the global electricity demand, companies specialising in Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) are working diligently to prevent data centre energy consumption from spiralling out of control. Green data centres strive to minimise their environmental impact by curbing energy consumption, reducing carbon footprint, and minimising waste generation. This heightened performance not only helps the planet, but also positively impacts a business’ bottom line. Implementing green initiatives leads to lower operational costs, heightened performance levels, and a better reputation for social responsibility and environmental awareness. In addressing their own unique sustainability concerns, the data centre industry has forged solutions that are transforming them into technology rich, environmentally conscious hubs. This transformation not only tackles their environmental impact, but also provides a valuable real-world demonstration of intelligent building strategies in action.

DCIM SOLUTIONS PAVING THE WAY FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SOLUTIONS

At this stage, you might be wondering, ‘What are these cutting-edge solutions that data centres use that can be integrated into the infrastructure of intelligent buildings?’ So, here you go: • Real-time visibility: DCIM software offers real-time visibility into data centre energy usage, aiding operators in identifying and eliminating energy waste to support emission reduction goals.

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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

• Efficient energy consumption: Enhanced efficiency in cooling, power provisioning, and asset utilisation is achieved through DCIM, resulting in an overall reduction in energy consumption. • Forecasting energy requirements: Modelling and predictive analytics tools empower data centre managers to forecast energy needs and optimise efficiency during capacity expansion. • Optimising temperatures: By leveraging technology to maintain optimal temperatures for crucial equipment, the approach minimises the risk of overheating and system failures, ultimately resulting in power savings. • Benchmarking performance: It also helps businesses benchmark energy performance across the data centre portfolio and prioritise efficiency initiatives. • Measuring progress: New solutions in leveraging data help to measure progress against emissions and renewable energy procurement goals.

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• CO2 impact reporting: Granule and aggregate Scope 2 and Scope 3 analytics to baseline, benchmark and satisfy compliance and environmental reporting. Crafting the right environment within any structure involves enhancing visibility and control to elevate operational efficiency. Approaching this endeavour with a thoughtful and strategic approach will benefit the planet, foster a superior working environment, and trim costs. However, a misstep or hasty approach may result in substantial time and money spent in a venture that will likely increase costs and not deliver on any of the promises. Intelligent building strategies must leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance sustainability, efficiency and overall functionality. The same advanced technology that data centres employ can be seamlessly integrated into broader architectural concepts. By emulating data centre sustainability practices, we can chart a path towards a greener, smarter, and more efficient future. Hyperview, hyperviewhq.com

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All-Rack wall mount data racks and cabinets are designed to be your perfect solution for all your rack mountable equipment. Our cabinets are ideal for small network installations where floor space doesn’t allow for a floor standing server cabinet. All-Rack have one of the largest ranges and stock holding of wall cabinets in the UK. All of our cabinets are supplied pre-built making your installation easier than ever.

Standard 19" Cabinets

SOHO 10" Cabinets

By far our best selling Cabinets, they are 565mm wide whilst maintaining the industry standard 19" rackmount standard internally. They all have lockable and removable side panels for added security and also removable cable entry slots on the roof and in the base.

Our SOHO cabinets are designed for anyone working from home or from a small network. These 10" cabinets are available in 4U & 8U, they are also complimented by a range of 10" accessories. Each cabinet is supplied with a pack of cagenuts.

2 Part Hinged Wall Cabinets The 2 part hinged 550mm deep racks are our most versatile rack. Once mounted to a wall, it can swing open thus providing easy access to the rear of the cabinet. These are available in 6U,9U,12U and 15U and are 550mm in depth.

All-Rack Floor standing data cabinets are super secure, high quality and cost effective 19” racks. Doors and side panels are all lockable and removable thus providing all round access to the entire rack. The mounting profiles are numbered with the “U” size and are fully adjustable. Cable entry is provided from both top and bottom depending on your cable work. All floor racks are supplied fully assembled as standard. Flatpack racks are available if required however, this will incur additional delivery costs. Highlights

Loading Capacity: up to 800kg Flat Pack: Available upon request subject to additional delivery costs Doors: Toughened glass doors supplied as standard, Vented doors are available for some of the range. Please call us to confirm if we supply vented doors for your choice of floor cabinet. Cable Management: Vertical cable management is provided as standard for all 800mm wide racks

The All-Rack brand is sold through a well established distributor network throughout the UK. Please contact sales@attock.net forfurther details or contact your usual All-Rack reseller

AI FEATURE

ETHICAL AI IN DATA CENTRES: INSIGHTS FROM THE EU AI ACT Sean Donald, Co-CEO/CFO, AI & Partners, and Charles Kerrigan, Partner, CMS Law, explore how the EU AI Act’s guidelines help data centres prevent discriminatory practices, ensure network neutrality, and align their AI-driven decisions with ethical principles, thus, ushering in a new era of responsible AI utilisation. The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (the EU AI Act) has brought a significant wave of change to data centres, underscoring the growing role of AI in their operations. With the increasing reliance on AI algorithms for critical decision-making processes, there emerges a compelling need for ethical guidelines and regulations. The EU AI Act is designed to address precisely this need, providing a framework that emphasises fairness, transparency and non-discrimination.

ETHICAL AI IN DATA CENTRES

Ethical AI is becoming increasingly critical in data centres. If AI algorithms operate in data centres without ethical considerations, they can inadvertently perpetuate biases, make opaque decisions, and potentially result in discriminatory practices. The risks of neglecting ethical AI in data centres are substantial, as biased algorithms can lead to unfair outcomes, potentially violating regulatory standards and eroding public trust, and opaque decision-making can hinder accountability and the ability to explain AI-driven choices.

Therefore, ensuring that data centres embrace ethical AI principles is not just a matter of compliance with regulations such as the EU AI Act, it’s also about maintaining credibility and safeguarding ethical standards in an increasingly AI-driven world.

OVERVIEW OF THE EU AI ACT The EU AI Act represents a pivotal development in the regulation of artificial intelligence across the European Union. Its primary purpose is to establish a framework for the ethical use of AI and to safeguard individuals and organisations from potentially harmful or discriminatory AI practices. The key principles guide the deployment of AI systems. Fairness ensures that AI systems operate without perpetuating biases or discriminating against any specific group. Transparency promotes clear and understandable AI decision-making processes, while non-discrimination mandates that AI should not favour or disfavour any particular demographic.

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PREVENTING DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES

Within the Act, there are provisions that require organisations to scrutinise their AI systems and address potential sources of biases. Data centres are often at the core of AI operations, and they play a critical role in implementing these guidelines effectively. Through careful algorithm design and data preprocessing, data centres can mitigate these biases that might otherwise result in discriminatory AI practices. Moreover, they can ensure that AI systems process data without prejudice, ultimately promoting fair and equitable treatment of individuals or groups.

ENSURING NETWORK NEUTRALITY

The Act also encompasses guidelines that extend to the crucial concept of network neutrality within data centres. Network neutrality, often referred to as ‘net neutrality’, is the principle that data centres must provide open and equal access to networks and services without discrimination. AI algorithms play an instrumental role in upholding network neutrality within data centres. By closely monitoring and managing network traffic, these algorithms ensure that all data and services are treated impartially, without prioritising certain users or types of content. They help prevent any form of network discrimination that could hinder equitable access or stifle competition. Additionally, they can detect and mitigate potential violations of net neutrality in real-time, thereby safeguarding the fair and open nature of networks.

UNDERSTANDING TRANSPARENCY

Data centre operators can implement ethical AI practices in alignment with the EU AI Act by deploying tools and strategies that ensure compliance. To achieve this, data centres should invest in AI systems equipped with fairness assessment tools and automated monitoring mechanisms. These tools can evaluate AI algorithms for any signs of discrimination or bias, facilitating proactive mitigation. Regular audits and oversight play a crucial role in ensuring ongoing compliance with ethical AI principles. Data centre operators should establish comprehensive auditing processes, and, in some cases, collaborate with external auditors to stay compliant.

CONCLUSION

The Act’s focus on transparency mandates that AI-based outcomes must be clearly explained and justified. Transparency is as pivotal as fairness. It guarantees that the logic, reasoning, and factors contributing to AI-driven decisions are readily accessible and comprehensible. This not only fosters accountability, but also empowers stakeholders to understand how these decisions are made, in turn, enhancing trust and acceptability.

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IMPLEMENTING ETHICAL AI

In conclusion, the EU AI Act’s guidelines play a pivotal role in shaping the future of data centre operations. The emphasis on ethical AI practices, prevention of discriminatory practices, ensuring network neutrality, and prioritising fairness and transparency is essential. Adhering to these guidelines fosters trust, credibility, and responsible AI in the data centre industry, paving the way for a responsible future. AI & Partners, ai-and-partners.com CMS Law, cms.law

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PRODUCTS

CENTIEL LEADS INDUSTRY WITH SUSTAINABLE UPS LAUNCH TO HELP DATA CENTRES ACHIEVE NET ZERO TARGETS Centiel UK has launched its new uninterruptible power supply (UPS), StratusPower, to provide complete peace of mind in relation to power availability, while helping data centres achieve net zero targets. Centiel’s latest innovation is said to lead the industry, as StratusPower shares all the benefits of its award-winning three phase, true modular UPS CumulusPower - including ‘9 nines’ (99.9999999%) availability to effectively eliminate system downtime; class leading 97.1% online efficiency to minimise running costs; true ‘hot swap’ modules to eliminate human error in operation; and now also includes long-life components to improve sustainability. David Bond, Chairman, Centiel UK, confirms, “Historically, Centiel’s innovation has led to the creation of one of the most efficient and available UPS solutions on the market in CumulusPower. For the past four years, we have been working to ensure our latest UPS is now as sustainable as possible too. “Like all our UPS, StratusPower is manufactured at our factory in Switzerland. However, uniquely, it includes even higher quality components, so instead of replacing filter capacitors and cooling fans every four years, they now need replacing every 15 years, or just once during their entire 30 year design life. As a data centre has a design life of typically 25 to 30 years, StratusPower will last as long as the data centre. Furthermore, at end of life, StratusPower can also be almost 100% recycled.” The three-phase modular UPS StratusPower now covers a power range from 50 to 1,500kW in one cabinet and can be paralleled for 3,750kW of

uninterrupted, clean power, which is perfect for data centres. UPS cabinets are designed with scalability and flexibility in mind, and future load changes are easily accommodated by adding or removing UPS modules as required. A data centre will never outgrow a well-specified StratusPower UPS, and it can be constantly rightsized to ensure it always operates at the optimal point in its efficiency curve. Centiel, centiel.co.uk

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VERTIV TIMBERMOD TO HELP INCREASE DATA CENTRE SUSTAINABILITY Vertiv has introduced the Vertiv TimberMod variant of its Vertiv Power Module and SmartMod families, featuring mass timber as a key structural component, instead of steel for prefabricated modular (PFM) data centre solutions. Available in North America and in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), this introduction reflects Vertiv’s commitment to supporting customers’ sustainability objectives. Mass timber, if sourced from sustainably harvested wood, serves as a renewable construction material with the potential to minimise resource depletion and lower carbon footprint, compared to steel based on the reduction of CO2 emissions associated with the cradle-to-gate product lifecycle and the transport of materials and structural elements to the assembly site.

Vertiv TimberMod meets applicable building structural requirements, providing robust performance in the face of seismic activity, wind forces, and structural demands. Beyond its structural prowess, this solution adds an aesthetic dimension to data centre architecture, seamlessly blending into diverse environments with an elegant design. Vertiv, vertiv.com

AIREDALE BY MODINE ANNOUNCES PARAMETRIC DATA CENTRE COOLING RANGE and water temperatures, delivering energy efficiency benefits across the whole cooling system. With over 33,000 size permutations, clients can configure it to suit a multitude of construction and cooling requirements, within the following parameters: • 200-650kW Airedale by Modine has launched AireWall ONE, a fan wall developed in collaboration with the data centre industry. AireWall ONE has built-in flexibility, with a parametric design, allowing it to be configurable to physical space and is designed to operate in facilities that prioritise energy efficiency. It will be manufactured in Spain, the UK and the US for shipment globally. The new range capitalises on the sustainability potential offered in data centres utilising higher air

• Two-12EC centrifugal fans • Six, eight or 10 coil row options • Configurable footprint to suit the space AireWall ONE is delivered with the latest helix intelligent controls platform and can be integrated into a complete intelligent cooling system using Airedale’s Cooling System Optimizer and ACIS facility management system. Airedale by Modine, airedale.com

LEGRAND UNVEILS NEW STARLINE SERIES-S TRACK BUSWAY Legrand has unveiled the next generation Starline Series-S Track Busway power distribution system. This product combines the performance, functionality and flexibility of Starline’s track busway technology with the added benefit of an IP54 ingress-protection rating. The new family of products allows users to enjoy all the benefits of its design anywhere that additional water, dust or other contaminants require up to an IP54 (including IP44) or NEMA 3R rating. Starline Series-S Track Busway’s protection level extends to its uniquely designed plug-in units which are offered with a wide variety of watertight IEC and NEMA-rated devices to meet any need. Other features include:

• 100-to-1200-amp systems, four pole, rated up to 600Vac or 600Vdc • UL, IEC and ETL certifications • Aluminium housing with corrosion-resistant coating • Splashproof and highly dust-resistant design with watertight IEC and NEMA device options Legrand, legrand.co.uk

• Available in five and 10 foot sections, custom lengths upon request

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