Sustainable data centres

Martin Hodgson at Paessler GmbH argues that the future of the sustainable data centre is measured, consistent, and preventative

 

Generative AI is here to stay. Far from the next tech fad, the artificial intelligence sector is currently valued at £72.3bn in the UK, and continues to go from strength to strength. As an innovative way to gain a competitive edge, businesses are rushing to integrate AI into their operations as a bolt-on technology or are even restructuring entire IT ecosystems around it.

 

However, the more organisations that want to capitalise on the AI boom, the more challenges there are for data centres. IT teams and facilities managers will need to consider new obstacles to meet this ever-increasing demand whilst ensuring that environmental impact is limited.

 

The reality is that data centres and data transmission networks are energy-intensive operations that are currently responsible for nearly 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, with one of the biggest challenges being excess heat. 

 

So, how can we make data centres more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint for good? And which IT monitoring tools will boost energy efficiency and deal with excess heat generated by these sites? The answer is to be measured, consistent, and preventative.

 

Data centres feeling the excess heat

To drive down data centre emissions and supercharge the UK’s path to net zero by 2050, we need to monitor energy usage and gain increased visibility into data centre operations at every level. In 2023, the UK government led a project to keep thousands of homes warm by utilising waste heat from data centres. Innovative projects such as these are a positive step towards a greener society.

 

But to really get a handle on soaring emissions in the long-run, businesses and governments will need to ensure they are making smart decisions that are backed by data. Fortunately, rapidly developing monitoring technologies are providing more insight into infrastructure, and its carbon footprint, than ever before.

 

Advanced monitoring technologies not only identify opportunities for efficiency; they also play an essential role in creating more secure environments, a crucial consideration as cyber-attacks continue to soar.

 

We’ll look at the top three benefits that monitoring tools offer data centres, as well as examples of these technologies in action:

 

Measurement

Effective measurement tools power effective sustainability strategies.

 

With 2024 set to be the warmest year on record, sustainability and net zero has remained a key point for concern. It’s perhaps surprising then, that only 44% of IT professionals are currently factoring sustainability into their IT strategies. Without monitoring tools to keep track of and analyse huge volumes of information in data centres, businesses could find themselves grappling with environmental and security issues alike.

 

Around 50% of the energy at the OT level in data centres is utilised to cool down IT infrastructure. And, innovative cooling technologies now mean it is possible to reduce energy consumption in data centres by a third. However, you can’t measure what you can’t see. Monitoring tools prove particularly useful here because they enable data centre managers to identify what cooling technologies will work best for a specific infrastructure.

 

Gaining this unique understanding is critical; particularly when overheated servers often result in service outages and the disintegration of components over time.

 

Though recent research has shown that cloud adoption remains slow, with 76% of IT infrastructure remaining on-premises, it’s likely we’ll see increased uptake on cloud technologies in the future. As data volume increases, and data centres continue to come under fire for the impact they have on the environment, controlling energy efficiency across these structures will become non-negotiable. 

 

Preventative

Proactively preventing component burnout is essential.

 

Soaring temperatures across the globe continue to contribute significantly to data centre outages. Another important step to avoid component ‘burnout’ is to achieve a consistent and dependable power supply for both IT equipment and facility operations. Often, surges or interferences in power supply can lead to extensive downtime and violations of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which can result in significant financial losses for the business.

 

To combat potential power disruptions, data centres can also be supported by dual emergency systems, otherwise known as Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

 

UPS is usually provided by battery-powered devices, which can be utilised for short local power failures or to offset local voltage fluctuations. Some data centres will utilise a Standby Power System (SPS), also known as an Emergency Power System. An SPS often involves a generator, which can override the power network if the day-to-day supply is lost.

 

Corrective

Organisations must address system downtime in real-time.

 

When data is brought under one umbrella, from OT environments to traditional IT devices to IIoT systems and physical data centres, IT admins can sleep easy.

 

A ‘single pane of glass’ view makes it hyper-easy for IT teams to a keep a close eye on the components that make up their IT environment. Tools such as dashboard visualisation and alerting capabilities stop cyber-attackers in their tracks and allow businesses to identify positive system vulnerabilities before they worsen into full-blown attacks. In this way, actions become pre-emptive and corrective, rather than reactive.

 

With half of UK businesses having experienced a cyber-security breach in some form over the past 12 months, IT managers have no option but to adopt a companywide ‘Zero Trust’ approach. Simply safeguarding computers and other IT components is no longer sufficient to fortify data centres against physical and online risks.

 

Therefore, businesses need to ensure that cyber-security software and infrastructure becomes truly integrated with their existing IT stack. A ‘Zero Trust’ approach helps to create a strong ‘ringfence’ around data by acknowledging that trust can be easily exploited. IT admins are encouraged to limit access, only granting specific individuals access to specific data.  

 

Prioritising sustainability in the AI age

While AI is set to bring unprecedented benefits to the world, we must ensure that it is not to the environment’s detriment. Sustainability must remain a key feature of boardroom discussions and an integral part of new data centre infrastructure.

 

To manage these new structures and deliver on ESG strategies, cutting-edge monitoring tools will be essential for leaders looking to understand how, when, and where to cut emissions to make the biggest impact. 

 

However, complex data centre environments can leave IT teams overwhelmed with data scattered and siloed across different teams, systems and formats. When IT teams can centralise this data into a ‘single pane of glass’ view, this opens the door to better monitoring, operations, and decision-making. Thanks to this simple, accessible format, IT and facility managers can make data-driven decisions at speed on anything from energy efficiency to HVAC. 

 

Looking to the future, IT strategies must balance a variety of priorities. As well as sustainability, businesses should consider solutions that can reduce and prevent component burnout and reduce the risk of sophisticated cyber-security threats.

 

As data volumes increase over the next decade, so will the potential for attack. Data centres will play a vital role in our net zero future, but only when they harness real-time monitoring, instil watertight security protocols and power energy-efficiency measures.

 

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Martin Hodgson is Director Northern Europe at Paessler GmbH

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and quantic69