The Connection Between Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Cooling

A new white paper from Siemens looks into the details for dynamically match cooling to IT load in real time. The new pape asserts that artificial intelligence is playing a key role in cooling today’s data centers.

Amid the global pandemic, societal habits have increased demand for data usage at an “unprecedented rate,” says the report.

“While this may mean more revenue for commercial data centers, the surge in usage is also increasing risks of downtime – creating more demand on staff, equipment and energy consumption. These changes give rise to a bigger challenge: how do you scale to meet current demand and plan for future capacity in an age of hyperconnectivity?” — Siemens

But there may be an answer in artificial intelligence, known as AI, which continues to offer data centers potential solutions to improve operations over the long term.

It’s true. Incorporating AI into an organization’s systems can be challenging. But there’s good news, according to the report.

“Data centers can easily and successfully implement AI in their operations with new thermal cooling solutions,” said Siemens.

The new paper explores AI and its impact on data centers, using white space cooling optimization as an example of how AI can be implemented today.

It starts by taking a look at the changing data center landscape, and this report  provides a glimpse into what the future holds and examines the critical aspects of thermal cooling, specifically thermal optimization.

Some of the challenges facing data centers today include:

• Lack of readiness to upgrade
• Infrastructure challenges
• Staffing challenges

That’s according to research from Forbes Insights in early 2020, which attempted to answer the question of what’s next for data centers.

One thing is for sure, AI’s impact on data centers is going to be swift and definitive.

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is part of the digital transformation and is poised to have a tremendous impact on data center management, productivity and infrastructure,” the report states.

And there is one area where AI can immediately deliver real benefits is data center cooling and control. As demand for data grows, so does the need to better manage cooling conditions in data centers. 

The report contends that thermal optimization can be an answer, which according to Seimens, “eliminates the need to manually maintain the optimal, cool and consistent temperatures required to house data center equipment safely.”

The report focuses on how a data center can easily begin integrating AI into its processes through whitespace cooling optimization (WSCO) and reviews how a global financial firm is using WSCO as part of its thermal optimization plan, with promising results. 

Specifically, the report covers the following topics in detail:

• Challenging facing data centers today
• AI’s impact on data centers
• What can AI provide immediate results?
• The answer: thermal optimziation
• Benefits of thermal optimization
• AI and WSCO
• Increasing staff efficiency
• Improved planning and budgeting
• Building toward the future
• Use Case: WSCO keeps financial data cool and safe

Get the full report, “How Artificial Intelligence Is Cooling Data Center Operations,” to explore how to integrate AI into your data center using thermal cooling solutions.