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Shaping the Future of Data Centers

On January 16, 2025, Huawei organized a significant conference to delineate the leading trends anticipated in the data center sector for the year 2025. Yao Quan, the President of Data Center at Huawei, highlighted ten transformative trends that aim to propel the industry forward, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Rise of Intelligent Computing

Yao emphasized that continual advancements in AI technologies are shifting data centers from general-purpose computing power to intelligent computing capabilities. This shift has led to significant enhancements in server performance, with cluster constructions featuring configurations of 1,000, 10,000, and even 100,000 GPUs becoming the norm. However, as the industry advances, the challenges of reliability, high power demands, and energy consumption have also emerged.

Top Ten Trends to Watch

1. Reliability as a Core Requirement

In the evolving landscape of intelligent data centers, reliability is deemed crucial. The increasing value of AI devices and the expanding scope of operational errors drive the necessity for reliability throughout the entire lifecycle of data center components, products, architectures, services, and maintenance processes. Lower reliability in data centers could lead to an escalation in operational costs over time.

2. Isolated Architecture for Enhanced Reliability

As power density continues to grow, the safe and reliable operation of electrical devices becomes imperative. Huawei advocates for the remote deployment of electrical equipment in data centers, ensuring stable service operations through standard isolation methods.

3. Continuous Cooling Systems

In the AI era, the interaction of air and liquid cooling must be uninterrupted. Robust cooling mechanisms are necessary; they must not only function without interruption during normal operations but also promptly restore cooling capabilities during outages, thereby ensuring stability.

4. AI-Driven Proactive Security

AI technologies play a pivotal role in preventing outages, fires, and overheating within data centers. By transitioning from passive reactions to proactive maintenance, these technologies can help identify potential hazards ahead of time, significantly improving reliability.

5. Professional Services as a Reliability Foundation

The average lifespan of a data center is typically between 10 to 15 years. Recognizing the importance of maintenance over hardware, professional services are paramount for sustained and reliable operations. AI can aid in predictive maintenance, enhancing overall reliability.

6. Modular Architecture for Uncertain Requirements

To tackle the uncertainties associated with AI-based data center demands, modular architecture is essential. This approach facilitates on-demand deployment and flexible scalability, accommodating future service evolution.

7. Prefabricated Subsystems for Rapid Implementation

The use of prefabrication in data centers enhances production efficiency and allows for quicker deployment of AI services. This method ensures high-quality solutions are ready for operation, drastically reducing on-site construction workload.

8. Demand for High Power Efficiency

In high-density scenarios, power supply efficiency significantly impacts energy performance. Innovations in parallel system power analysis and equipment contribute to maintaining high efficiency, such as UPS achieving 99.1% efficiency.

9. AI Enhancements in Energy Efficiency

Beyond power and cooling improvements, AI technologies facilitate better integration between various system layers, optimizing operations and making data centers more energy efficient.

10. Integration of Computing Power and Electrical Parameters

As data centers consume increasing amounts of energy, integrating energy generation, network, load, and storage within the grid could enhance utilization efficiency while enabling flexible demand planning through AI. This paradigm shift is essential for fostering sustainable development in data center infrastructure.

In summary, Huawei’s commitment to quality and technological innovation remains steadfast as it navigates the future landscape of data centers, promoting reliable, flexible, and sustainable solutions in the era of artificial intelligence.