Carsten Ludwig, Market Manager Data Center, R&M
DCs across the USA are adopting high-density solutions to boost performance without increasing real-estate footprint. How do you make the smartest choices when selecting high-definition solutions, ensuring your DC will meet growing performance demands effectively?
As hardware advances such as higher-performance servers and processors help squeeze more computing power into less physical space, DC operators don’t need to build larger facilities. Instead, they can scale vertically or utilize compact racks with higher power densities. High-density servers, cabling and racks improve scalability, support higher bandwidths, streamline cable management, and enhance cooling efficiency. Consolidating equipment in fewer, denser racks can also lower per-unit costs of operations and power. However, successfully introducing such solutions requires smart planning and preparation, and careful selection of products and solutions, focusing on integration, scalability, and flexibility.
A closer look at the key drivers for increased density
Today’s GPUs and TPUs consume more power and run hotter than traditional CPUs. AI servers often require power densities ranging from 20-50 kW per rack, far exceeding traditional workloads (~5-10 kW per rack).
IoT devices generate massive data streams that need real-time processing, often closer to the source (at the edge) or centralized (for storage and analytics). 5G increases data generation and consumption across applications such as AR/VR, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles. Additionally, 5G demands distributed datacenters with smaller footprints and high power density to process data closer to users. To manage this, infrastructure that can scale rapidly with higher-density compute and storage equipment is required.
Regulatory requirements and customer expectations for sustainability are playing a significant role in high-density infrastructure adoption. This is primarily a response to growing pressures around energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and resource optimization. Legislation such as ASHRAE 90.4: ASHRAE standards set DC energy efficiency requirements pushing operators to adopt high-density infrastructure to better utilize existing power and cooling resources. Several states are mandating carbon-neutral operations by mid-century. California, for example, has stringent energy efficiency laws (e.g., Title 24, Part 6), requiring DCs to minimize energy consumption. Regulatory constraints on building size or height, zoning policies, and even water conservation laws can encourage use of higher-density components. In addition, organizations need to respond to eco-conscious clients’ reporting requirements. There’s a need to meet sustainability targets while handling growing data demands, aligning environmental responsibility with operational performance.
Implementing high-density data center infrastructure: challenges and solutions
Addressing the challenges requires comprehensive planning, a fully integrated approach, and solutions tailored for high-density environments that are guaranteed to optimally work together, even as systems becomes larger and more complex. Let’s take a closer look at the main challenges and how to tackle them.
Space constraints: Introducing high-density racks reduces physical footprint, but you need to keep thinking ahead. Careful planning is required to ensure efficient use of freed-up space for new equipment or future expansion.
Modular designs and compact components ensure efficient use of space and innovations in server, storage, and networking make it possible to pack more computing power into smaller devices. By consolidating connections in a smaller area without sacrificing handling, DCs can scale without expanding physical infrastructure.
Cable management: Managing a large number of cables in a confined space demands meticulous organization to prevent tangling or down time and ensure easy maintenance.
High-density infrastructure requires cabling solutions that can manage complexity without compromising performance. Fully integrated cable management systems prevent clutter, while allowing easy access for maintenance and MACs. Smart design features can vastly streamline cable management, ensure orderly routing and support as many as 120 LC duplex or MTP ports per rack unit. Features such as quick-release connectors and minimal draw-out lengths minimize cable bulk and stress, reducing downtime risk. Fast, easy, splice-free connections are essential. Pre-term cabling and push-pull connector types significantly reduce handling and installation time and increase first-time installation quality. Integrated very small form factor (VSFF) connectors can play a very significant part in connecting for vastly increasing numbers of GPUs.
Cooling demands: High-density deployments generate substantial heat, necessitating advanced cooling solutions like liquid cooling, immersion cooling, or hybrid systems.
Traditional cooling infrastructure consumed significant space, but newer technologies are more compact and better suited to dense environments. Liquid cooling, using water or coolant, targets components like CPUs and GPUs, offering higher thermal conductivity than air. Hybrid cooling combines liquid and air systems, balancing precision cooling for hotspots with broader airflow solutions. These methods enhance energy efficiency, reduce reliance on power-hungry air conditioning, and maintain optimal performance in confined, high-density spaces.
Power Infrastructure: Higher rack densities require robust power delivery systems, such as advanced PDUs (Power Distribution Units) and microgrids to handle power loads efficiently.
Racks must be designed to optimize space, allowing for fully integrated power and cooling systems, without limiting topology options. Integrated cable management systems can support organized and efficient routing of power cables, reducing clutter and improving airflow.
Scalability and future-proofing: Solutions need to be designed with next-generation hardware in mind, including dedicated racks, patch panels, and connectors, that can accommodate future growth.
Using the highest density racks and modular components allows DCs to start small and expand as needed. Including smart DCIM technology automates the tracking of network cabling, ensuring accurate, real-time documentation and facilitating upgrades and maintenance. Integrated hardware and software systems that automatically detect when cords are inserted or removed ensure the entire infrastructure is represented in a consistent, up-to-date database, offering precise, real-time information on the current state.
Designing flexible, high-density data centers for future demands
As DC usage evolves operators face growing demands for scalability, efficiency, and flexibility. High-density solutions are essential for accommodating today’s required higher bandwidth and faster data transmission while maximizing physical space usage. By consolidating resources and increasing equipment density in this way, DCs can scale seamlessly to meet client and application demands. Advanced cooling and energy-efficient hardware addresses the challenge of heat management in high-density setups, reducing energy consumption and TCO. Combined with high-performance cabling, these solutions ensure reliable, high-speed data transmission, supporting regulatory compliance and sustainability goals.
However, to ensure long-term success, DC operators, consultants, and operation managers must make informed decisions about physical layout, power, HVAC, connectivity, and risk mitigation. Integrated solutions based on expert advice are critical to balancing performance, reliability, and energy efficiency. The right approach enables DCs to adapt to rapid expansions, future upgrades, and evolving business needs while optimizing infrastructure and operational costs.
