The advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications that are changing how we live and work are also changing the way that modern data centers are designed, cooled, and powered. With AI and ML evolving and increasing in adoption, many data center owners and operators are still working to understand and evolve their traditional data center designs to this new world of AI.
Unfortunately, since so few high-density AI data centers have been constructed to date, many of the Engineers and General Contractors serving this industry are relying on very limited experience when attempting to build facilities to meet the unique demands of AI workloads
We recently sat down with Steve Altizer, the President of Compu Dynamics, to discuss why the construction of data centers is so different today, and why a White Space Integration partner is necessary for the efficient and expedient construction of a modern data center.
The Modern Data Center Journal (MDCJ): What is White Space Integration? What is involved in the process?
Steve Altizer: White Space Integration is the process of preparing the white space – or the data hall within the larger data center building – to meet the needs and requirements of the network equipment, servers, and other devices that will be operating within it. We believe this is a unique phase of data center deployment that is separate from the actual data center construction.
White Space Integration is the logical consequence of the expanding infrastructure demands of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has forced an evolution in the data center. It has driven new approaches to data center design and has forced data center owners and operators to reevaluate how data center equipment is cooled and powered.
Because of this data center evolution, White Space Integration has become incredibly technical and more complicated than previous white space fit-outs. It demands extraordinary attention to detail, effective coordination among a growing number of trades, engineering design support, procurement skills, installation efficiency, commissioning competence, and an unwavering commitment to the customer’s schedule.
MDCJ: How has data center complexity changed in the past few years? What new factors need to be considered during White Space Integration that may not have been considered before?
Steve Altizer: Much of the complexity is being driven by advanced applications like AI. When power density at the rack increases, so does the amount of heat that must be removed from the space. We can address this evolving requirement by moving a heat transfer fluid like chilled water closer to the heat source.
Two increasingly common ways of doing this are rear door heat exchangers and direct-to-chip cooling systems. Both of these approaches require water piping to each rack location, and those fluid networks can be large and costly.
The increased density at the rack is also adding new complexities to the traditional power distribution strategy. More power can mean high voltage distribution, higher amperage circuits, more remote power panels (RPPs), more A+B receptacles per rack, more rack power distribution units (PDUs), and other considerations. This added infrastructure is heavy and takes up space, adding structural and architectural concerns for the data center owner.
MDCJ: Why is working with a White Space Integration partner important? Wouldn’t the owner of the data center know its requirements the best? Why would it be beneficial to get a third party involved?
Steve Altizer: Hyperscalers and colocation providers are not contractors. They’re not as experienced as their General Contractor and White Space Integration team at managing the disparate, moving parts and pieces needed to bring a data center online in an expedient and efficient manner.
Today’s General Contractors are erecting data center structures in record time and prepping new data centers for their eventual use. The White Space Integration team then works to bring the structure to life as soon as the General Contractor produces a space where these teams can safely work. While dozens of trade subcontractors work aggressively to finish the building, the White Space Integration team is able to weave a web of power, cooling, and network systems within the data halls to the custom specifications needed.
With the General Contractor and the White Space Integration team working hand-in-hand toward the same common goal and using the same systems, the data center is completed as efficiently and expediently as possible.
Leveraging a White Space Integration team that understands new technology and its unique requirements ensures that the completed data center will feature the complex mechanical piping, power distribution systems, and fiber-rich cabling plants necessary to meet the needs of today’s most advanced applications.
MDCJ: Traditionally, when was White Space Integration started? Was this done in tandem with construction, or after construction had been completed?
Steve Altizer: Data center owners and operators – including hyperscalers and colocation providers – traditionally bring new data center halls online in a “just-in-time” fashion. While the buildings – themselves – will be mostly constructed, the data halls will only be outfitted when needed. This is especially true for colocation providers that are building in advance of the space being leased.
However, today, we’re seeing hyperscale and colocation data centers designed and built with a single tenant in mind – with capacity leased before construction begins. The white space often remains in flux until the last minute despite the tenant and their requirements being known in advance.
This is no longer ideal, considering the new requirements being placed on the data hall by advanced AI applications and other modern workloads. We believe the optimum approach is to bring a White Space Integration partner into the process much earlier.
MDCJ: What benefits can government agencies, hyperscalers, and other data center owners get by starting White Space Integration earlier in the process?
Steve Altizer: The benefits are significant when the data center owner’s selected team members – the General Contractor, White Space Integration team, and major equipment providers – are able to communicate and coordinate early and often. There are also benefits that the White Space Integration partner can deliver early in the design process.
Knowledgeable and experienced partners familiar with modern data hall requirements are invaluable in designing a data center – ensuring that cooling and power needs are considered in the initial design of the building.
Coordinating with a White Space Integration partner early in the process can also save the data center owner a great deal of time and money.
Having a White Space Integration partner coordinate with the General Contractor early in the process allows the two professional organizations to collaborate on portions of the facility where their scopes overlap or connect. For example, there is a good amount of interaction between these organizations in the power and cooling galleries just outside of the white space.
When the White Space Integration team is able to coordinate with the General Contractor, systems are also installed correctly the first time, with downstream requirements in mind.
Involving the White Space Integration team early on will inevitably eliminate time-consuming and costly conflicts that would have occurred without such coordination. It can also help avoid potential engineering issues that need to be addressed early to avoid negative impacts in the future.
