Computing on the edge

Data centres are no longer just storage spaces for information but have now become the core of organisational growth and innovation. While cloud computing drove the creation of mega data centres, IT is moving to the edge of the network.

This trend is called edge computing. Edge computing brings distributed IT with a scalable number of micro data centres. “AI data centre workloads are expanding 2-3 times faster than traditional data centre workloads; and, as AI continues to advance, it places unique demands on data centre design and management,” Natalya Makarochkina, the senior vice president of secure power division, international region, secure power division, Schneider Electric, told Khaleej Times.

Excerpts from an interview:

With digital transformation at the helm of enterprises and government, how are organisations expanding IT and data capabilities to keep up with demand?

Digital transformation is a business imperative in today’s competitive environment. To meet the needs of the new digital landscape we must transform how we deploy and manage IT – for example locally, the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025, which aims to seamlessly embed digital elements into overarching government initiatives has already been driving tech expansion into residents’ every day life.

As the next wave of digital transformation propels IT to the edge of the network, Gartner estimates that by 2025, 75 per cent of enterprise data is expected to be created and processed at the edge. In the process of moving to a digital economy, we must ensure that systems at the edge are as efficient as the most efficient data centres.

We accomplish this through: (1) New architectures and technologies, such as liquid cooling, that enable energy reduction for high-density deployments, (2) repeatable, standardised designs that can be managed across many sites, and (3) cloud-based management, service and analytics and AI-assisted management enabling efficient operations.

What are the challenges faced with edge computing?

Deploying at the edge presents a range of challenges, including issues such as poor resilience due to the fact that many sites have limited availability of IT staff and may lack physical security measures, giving rise to cybersecurity concerns. Moreover, there may be a lack of remote monitoring and management, which can exacerbate operational challenges. The absence of standardisation and integration further complicates the deployment process.

A critical advantage edge computing brings to distributed systems is the ability to keep data processing close to its original location, reducing cloud traffic, and consequently carbon emissions. To ensure this is maximised, it is vital that edge deployments are efficiently managed and data centre infrastructure management systems (DCIM) are in place to maximise resources.

We propose the answer to these challenges in three ways: (1) integrated systems to simplify deployment and management with increased resiliency; (2) next-generation DCIM — a platform that measures the output and performance of every piece of infrastructure supporting the IT, as well as the IT equipment itself, around the clock — the only way to manage the complexity of a data centre deployment and realise operational efficiencies, and (3) an ecosystem of partners to deploy faster and more reliable edge computing networks.

What role does sustainability play in the deployment of data centres? And what has Schneider Electric achieved in the space?

To help curb emissions, it is incumbent upon data centre owners and operators — whose industry is responsible for 1-1.13 per cent of global energy use — to focus more on energy efficiency and sustainability. Recent research has revealed that only 33 per cent of sustainability decision-makers within co-location providers state that they have in place a strategic sustainability plan within their organisations. This indicates that the industry is at the initial stages of its collective sustainability journey.

We encourage our customers that to understand their data centre’s impact on the environment they will need to measure greenhouse emissions, water use, and waste, in addition to energy consumption. By adopting standardised metrics within those sustainability categories, the operators not only gain a more thorough view of their environmental impact, but also assess and achieve operational efficiencies for a competitive advantage.

We partnered with the University of Birmingham Dubai’s to bring to their new campus one of the UAE’s most advanced on-site data centres. The data centre is set to create energy savings of up to 15 per cent while operating at peak performance with Schneider Electric’s technology. This energy-efficient data centre is designed with remote management and performance benchmarking capabilities, enabling rapid data exchange with the University of Birmingham’s UK campus.

We view AI as a double-edged sword — while it is and will be responsible for booming growth and pressure on systems, it is also seen as the solution to building capacity and smart data centres to manage it. For example, something we are excited to see is the adoption of digital twins — an all-encompassing solution to data centre efficiency improvement. They not only allow the collection of data from all sources to operate more sustainably but also accurately look at cost and environmental impact.

• Business