Artificial intelligence (AI) has become integral to modern technology, with over 90% of businesses investing in AI on an ongoing basis. One area where experts expect AI to make a big impact is the data center industry. Gartner predicts that half of all cloud-based data centers will leverage AI by 2025. And it’s no wonder why, considering the research firm also estimates AI will increase the operating efficiency of data centers by 30%.
Big data and the demand for high-performance computing have made data centers more complex and difficult to manage than ever before. However, AI can help solve these challenges by automating processes without compromising accuracy or security. Below, we explore AI’s potential role in data centers and how it has the power to transform the industry.
Automated Management
One of the biggest challenges in managing data centers is the sheer scale of the operation. With thousands of servers, switches, and other devices, it’s almost impossible to manually monitor and manage everything effectively.
AI can automate many tasks involved in managing a data center, such as monitoring server performance and predicting hardware failures. It can handle repetitive, tedious processes such as server patching, updating, and reporting – tasks that are often prone to human error.
Sustainability
One of the most urgent issues for data centers is the power they consume. As a data center grows, it generates more heat and, as a result, consumes more energy for its cooling systems.
With AI monitoring the data center’s energy usage, it can identify where energy is being wasted and adjust cooling equipment in real time. This not only reduces the data center’s carbon footprint but will also lower operating costs.
Predictive Maintenance
Data centers house complex systems with thousands of components, each requiring regular maintenance to ensure smooth operation.
AI can analyze data from sensor readings, performance metrics, and historical data to predict potential failures and schedule maintenance activities proactively. This can prevent costly unplanned downtime and optimize resource utilization, helping to reduce the data center’s operational costs.
Greater Efficiency
There are many ways AI can increase a data center’s efficiency, from predictive maintenance to capacity planning and more. For example, AI can optimize data and workload placement across servers to minimize latency and improve performance. This is especially important for applications that require real-time processing, such as video calls or financial transactions.
AI can also analyze data center performance metrics and sensor data to detect faults and diagnose issues. With machine learning algorithms, AI can identify patterns and correlations in the data to identify the root cause of problems, resolve the issue, and minimize downtime.
Improved Security
Security is the top data storage concern for 76% of business leaders. Since data centers are a prime target for attacks, AI can provide relief with many solutions that improve both physical and cyber security.
AI-powered smart cameras and intrusion detection systems can help to ensure a data center’s physical protection. AI and machine learning systems can also reduce the threat of cyber security attacks and data breaches by monitoring network activity, identifying suspicious behavior, and detecting malware.
AI has the potential to transform data centers into highly efficient and intelligent systems. If you’d like some expert guidance on finding a data center solution that meets your company’s unique needs, eXemplify can help. Contact us today to get started.