- Lenovo imagines information facilities suspended above clouds to avoid wasting land and vitality
- Knowledge Spas place servers close to geothermal swimming pools, elevating critical safety considerations
- Underground bunkers supply safety and pure cooling for high-density computing, or possibly not
Lenovo has revealed a sequence of extremely unconventional ideas which think about what the info heart infrastructure of the long run may appear to be.
The corporate argues conventional information facilities should evolve to assist companies, as practically half of IT company patrons admit their infrastructure fails to satisfy vitality calls for and carbon targets.
In response, Lenovo has proposed a number of unconventional designs, together with one which locations information facilities nearly actually among the many clouds.
Knowledge facilities above the clouds
Every design reveals a distinct strategy to powering huge CPU and AI workloads whereas addressing vitality effectivity and sustainability considerations.
Essentially the most uncommon of Lenovo’s designs is the “Floating Cloud,” an information heart suspended between 20 and 30 kilometers above the Earth’s floor.
At that peak, it will function solely on solar energy whereas utilizing pressurized liquid cooling techniques to handle warmth.
The idea removes land constraints however poses main safety dangers, as a construction floating above industrial airspace could be tough to guard and susceptible to assault.
Lenovo additionally imagines what it calls a “Knowledge Spa,” a geothermal-powered information heart constructed right into a pure panorama resembling a valley or a scorching spring.
Pictures of the idea present individuals strolling via swimming pools of water solely meters away from server racks.
The design suggests a seamless integration between nature and expertise, nevertheless it raises critical security and safety considerations.
Mixing open water and demanding {hardware} would give any information heart supervisor sleepless nights, regardless of how environment friendly the cooling system claims to be.
A extra grounded proposal is the “Knowledge Middle Bunker,” which makes use of deserted tunnels, bunkers, or underground transit techniques as safe information heart websites.
Lenovo claims these subterranean areas “create a naturally environment friendly warmth administration system,” though anybody conversant in underground warmth ranges would possibly disagree.
Nonetheless, the design provides benefits resembling lowered land use and improved bodily safety, making it one of many few sensible concepts within the assortment.
Lenovo says future information facilities should assist the speedy development of AI instruments and automation whereas chopping carbon emissions.
Its Neptune liquid cooling system is designed to take away as much as 98% of system warmth straight from the supply, lowering vitality use in comparison with conventional air cooling.
The corporate insists that such options are essential as AI demand rises and information sovereignty guidelines tighten throughout areas.
These designs are simply ideas for now, however Lenovo’s message is evident: except information facilities evolve shortly, the way forward for computing will face bodily and environmental bottlenecks.
“The information heart of the long run shall be outlined by how successfully it might scale for AI, ship on sustainability targets, and function with most vitality effectivity,” mentioned Simone Larsson, Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo.
“As demand for compute accelerates, prospects will more and more look to infrastructure companions who can ship efficiency with out compromise…Future-ready information facilities require a shift in mindset, one the place sustainability will not be retrofitted…”
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