By implementing innovative liquid cooling technologies in more than 100 of its International Business Exchange (IBX) colocation data centers throughout the globe, Equinix, a market leader in the data center industry, has taken a major step to improve efficiency. With its ambitious goal, data center cooling efficiency is about to enter a new age, particularly for workloads that need high computation density, like artificial intelligence (AI).
Thanks to the expansion, organizations may now install state-of-the-art cooling solutions for mission-critical requirements in key markets, including over 45 metros including Silicon Valley, London, Singapore, and Washington, D.C.
AI and other data-intensive applications are in high demand, as noted by Sean Graham, Research Director at IDC. As he pointed out, there is growing interest in liquid-cooled systems since conventional cooling techniques are inadequate for the hardware needed for these new applications.
Liquid cooling is revolutionizing data center operations, as noted by Tiffany Osias, Vice President of Global Colocation at Equinix. The speaker highlighted Equinix’s vast experience in assisting companies with various liquid-cooled setups, demonstrating the organization's aptitude for developing data center capacity to meet contemporary IT needs.
Equinix is not just expanding its footprint in liquid cooling but is also embracing a vendor-neutral approach. Customers are now free to choose the hardware supplier of their choice for deployments thanks to this. The data center operator offers solutions for a range of requirements by supporting popular liquid cooling methods including rear-door and direct-to-chip heat exchangers.
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Direct-to-Chip Cooling
The most inventive method is called ‘direct-to-chip cooling,’ which uses a cold plate on the chip inside the server. By installing servers in common IT cabinets, this technique offers efficient cooling in a recognizable configuration. Higher cooling loads may be handled by rear-door heat exchangers when they are installed directly onto client cabinets as opposed to using other approaches.
Aiming to provide an open standard that can be used with any 19" rack for networking, servers, and storage, the Open19 V2 specification was presented by My Truong, SSIA Chairperson and Field CTO at Equinix. It was created under the Linux Foundation. Modern liquid cooling systems would be much easier to install in data centers thanks to Equinix's technology and vendor-neutral position.
For AI infrastructure and next-generation processors, Steve Walton, CEO of CoolIT Systems, emphasized the drawbacks of conventional air-cooling. He lauded Equinix for having cutting-edge liquid cooling solutions from CoolIT Systems installed in its colocation data centers, which according to Equinix will provide the highest reliability, energy efficiency, and resilience.
Effective cooling solutions are essential for keeping up with the quickly changing world of computing, as noted by Erez Freibach, CEO and co-founder of ZutaCore. A determined endeavor to create a zero-emissions data industry is shown by ZutaCore and Equinix's collaboration in the development, operation, and testing of next-generation liquid cooling systems at scale.
Taking everything into account, Equinix’s choice to use liquid cooling technology in all of its IBX data centers may contribute to completely changing the data center industry. In addition to satisfying the growing need for more efficient cooling methods for workloads with a high density, Equinix might be envisioned as a frontrunner in the field of innovative cooling solutions for digital infrastructure.
