The importance of data center infrastructure grows yearly as our lives rely more on the virtual world. Data centers are facing increasingly high performance demands and ever-changing security risks.
AI can help you avoid these challenges and optimize your data center for top performance. How can you harness the full power of AI in your servers, security, operations and more?
Next-Gen Data Center Security With AI
Data center security has never been more important. Physical and virtual safety is increasingly threatened by bad actors, who get more creative every year. AI can help you defend your information and equipment with next-generation security capabilities.
For example, Data Center Knowledge reported about a new type of malware called a “wiper” that initially looks like ransomware but destroys all the victim’s data after they pay the ransom. The hacker programs it to destroy information no matter what instead of decrypting it if they pay the fee.
Wipers aren’t just hitting virtual systems, either. The damage from this virus is so extensive that it can cripple data center infrastructure. That includes physical systems like HVAC, power, security and IoT devices.
Wipers and similar advanced malware strains, such as polymorphic malware, are designed to confuse detection programs. AI can adapt to new types in real time, allowing it to counter these threats. It is more likely to detect ransomware but may not be fooled by wipers when they masquerade as regular ransomware.
Automated Threat Detection
One of the main challenges of data center security is the large attack surface. AI can help facilities detect potential threats sooner by automatically monitoring information and equipment. Research by industry leaders has proven that AI security checks can save $1.76 million per year on cyber defense and recovery.
AI monitoring can automate log and traffic analysis. If the AI detects anything suspicious, it will flag the data, user or activity for review. This approach lets you focus on known potential threats rather than spending hours combing through predominantly legitimate information.
Physical Security
AI is also helpful for physical security monitoring. Your data center may already have cameras, but did you know you can automate footage analysis?
AI computer vision algorithms can identify red flags in images and videos, such as someone entering a server room. This allows your security team to focus on the most important video clips, just like how AI simplifies network monitoring.
The Importance of Data Center Infrastructure Optimization
It’s challenging to understate the importance of data center infrastructure optimization. The physical systems greatly impact performance, security and the tenant experience. AI can help you analyze and improve your operations to provide fast, secure service.
For example, AI monitoring is great for analyzing efficiency metrics in addition to security data. It builds up large data sets of information on server performance. You can use AI to analyze and identify trends and patterns that help develop optimization strategies.
Digital twins are one particularly powerful use for AI analytics in data center infrastructure. AI can simulate your facility in a virtual environment using a model of your current setup and performance metrics. The digital twin can help you identify ways to improve your infrastructure and operations efficiently and cost-effectively.
For example, a digital twin might reveal that your server rack design is causing poor airflow and lacks stability. You can use that information to model potential solutions. In this case, you could test various custom server rack designs. They can increase efficiency in your whole server assembly by combining components that meet your needs.
Optimizing your data center using AI analytics can result in improved airflow management, better floorplans, smoother workflows, and more efficient use of your space and resources.
Automated AI Resource Management
Research shows data centers consumed over 240 terawatt hours of electricity in 2022. This energy usage also resulted in large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. You can save money and reduce your facility’s carbon footprint using AI to optimize power consumption.
AI analytics can reveal how your operations use electricity and pinpoint areas to improve. For example, inefficient HVAC systems commonly cause excess energy consumption. Artificial intelligence might show that one room of your data center uses more air for cooling, hinting at a possible HVAC maintenance issue. AI increases energy utilization visibility, enabling your team to take action to reduce electricity expenses.
Similarly, AI can help manage storage and resources more efficiently. Resource management is getting more complicated yearly as data centers evolve to include various containment solutions. Emerging technologies like hyperconverged storage and edge networking have incredible benefits but require new approaches to resource allocation.
AI can simplify managing data center infrastructure using dynamic resource utilization. An AI algorithm continuously monitors the facility’s performance, traffic, storage and energy consumption. It allocates resources based on real-time needs.
If one tenant’s server racks get a surge in traffic, the AI can autonomously reroute resources from quieter servers. This process is especially helpful in virtualized environments where many tenants share physical resources. It allows everyone to have the most efficient experience without overcharging or undercharging clients.
Monitoring real-time server performance also allows you to perform AI-powered predictive maintenance. Studies show this can reduce upkeep costs by 25% or more. It ensures you stay ahead of emerging mechanical and performance issues. Keeping your data center infrastructure in top shape maximizes performance and builds resilience against cyberattacks.
Resilient, Innovative Data Center Infrastructure With AI
The importance of data center infrastructure is evident today in the sheer volume of digital activity worldwide. AI can help leaders keep up with demand, strengthen security, improve performance and reduce energy consumption. Fully utilizing AI in your facility lets you operate more efficiently, save money and provide better service for your tenants.
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