The pursuit of training ever-larger generative AI models has necessitated the creation of a new class of specialized data centers — facilities that have more in common with high-performance computing (HPC) environments than traditional enterprise IT. These data centers support very high rack densities (130 kW and above with current Nvidia rack-scale systems), direct-to-chip liquid […] The post Crypto mines are turning into AI factories appeared first on Uptime Institute Blog.| Uptime Institute Blog
Cyber incidents are increasing rapidly. In 2024, the number of outages caused by cyber incidents was twice the average of the previous four years, according to Uptime Institute’s annual report on data center outages (see Annual outage analysis 2025). More operational technology (OT) vendors are experiencing significant increases in cyberattacks on their systems. Data center […]| Uptime Institute Blog
In recent years, the environmental sustainability of IT has become a significant concern for investors and customers, as well as regulatory, legislative and environmental stakeholders. This concern is expected to intensify as the impact of climate change on health, safety and the global economy becomes more pronounced. It has given rise to an assortment of […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Each new generation of server silicon is pushing traditional data center air cooling closer to its operational limits. In 2025, the thermal design power (TDP) of top-bin CPUs reached 500 W, and server chip product roadmaps indicate further escalation in pursuit of higher performance. To handle these high-powered chips, more IT organizations are considering direct […]| Uptime Institute Blog
While much has been written, said and taught about data center sustainability, there is still limited consensus on the definition and scope of an ideal data center sustainability strategy. This lack of clarity has created much confusion, encouraged many operators to pursue strategies with limited results, and enabled some to make claims that are ultimately […]| Uptime Institute Blog
“Reasoning” models — and their offshoots, such as “deep research” — have emerged as a major trend in generative AI, helping improve the accuracy and reliability of responses to complex problems. However, this approach significantly increases the computational costs of generating responses. The imitation of reasoning means a higher consumption of server capacity, requiring additional […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Uptime Institute Journal is our industry blog, collecting commentary and insights from our global consultants, partners and network of clients world-wide.| Uptime Institute Blog
Many grid operators are struggling to meet customer power demands — in both volume and quality. As demand rises, utilities must also monitor and account for customer usage patterns that can degrade power quality (and add costs) for others on the grid. A 2024 Bloomberg analysis revealed a concentration of residential power issues occurring near […]| Uptime Institute Blog
When it comes to generative AI models, the belief that bigger is better is an enduring one — shaping a wide array of high-stakes decisions from corporate investments to energy and permitting policy to technology export controls. A defining technical feature in the pursuit of ever-bigger models is denser compute hardware. This makes sense: as […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Major publicly reported outages in 2024 were longer and, therefore, more impactful than in previous years because of the growing number of ransomware attacks, according to data compiled by Uptime Intelligence. The data also shows an increase in the proportion of outages that were caused deliberately. The latest data relating to major publicly reported outages […] The post Publicly reported outages see increase in deliberate attacks appeared first on Uptime Institute Blog.| Uptime Institute Blog
Water use has become a benchmark metric for data center operational efficiency and sustainability, as well as a frequent target of community criticism. Operators should track and optimize their water use to protect the environment and secure the facility cooling’s autonomy when its capacity relies on water. However, water use does not fit into a […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Projections of data center capacity growth have exploded with the emergence of AI infrastructure and the continuing expansion and integration of standard IT functionality into the global economy. Electricity demand is growing in developed markets for the first time in more than a decade, led by proposed data center expansions and efforts to electrify the […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Over the past year, demand for GPUs to train generative AI models has soared. Some organizations have invested in GPU clusters costing millions of dollars for this purpose. Cloud services offered by the major hyperscalers and a new wave of GPU-focused cloud providers deliver an alternative to dedicated infrastructure for those unwilling, or unable, to […]| Uptime Institute Blog
Regular readers of Uptime Institute’s annual data center survey, the longest running of its kind, already know that the industry average power usage effectiveness (PUE, a ratio of total site power and IT power) has trended sideways in recent years. Since 2020, it has been stuck in the 1.55 to 1.59 band. Even going back […]| Uptime Institute Blog
