WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.720 Oh, the money in the data center. Yeah. Money. There's a lot of money. Open the 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:09.480 doors of a data center and Data center? Oh, data centers could Data centers Data 00:00:07.720 --> 00:00:14.480 center, great. Yeah, data centers. Data centers. They've been dominating the 00:00:11.600 --> 00:00:19.840 headlines. New builds, big expansions, and trillions invested. But, what rarely 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:24.640 gets mentioned is that a data center isn't just one thing. They're typically 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:29.120 set up in nine different ways, and there are a few unique distinctions that give 00:00:26.720 --> 00:00:34.640 each one an archetype. Kind of like the members of your favorite boy band, but 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:37.040 with less music and even more fan noise, 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:40.600 which is surprisingly the annoying sound that started it all. In the beginning, 00:00:40.040 --> 00:00:45.880 uh it was really around enterprise data centers were the data centers, right? 00:00:44.120 --> 00:00:49.720 And a lot of the times you used to hear about were rooms called like computer 00:00:47.720 --> 00:00:53.480 rooms or server rooms, and there wasn't even a data center, it was a let's put 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:56.880 all of our, you know, servers inside of one room so that all those fan noise and 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:00.080 all that heat can be shoved into the one room, and we don't have to have that on 00:00:58.440 --> 00:01:02.800 our office floor. Well, that transitioned into, well, we want to make 00:01:01.800 --> 00:01:06.320 sure these servers are running efficiently, and this room's super hot, 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:10.320 we need purpose-built air conditioning, etc. Let's make sure we've got power 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:14.160 reliability, and all of a sudden you've got the like the the primitive makings 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:17.440 of a data center, and every enterprise, every business in the world kind of ran 00:01:15.880 --> 00:01:21.960 their own set of servers inside of their own office building. Like John said, 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:26.640 enterprise data centers are where it all began, the founding member of the band, 00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:30.800 so to speak. These are run by one company for its own use. Think banks or 00:01:29.240 --> 00:01:35.280 big retailers. Since they want to keep their data secure and meet all of their 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:40.480 regulatory compliance rules. While enterprise data storage may have started 00:01:37.440 --> 00:01:42.520 small, today these operations tend to be 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:48.000 bigger, and that's in part because there are more options now, like colocation 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:52.080 data centers. These are places that rent out space for companies to put the 00:01:49.720 --> 00:01:56.000 servers that they own. A great choice for medium-sized businesses. For a lot 00:01:54.320 --> 00:01:59.080 of companies nowadays, you know, when you're a small like, you know, you're a 00:01:57.360 --> 00:02:02.440 startup or you're you're a small enterprise or like, you know, a 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:07.040 home business or like that, a lot of folks just use the cloud, right? But once you get to the point where it's 00:02:04.720 --> 00:02:10.880 like, "Ah, I I've got probably, you know, a five five-digit kind of monthly 00:02:09.679 --> 00:02:15.720 cloud bill or something like that." That, you know, you start thinking buying a server isn't that expensive. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:19.200 Let me see Let me look at the economics of that and and maybe become a 00:02:17.040 --> 00:02:23.520 colocation customer. Colocation data centers help an organization save money 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:27.520 while allowing them to keep control over their gear. That means, though, that the 00:02:25.959 --> 00:02:31.800 customer is still responsible for configuring, maintaining, and upgrading 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:36.280 their own hardware and software. Now, if that sounds icky, you may prefer the 00:02:33.959 --> 00:02:41.760 next level, managed services data centers. In these, a service provider, 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:45.480 like Equinix or OVH, not only houses your rack, but also handles the 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:50.400 day-to-day running and upkeep of your infrastructure. But, of course, 00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:55.760 that'll cost you. Cloud data centers are the mysterious bad boy of the data 00:02:52.760 --> 00:02:58.240 center boy band, remote and occasionally 00:02:55.760 --> 00:03:03.800 unavailable for reasons no one fully explains. They're so misunderstood. Who 00:03:01.440 --> 00:03:08.160 is he? These data centers are all about giving you computing power over the 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:12.519 internet, handled by enormous providers like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:17.160 Azure. Not only do you not own the computer, you might not even be using a 00:03:14.959 --> 00:03:20.160 whole computer. If you think of a cloud data center, 00:03:18.519 --> 00:03:25.440 uh there's again, it's a large centralized facility. Uh typically uh 00:03:23.440 --> 00:03:28.920 operates 24/7. And it's filled with what I would call 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:34.000 computing infrastructure. Everything from servers to storage systems to sort 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:38.360 of the network equipment. We literally create subsets of of virtual machines in 00:03:36.239 --> 00:03:42.480 a process called virtualization. And what that does is it allows, you know, 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:46.840 one computer to act like maybe 10 computers as needed. At the other time, 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:50.440 it allows 10 computers to act like one. And that's the notion of elasticity that 00:03:48.760 --> 00:03:55.280 that, you know, we we we we talk about where you know, whole unit can can 00:03:52.720 --> 00:03:59.960 operate as one or a subset of a unit can split up uh into a variety of different 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:05.440 components and that allows uh you know, depending on on the ask or or the nature 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:07.280 of um of of what's being processed, 00:04:05.440 --> 00:04:11.520 uh it it can it can operate with with with intent. Like Chris mentioned, 00:04:09.320 --> 00:04:16.359 elasticity is a cloud data center's secret weapon. It's the system's ability 00:04:13.959 --> 00:04:20.799 to adaptively allocate its resources as needed. Think of companies like Netflix, 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:25.120 which mainly uses Amazon's cloud data centers, so they can easily grow or 00:04:22.760 --> 00:04:31.560 shrink streaming capacity depending on how many subscribers are watching Love 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:33.240 is Blind, Secret Island, Getaway, 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:37.680 Couples Forever. While cloud data centers can be any 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:42.840 size, they're typically in huge compounds called hyperscale data 00:04:39.919 --> 00:04:47.680 centers. These expansive data facilities are used by giants like Google and Meta, 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:52.640 and they're also taking off because of the AI boom. A standard hyperscale data 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:58.800 center typically contains a minimum of 5,000 servers, 500 cabinets, and spans 00:04:56.080 --> 00:05:03.240 at least 10,000 square feet or about a quarter acre of floor space. But, 00:05:01.520 --> 00:05:07.760 they're still getting larger all the time with Microsoft's latest Fairwater 00:05:05.640 --> 00:05:12.160 data center in Wisconsin taking up an enormous 315 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:16.000 acres and counting. Bear in mind though that hyperscale isn't a completely 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.600 separate kind of data center, it's a size and design label. You'll hear about 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:24.280 folks talk about hyperscale data centers and you can think about a hyperscale 00:05:21.760 --> 00:05:27.800 data center as a hyperscaler operating a data center that's entirely 00:05:25.760 --> 00:05:31.280 purpose-built generally for themselves, right? So, one, they'll either 00:05:29.320 --> 00:05:35.200 self-build that or they'll kind of uh lease that from a provider, and they 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:39.280 want to have that full dedicated uh region and that could be for their cloud 00:05:37.080 --> 00:05:43.360 availability zones, it could be for AI training nowadays, it could be for, you 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:47.080 know, their their SaaS applications that they're delivering to customers. Uh Uh 00:05:45.080 --> 00:05:50.840 it could be for ad analytics for instance. I mean, Meta's obviously got 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:54.240 huge amounts of data center capacity, and that's just for them, right? They're 00:05:52.280 --> 00:05:59.880 not operating cloud services for anyone else. On the opposite side of the size 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:03.920 spectrum, edge data centers usually have a smaller footprint that fits right in 00:06:01.760 --> 00:06:07.280 the thick of a business's work. But today, they're more often thought of as 00:06:05.760 --> 00:06:11.000 just data centers that are located closer to where people actually use 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:16.280 their services, like on the edge of a city. This lets things happen faster 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:21.560 with less latency. These kinds of data centers are thriving right now, too. Not 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:26.880 exactly Harry Styles level fame, like hyperscale cloud centers, but definitely 00:06:23.840 --> 00:06:28.360 in the Zayn camp. Telecom companies use 00:06:26.880 --> 00:06:32.560 them for things like streaming or gaming, but they're also powering 00:06:29.919 --> 00:06:36.680 robotics, physical AI, and systems that need real-time processing. What we think 00:06:34.760 --> 00:06:40.600 about as as edge is really like kind of like almost a converged edge, which is 00:06:38.840 --> 00:06:44.520 close enough that all of the applications, like even things that feel 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:48.880 pretty real-time, like video and and streaming analytics, they can happen 00:06:46.400 --> 00:06:52.919 within kind of a 10-ms radius. That's pretty close to as as 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:57.360 as close to the end user as you need to be without actually being on the device 00:06:55.040 --> 00:07:01.800 or like on the factory floor or in the vehicle. You can probably sense by now 00:06:59.640 --> 00:07:06.080 that these different types can be used in combination with each other, like a 00:07:03.880 --> 00:07:11.040 tight three-part harmony. For example, OpenAI generally uses a giant hyperscale 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:16.160 campus full of cloud data centers to power its AI, but they teamed with a 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:20.680 company named Armada to deliver edge AI to remote industrial sites in form 00:07:18.280 --> 00:07:25.600 factors as small as a single shipping container. These smaller units are also 00:07:22.840 --> 00:07:29.520 known as modular data center. Even within a single data center, there can 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:33.440 still be various types of server racks that allow a single building or campus 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:37.600 to act in many different ways, which brings us to the more niche, perhaps 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:41.160 even buzzwordy types of data centers, which we'll cover right after this 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:44.440 message from our sponsor. War Thunder, it's the comprehensive vehicle combat 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:48.320 game available on PC, mobile, PlayStation, and Xbox. There's thousands 00:07:46.760 --> 00:07:53.000 of combat vehicles for you to choose from and pilot on the battlefield. War 00:07:51.080 --> 00:07:56.920 Thunder is known for its authenticity and immersion. All of the vehicles you 00:07:54.840 --> 00:08:01.200 can take control of are real-life machines all throughout history from 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:04.720 countries all over the world. So, join over 95 million other players for free 00:08:03.520 --> 00:08:10.920 today by using our link in the description and we'll even hook you up with a massive bonus pack if you sign up 00:08:07.960 --> 00:08:14.400 today. What? Yeah. Hey, here's a couple new kids on the block getting a lot of 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:19.360 attention since AI started shaking things up. High performance, high 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:23.400 density, and sovereign data centers. High performance/high density data 00:08:21.400 --> 00:08:27.280 centers draw a lot of energy since they're typically installed in giant 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:31.040 hyperscale sites and pack as much compute as possible in each server 00:08:29.440 --> 00:08:35.320 stack. A recent report from the International Energy Agency states that 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:40.440 in the past, a typical data center would consume between 5 and 10 MW of energy. 00:08:38.560 --> 00:08:45.960 While the new high density hyperscale projects can push upwards of 100 MW. And 00:08:43.880 --> 00:08:51.360 to put that into perspective, a single MW hour is enough energy to supply 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:54.000 roughly 300 homes for a full day. High 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:58.680 density centers are inherently also high power, but not all high power data 00:08:56.440 --> 00:09:01.880 centers are high density. If you're confused, it's okay, stick with me here. 00:09:00.280 --> 00:09:06.880 Like the boy band references in this video, they're fading fast. But one 00:09:04.040 --> 00:09:10.920 example of high power, low density would be something like vintage geographical 00:09:08.880 --> 00:09:14.920 weather gear which can draw a ton of power, but the hardware needs to be 00:09:12.880 --> 00:09:19.000 spread out since they generate so much heat. Don't expect to hear lots about 00:09:17.280 --> 00:09:23.760 these unless they're being retrofitted to pack in modern servers with more 00:09:20.800 --> 00:09:27.760 density. Finally, there's sovereign data centers. These are having a bit of a 00:09:25.920 --> 00:09:31.640 moment right now and they can take the form of pretty much every type we've 00:09:29.760 --> 00:09:35.440 mentioned already. They're popping up as governments and businesses realize that 00:09:33.560 --> 00:09:40.240 to control their data, it needs to be stored in a place where their local laws 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:44.480 provide jurisdiction. That said, this can get murky. For instance, US 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:49.440 companies operating in Canadian data centers are not safe from US government 00:09:47.040 --> 00:09:54.000 interference. For full sovereignty, you need the data center and the company 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:56.320 operating under the same flag. So, those 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:00.240 are the types, such as they are, but that's not the only way to categorize 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:05.000 data centers. Another is the Uptime Institute's tier system. It ranks data 00:10:02.760 --> 00:10:09.240 centers from tier one at the bottom to tier four at the top, based on things 00:10:07.040 --> 00:10:12.640 like uptime, which means how long the system has been running without 00:10:10.280 --> 00:10:16.680 interruptions, redundancy, and how well they handle failures. And basically, it 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:20.640 looks at four tiers. It looks at, you know, things like your availability, 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:24.560 making sure that you've got available power that's consistent to process up to 00:10:22.920 --> 00:10:28.880 the maximum that you're you're allowed to process, cuz typically there's peaks 00:10:26.520 --> 00:10:32.320 and valleys in in consumption as well. It looks at redundancy, which means if 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:35.360 one of these things fail, if your power fails, then what's your backup? If your 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:39.160 cooling system fails, what's your backup? If, you know, your 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:42.320 part of your IT infrastructure or your or your chips and servers go down, 00:10:40.760 --> 00:10:46.040 what's your backup? It also looks at fault fault tolerance. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:49.839 So, things like, you know, how often does do these things have 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:53.440 errors, etc. You know, what's what's in the manufacturer's specs and and how are 00:10:51.800 --> 00:10:57.720 they performing? In some ways, I would call it a bit of an audit. What Chris 00:10:55.520 --> 00:11:02.080 told us is basically the checklist data centers live and die by. Power, backups, 00:11:00.640 --> 00:11:06.040 backups for the backups, and then backups for those, too. If you want to 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:10.160 get a little more up close and personal with a data center, check out this video 00:11:07.680 --> 00:11:14.040 of Linus touring one, and drop a comment if you can guess what type it is.