Digital Realty has unveiled its new Data Center Innovation Lab (DRIL), a pioneering space designed for the testing and validation of artificial intelligence and hybrid cloud deployments. As an extension of its Northern Virginia campus, the lab provides existing customers with the opportunity to fine-tune their workloads while new clients can collaborate on creating representative architectures for thorough testing.
What makes the DRIL stand out is its ability to eliminate guesswork by offering a realistic, low-risk environment. It allows users to test performance, optimise configurations, and bridge connections seamlessly to cloud and network providers via ServiceFabric®, the company's interconnection and orchestration platform.
Located within a live colocation data centre, this lab supports both existing and new enterprises in testing workloads. Digital Realty's Chief Technology Officer, Chris Sharp, underlined the importance of such innovations, pointing out that as hybrid IT and AI strategies converge, "innovation isn't optional; it's a competitive requirement."
Among the key features of the lab:
- High-Density AI and HPC Testing: Accommodates up to 150kW per cabinet, ensuring high-density collocation.
- AI Infrastructure Optimisation: Facilitates the exploration of AI-centric power, cooling, and GPU needs through the ePlus AI Experience Center.
- Hybrid Cloud Validation: Direct cloud connectivity allows enterprises to refine hybrid strategies using ServiceFabric®.
- AI Workload Orchestration: Customers can orchestrate their AI projects across Digital Realty’s Private AI Exchange, ensuring consistency in performance.
- Latency Testing Across Locations: Enterprises can simulate latency scenarios to ensure consistent performance across diverse sites.
The Digital Realty Innovation Lab is a significant leap in data centre solutions, facilitating real-world testing while ensuring risk reduction and efficiency improvement. As the demand for AI and hybrid cloud solutions grows, facilities like the DRIL provide pivotal support for businesses aiming to innovate and expand with confidence.
Robert Hormuth, Corporate Vice President, Architecture and Strategy, Data Center Solutions Group, AMD said, "The DRIL showcases how AMD EPYC processors and AMD Instinct accelerators deliver exceptional AI and HPC performance in a production grade, high-density powered and liquid cooled environment."
"AI investment requires complete confidence," said Kevin Wollenweber, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Data Center and Internet Infrastructure at Cisco. "The infrastructure supporting AI workloads is too critical to blindly trust without testing. Cisco is excited to collaborate with Digital Realty to help customers understand their infrastructure needs by testing on full stack Cisco pods"
