Singapore’s data centre command hub keeps AI up and running

Singapore's Digital Realty data command centre, a critical hub overseeing hundreds of data centres worldwide, is vital for uninterrupted online services, from banking to AI. Analysts at the centre, located in the heart of the city-state, monitor operations with digital maps and dashboards. Daniel Naing, 37, leads a team handling thousands of alerts each week, emphasizing the importance of a steady nerve and calm demeanor.

The command centre, along with two other hubs globally, provides 24/7 oversight of over 300 data centres across six continents. These centres face common issues like power disruptions and equipment failure, with protocols in place for extreme events like earthquakes and typhoons. Serene Nah, Digital Realty's managing director for Asia Pacific, stresses the importance of data centres as essential infrastructure, likening their importance to national security.

The company is focusing on renewable energy sources and efficient cooling systems to mitigate environmental concerns. Despite the increasing reliance on data centres, public understanding and support remain limited. Data centres operate round the clock, with Singapore analysts taking the 7 am to 7 pm shift, quickly responding to alerts within minutes.

The sector has been vulnerable in the past, as seen during the Middle East conflict when Amazon's data centres were affected. Digital Realty, along with rivals like Equinix, faces competition from tech giants like Microsoft and Alibaba in building data centres for AI development, a global endeavor costing trillions of dollars. Despite advancements in AI and automation, human intervention remains crucial for accurately identifying genuine outages and alerts.