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Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are among new technologies that are driving a need for increased data centre capacity, according to China Telecom.

In a press release, the telco said these “rapidly maturing” technologies, such as machine learning and adaptive security, will propel investment in data centres.

Interestingly, though, data centres themselves may end up using this new tech as heavily as the customers.

San Jose, California-based Litbit said in a recent blog post that it has developed the first AI-powered data center operator.

Dac, as the AI tool is called, promises to find loose electrical hook-ups and leaking water, among other potential data centre disasters. It uses machine learning.

Infrared vision is among Dac’s skills, according to CEO Scott Noteboom.

He said that “superhuman” insight helps identify electrical arc flashes and alert managers to failing power supplies which can be a precursor to server failure.

Litbit uses a human-to-machine learning interface that combines what existing human employees know and can tell the machines to look out for, along with real-time data. Vision, acoustics and touch combined with algorithms are used to detect anomalies.

“Clone your best employees,” the company’s marketing proclaims. In this case, the AI computer is taught about data centres by the incumbents. A manager oversees it, but Dac can process “thousands of data centre specific thoughts per second.”

Vibrations in server racks, for example, indicate hard drive issues—the drives exhibit acoustics that aren’t normal. Those anomaly sounds are compared to normal ones captured ultrasonically at varying load levels.

Environmental controls are another feature ripe for AI management and are used by Dac—HVAC, for example, can be adjusted based on weather.

Noteboom qualifies the obvious human job-loss element of his product by saying his AI tool has been created to let data centre workers “focus on more interesting and new things.”

Noteboom said the Dac product would be great for data centre installs in remote locations, where highly skilled workers would usually be imported.

Robots are another entrant in the data centre employment pool, according to another company Wave2Wave, which can provide a rack-mounted robot for making physical optical connections. The idea is to let data centres rapidly provision circuits.

Its tool, called ROME (Robotic Optical Switch for Data Centres) performs connections in a few seconds. The robot manages the cable connections, plucking components mechanically, almost like an old-school telecommunications switchboard where the panel-inserted electrical cords established voice connections.

It’s faster than software-defined networking (SDN) orchestration software, according to the company's CEO, David Wang.

Advantages to both Litbit and Wave2Wave’s products are also found in security. Omitting humans from the data centre can potentially be more secure.

“It’s a game changer in the physical connectivity space that’s overdue for innovation,” Wang said when explaining the benefits of the company's ROME connection-making robot.

The data centre cooling market is currently booming and is set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.95 per cent through to 2021.

Research and Markets said the market will grow in value from $US7.12 billion in 2016 to $US14.28 billion by 2021.

The report is segmented by solution including air conditioning, cooling towers and liquid cooling. It is also divided by region.

The research firm said solutions are becoming more innovative, environmently friendly and energy efficient.

 - with Network World