Five Advantages of Colocation for High Performance Computing

By: Eric Swartz, vice president of operations engineering

According to recent research from Vantage Market Research, the global High Performance Computing (HPC) market size is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% and reach $50.3 billion by the year 2028. This growth is driven by industries such as life science and financial services who are looking to model large volumes of data to solve complex problems. Yet, it’s not just these examples; many other companies are expanding their use of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other simulations to solve advanced computational challenges.

If your company is moving to HPC, you clearly need to create the right infrastructure, purchase the right hardware and networking gear, and hire top talent. Don’t overlook the importance of the data center and how a colocation strategy can deliver real advantages when it comes to HPC.

The following are five important benefits of colocation for HPC environments:

1. High availability and reliability: One of the most important advantages of data center colocation is the enhanced reliability and availability it provides for HPC systems. Colocation providers have redundant power and cooling systems as well as backup generators and other systems in place to make sure their customers’ computing systems are up and running at all times.

Such an approach is in both parties’ interests because colocation vendors usually have service level agreements (SLAs) they must meet to ensure uptime and often to the “five nines” (99.999%) standard of availability, which translates to less than 5.15 minutes of downtime per year. Additionally, colocation facilities are often located in areas with low risk of natural disasters, especially hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, further reducing the likelihood of downtime related to unexpected weather events.

2. Interconnections and high-speed connectivity: Colocation providers tend to have multiple network carriers available, enabling their customers to choose the carrier and interconnections that best meet their objectives. In addition, some data centers are located near major network hubs, which provides low-latency connectivity to a range of destinations, including edge-based applications and workloads. Such high-speed connectivity can be a must-have for HPC applications that require large amounts of data to be transferred between computing systems.

3. Improved security and compliance: Total security, including cybersecurity, is often a key concern depending on the sensitivity of data that HPC systems process. Colocation data centers have robust physical security measures in place, such as biometric access controls, video surveillance, 24/7 monitoring, and other controls.

In addition, colocation providers can also provide managed cybersecurity services and other services and expertise to help customers maintain compliance with industry regulations such as FedRAMP/FISMA, HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS.

4. Increased flexibility and scalability: Colocation can also deliver increased flexibility and scalability for HPC environments. For example, colocation provides a range of options, including various rack and server configurations, customizable power and cooling options, and on-demand scaling to meet ever-changing computing needs. This flexibility allows companies to quicky adapt HPC systems to meet changing business requirements without the need for costly and time-consuming infrastructure upgrades.

5. Reduced costs: Companies with HPC systems may also realize significant cost savings through colocation. Most notably, by outsourcing the management of their computing infrastructure to a colocation provider, companies can avoid the high capital costs associated with building and maintaining their own data centers.

One extra perk: colocation providers often offer economies of scale that can reduce the cost of power, cooling, and network connectivity. All of this helps HPC customers get the most out of their computing investments.

Colocation Solutions for HPC Environments

By partnering with a colocation provider, organizations can focus on their core business operations while leveraging the expertise and resources of a dedicated computing infrastructure provider. As the demand for HPC continues to grow, data center colocation is an increasingly attractive option for organizations looking to meet their computing needs in a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective way.

No matter where you are on your HPC journey, DataBank is ready to help. Our experience and expertise help you determine exactly what you need from your data center, so you don’t have to adjust after ordering servers and networking gear. Our colocation data centers take advantage of our Universal Data Hall Design framework built on flexibility to accommodate deployments of varying sizes, layouts, and technology.

Even if you don’t need an HPC solution today, we can provide a cost-effective solution for your current computing needs, and you will have the option to convert to HPC in the future—without moving to another data center.

For more information on Databank’s HPC solutions, visit our website. We have many years of experience accommodating and delivering high-density colocation HPC solutions in public supercomputing environments such as Georgia Tech and the University of Maryland. We also support publicly traded organizations in the financial services, cloud, software, and AI sectors. Our staff includes seasoned veterans in engineering, construction, and data center operations.

Related Resources:

What Is A Colocation Data Center?

What Is Edge Colocation?

What You Should Consider When Looking At Colocation Remote Hands Services

Colocation Amenities