Dell advances high-performance computing solutions for AI – News

In the world of high-performance computing solutions and artificial intelligence, enterprises face mounting challenges to scale efficiently while managing the heat, power demands and complexity of cutting-edge infrastructure.

Dell Technologies Inc. is addressing these challenges with innovations that prioritize flexibility, sustainability and rapid deployment, according to Tim Shedd (pictured), engineering technologist, office of the chief technology innovation officer, at Dell.

“Our strategy is to make it easy for our customers to deploy the compute they need to run their businesses,” he said. “All of this translates to a platform that is flexible, that will enable our customers to grow with that platform. It also creates a package that we can pre-integrate for our customers, deliver onsite … have power and cooling, and you’re up and running.”

Shedd spoke with theCUBE Research’s  John Furrier and Savannah Peterson at SC24, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, News Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed Dell’s innovations in high-performance computing, including scalable platforms, advanced cooling technologies and customer-focused solutions for AI infrastructure. (* Disclosure below.)

Innovating high-performance computing solutions for AI: Flexibility, cooling and rapid deployment

Dell is tackling the rising demands of high-performance computing solutions by focusing on scalable, efficient and customer-friendly infrastructure. As AI workloads intensify, Dell has prioritized advanced cooling strategies to manage increased heat densities and simplify deployment, according to Shedd.

“Up until recently, we were looking at scaling out with 50 to 60 kilowatt racks, but about two to three years ago, we realized, ‘Hey, this is literally going to get hot,’” he said. “That’s putting a whole bunch of heat in one place, and it’s really that density that’s a challenge.”

To address these challenges, Dell’s innovations aim to streamline data center integration through multi-generational hardware platforms that evolve to meet customers’ changing needs in high-performance computing solutions. These platforms support higher power densities and accommodate future networking, graphics processing units and software upgrades, according to Shed.

“We’ve already got customers for 220-kilowatt racks, but we knew we needed to get to a half-megawatt,” he noted. “How do we design the power and cooling to allow one platform to be flexible enough for our customers to update to the next and next and next GPUs and software and networking, and everything that needs to go in there?”

Building on this foundation, Dell is redefining hardware platforms to adapt to the rapid pace of technological change. By prioritizing modularity and multi-generational support, Dell ensures its systems can evolve alongside advancements in silicon, cooling and power requirements, according to Shedd.

“We’ve engineered what we call impedance match servers,” he said. “No matter what you put in there, whether you put it in today or you put it in six years from now, it’s going to get the cooling it needs automatically. It just works.”

The company has also focused on balancing high-power requirements with the flexibility that customers demand. This dual approach drives advancements in both liquid and air-cooling technologies for simplified integration across diverse workloads, Shedd explained.

“We’re growing the amount of the computer that is liquid-cooled, but we have to leave some parts open to air so that we can quickly service it,” he said. “How can we use the air that’s flowing through there now to cool better? You’re going to see some innovations coming out from that early next year that will use the same amount of air or even less to pull higher power devices to get us there, to allow us that.”

Dell’s commitment to customer-centric innovation extends to developing comprehensive solutions that combine hardware, software and services. By delivering platforms that integrate into data centers, Dell enables rapid deployment and long-term reliability for diverse enterprise needs, Shedd added.

“It’s not just the hardware and the service, but also we’re continually building and aggressively expanding our software package to make it easy to deploy,” he said. “It’s going to become more evident … just how complete a package Dell is delivering. It’s not just a limited number of platforms; it’s the whole spectrum … for customers and … the services and software that enables it that’s continually growing.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of News’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of SC24:

(* Disclosure: Dell Technologies Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Dell nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or News.)

Photo: News