Data Center

Dell PowerEdge Empowers AI Factories with Scalable Systems

Scale your AI data center effortlessly with integrated, tested units of infrastructure for rapid datacenter expansion.
By   |  

AI leaders are under immense pressure to deliver and scale AI use cases rapidly to reduce time to market. The need for robust and scalable solutions is paramount as organizations strive to handle the extensive computational and networking demands of AI model training efficiently. The challenge lies in deploying infrastructure that not only meets current requirements but also scales seamlessly to accommodate future growth. Achieving rapid return on investment (ROI) is crucial, as it enables these AI pioneers to stay ahead of the curve and maintain their competitive edge. Dell’s innovative approach to addressing these needs has positioned us as a trusted partner for organizations looking to unlock the full potential of their AI capabilities.

Dell has been at the forefront of power and cooling technology since 2007, designing scalable systems that prioritize power efficiency and customer choice. Dell Integrated Rack Scalable Systems (IRSS) combine L11 factory integration, L12 solution testing and expert on-site deployment to form turnkey ready-to-use infrastructure that’s ready to take on the most complex computational challenges. From servers, storage, networking and infrastructure management software to services and solutions, our customers rely on Dell’s expertise in designing end-to-end AI infrastructure. AI leaders trust Dell to “look around corners” and remove risk from the power, cooling and network design of their infrastructure through thoughtful engineering and solution validation—not as a reaction when systems break.  By removing risk, Dell ensures that AI Factory deployments at any scale deliver rapid time to value and a high return on investment.

Let’s explore the reasons why a leading global AI platform that supports more than 500 million monthly active users selected the simplicity of Dell IRSS, enabling them to unlock the full potential of their AI Factory.

Example Dell Integrated Rack Scalable Systems (IRSS) comprised of eight racks of 8x Dell PowerEdge XE9680 servers, integrated AI Fabric switching rack and liquid cooled rear door heat exchangers.
  1. Accelerated time to value. By leveraging Dell’s factory integration and solution testing, organizations can achieve faster time to value. Dell ensures that IRSS deployments containing up to 768 inter-networked GPUs are thoroughly tested and ready to use upon deployment. This allows organizations to quickly harness the power of their compute resources, maximizing productivity and gaining insights at a rapid pace.
  2. Simplified and streamlined deployment. With Dell’s expertise in L11 factory integration and L12 solution testing and deployment, organizations can experience a simplified and streamlined deployment process. Dell offers both integrated racks of PowerEdge XE accelerated servers based on proven designs and solutions tailored to your specifications, optimal performance and seamless deployment, reducing complexity and time required for setup. Dell fully tests these integrated racks of servers, power management, cooling and networking on the factory floor and upon deployment to ensure your organization stays one step ahead of the competition.
  3. Enhanced reliability and performance. Rigorous solution testing guarantees the reliability and performance of each IRSS. By deploying modular units of compute with factory integrated networking, power and cooling, organizations can have confidence in the stability and optimal functioning of their infrastructure. This reliability translates into improved operational efficiency, cooling power efficiency, sustainability, minimized downtime and the ability to handle demanding AI workloads with ease.
  4. Tailored scalability. Dell IRSSs offer organizations the flexibility to scale their AI infrastructure at the speed of business. Whether it’s predefined units of compute with up to 768 GPUs with a fully interconnected AI fabric or a custom design, Dell offers flexible power and cooling options for any environment, with engineered solutions for up to 35C air-cooled operation, Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) or Rear Door Heat eXchanger (RDHx) factory integrated compute racks. Traditional cooling systems can constitute up to 40% of a data center’s energy consumption and next-gen GPU thermal design power (TDP) requirements demand next-gen Dell Smart Cooling technologies. Dell IRSS allows organizations to incrementally add compute capacity, allowing them to adapt to changing workloads and demands. This tailored scalability optimizes resource allocation, ensures cost-efficiency and future-proofs the infrastructure for evolving AI requirements.
  5. Expert on-site deployment. Dell’s Custom Deployment Services ensure a smooth and hassle-free installation process. Dell’s experienced technicians handle the on-site deployment of the scalable compute capacity, ensuring proper setup, configuration and inter-connectivity. This expert deployment service minimizes the risk of errors or issues during installation, providing organizations with peace of mind and allowing them to focus on leveraging AI to drive innovation.

By leveraging Dell IRSS, organizations can benefit from simplified deployment, accelerated time to value, enhanced reliability and performance, tailored scalability and expert on-site deployment. These advantages enable organizations to unleash the full potential of their AI infrastructure, harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation, gain insights and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.  As revealed at Dell Technologies World 2024, we’re just getting started. The direct liquid cooled Dell PowerEdge XE9680L empowers our largest AI customers with ultra dense integrated rack solutions with up to 96 GPUs per rack.

As AI and GenAI technologies continue to transform industries, organizations must invest in modern, scalable technology to support their compute-intensive workloads. Dell provides the foundation for organizations to build powerful and efficient AI infrastructure. With IRSS, Dell empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of AI, driving innovation and staying ahead in the AI-driven world. Embrace the future of the modern AI data center with Dell AI Factory.  Visit Dell Data Center Power and Cooling Solutions or contact us to learn more.

About the Author: Arthur Lewis

Arthur Lewis is president of Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) at Dell Technologies, responsible for creating and implementing the strategy for the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of modern IT infrastructure solutions, software and services. He leads a global team of over 23,000 innovators who imagine, design and deliver IT that accelerates insights everywhere data exists – in the datacenter, across clouds and at the edge – and provides the simplicity, agility and control customers require in the data era.  The innovation Arthur and team deliver drives ISG’s sustained industry leadership across all key product categories and helps make Dell Technologies the largest infrastructure provider in the world.  Arthur is an accomplished and versatile leader. During his more than 20 years at Dell Technologies, he has held senior leadership positions spanning client solutions and sales, and infrastructure solutions.  Prior to becoming president of ISG in September 2023, he was president and chief operating officer (COO) of Core Business Operations for ISG at Dell Technologies, responsible for ISG strategy, offer definition, sales enablement and general management of the business. Before that, Arthur was president and general manager of ISG Solutions and Portfolio Management and Server and Infrastructure Systems (SIS) business, overseeing PowerEdge server product management, business operations, hardware and software engineering, and research and development.  Prior to SIS, Arthur led the ISG center of competence (CoC), responsible for ISG sales execution and enablement, long-term strategic planning, product line management, pricing strategy and demand planning.  Arthur joined Dell in 2003, leading the gaming business, including its leading gaming brand, Alienware, and held several executive positions across the client solutions group (CSG).  Arthur completed his undergraduate studies at Florida International University and received a JD from the University of Florida.