Internet Infrastructure Developments for 2024 and Beyond

Evocative’s Jay Smith Discusses Cloud, Bare Metal, and Colocation with ITBroker.com

February 15, 2024

Today’s data workloads require a more thoughtful and individualized approach, so enterprises can optimize their performance, security, and TCO. This is a challenge that companies are overcoming with hybrid IT solutions that leverage bare metal and colocation. Jay Smith, Vice President of Business Development at Evocative, recently joined ITBroker.com Founder Max Clark for a podcast episode discussing this industry shift. This blog will explore some highlights from the podcast.

Cloud Repatriation is in Full Swing

A major shift we’re seeing is a resurging interest in bare metal and colocation. Traditionally, critics have claimed that companies would go all in on the cloud, rendering on-premises deployments obsolete. However, the trend Jay and Max acknowledge is an increase in hybrid deployments for cost optimization.

Jay presented statistics from 451 Research, detailing that two thirds of companies surveyed in 2022 paid more than expected for their cloud services. Jay also points out that bare metal users can experience up to a 20 – 70% post-implementation savings when moving from cloud to bare metal. With savings provided by bare metal and colocation, the shift back from the cloud is drawing more support.

AI/ML Requirements are Creating Demand for High Density Deployments

The density of deployments is increasing for all workloads. Cabinets have jumped from 3 kilowatts per rack in the early 2000s to 8 kilowatts per rack today. For high-density AI/ML workloads, upwards of 35+ to 100 kilowatts per rack is required.

Latency is also a consideration when creating a rack deployment, especially in high density environments. To maximize capacity with limited latency, racks in high density cabinets should be within four meters of each other. Jay compares these racks to the older days of the crescent-shaped computer room buildouts that were placed close together to ensure low latency between wired connections.

The Evocative Metal Experience

“What does bare metal mean to Evocative and how do you look at bare metal with your customers?” asks Max.

“It’s a block of hardware that’s allocated to you,” responds Jay. “It’s got so many CPUs, so much RAM, so many disks per machine . . . it defines a block of resources you have available” that you can leverage “at max capacity.” This means that with Evocative Metal, customers have governance to manage their workloads how they want.

When switching to bare metal, sizing is the first step. In conversations with customers, Jay says that “figuring out where you start, what you potentially need to grow to, and how quickly” is key to starting this process. This helps Evocative determine the unique needs of each customer. From there, licensing and contract length are important to understand costs and needs.

“Everyone thinks it’s complex. It’s kind of simple. At the end of the day, it’s all a math equation,” Jay adds.

The Industry Standard for Network Bandwidth is Increasing Dramatically

Increasing network bandwidth sizes have also significantly impacted the demand for data center capacity.

While the current standard is one to ten gigabytes, Jay suggests that the industry is trending towards a 100 gigabyte standard, and eventually will increase to 400 gigabytes and beyond. This increasing bandwidth demand leads Jay to believe, “40 gigabytes is not worth it. Why deploy 40 when you’re using the same kit to deploy 100? Do 100 straight out the gate.” Staying ahead of the curve is key and will lead to savings down the road when demand inevitably increases, and it may happen sooner than many people expect.

Learn More about Evocative’s Network Services.

Power Capacity Demands are Driving a Need for Alternative Energy Sources

To wrap up the conversation, Max asks Jay for his predictions on where the industry is heading. Jay quickly turns to power and comments, “We’re going to have to go nuclear or we’re not going to stay ahead of capacity.”

The lack of available power in many markets could see demand far outpace supply for data centers. In places like Ohio, Jay adds, power is available, so more and more companies are looking to set up there because they can support the growing demand for data centers. Equally important is the cost of power, as nuclear can both produce large quantities while remaining more cost-effective and truly greener than other alternatives.

Listen or Watch The Full Episode

The data center industry’s resilience lies in its ability to adapt, innovate, and embrace new and emerging technologies. From repatriation to bare metal and colocation to the challenges posed by growing demands for AI and ML builds, the industry is embracing the complexities that come with change. Jay’s insights show that Evocative stands at the forefront of innovation, by listening to the needs of our enterprise customers and delivering robust infrastructure solutions.

To listen to the full podcast from ITbroker.com, visit the Tech Deep Dive Podcast page.
To watch the full podcast from ITbroker.com, visit their YouTube channel.