Alibaba says its is ready for AI demand with new modular datacenter architecture

Data center
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Cloud storage provider Alibaba has introduced its next-generation data center architecture which it says is designed to support rising demand for AI infrastructure globally.

CUBE DC 5.0, announced at Alibaba’s annual Apsara conference, is a new architecture that’s designed to be modular. It can be deployed to improve data center performance, and promises considerable build time reductions as enterprises scale artificial intelligence.

According to the Chinese-owned cloud computing company, CUBE DC 5.0 can cut deployment times by up to 50% compared with traditional methods.

Alibaba prepares for more AI

Alibaba’s latest architecture, built around prefabricated modular components, includes technologies like wind-liquid hybrid cooling, an all-direct current power distribution architecture and a smart management system.

Full details of the cooling system have not been disclosed, however the wind-liquid hybrid system is believed to integrate liquid cooling plates and airflow in order to optimize hardware cooling..

Eddie Wu, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence CEO, emphasized the significance of the new development in a world where cloud technologies are under increased scrutiny for their energy and resource usage: “These enhancements are not just about keeping up with AI demands but about setting a global standard for efficiency and sustainability.”

The new CUBE DC 5.0 architecture forms part of the company’s broader commitment to advance AI infrastructure, and came alongside other announcements including a new AI Scheduler that promises an impressive 90% efficiency rate.

Alibaba also released updates to its Enterprise Elastic Compute Service, now in its ninth generation, including a 30% boost in recommendation engine speed and a 17% increase in database read/write operations.

Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, added: “We remain committed to investing in advanced AI infrastructure to foster the widespread adoption of generative AI technologies across different industries.”

More from TechRadar Pro

Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

Read more
Data center racks with cables and servers
Data centers are being pushed to their limits, but digital twins could help
Dr. Peter Zhou, President of Huawei Data Storage Product Line
Why AI commonization is so important for business intelligent transformation and what Huawei’s data storage has to offer
A SCUBA Diver Checks An Undersea Cable
China 'sinks' 400 servers equivalent to 30,000 gaming PCs as it powers ahead with massive underwater data center project - but I wonder what GPU they use
Data center racks with cables and servers
Spending on data centers hit a high in 2024, but it won't last
Data center racks with cables and servers
AWS partners with Orbital Materials to boost carbon removal, cooling, and efficiency in data centers
Cloud computing graphics.
4 key trends redefining the IT landscape
Latest in Pro
Isometric demonstrating multi-factor authentication using a mobile device.
NCSC gets influencers to sing the praises of 2FA
Sam Altman and OpenAI
OpenAI is upping its bug bounty rewards as security worries rise
Context Windows
Why are AI context windows important?
BERT
What is BERT, and why should we care?
A person holding out their hand with a digital AI symbol.
AI is booming — but are businesses seeing real impact?
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Dangerous new CoffeeLoader malware executes on your GPU to get past security tools
Latest in News
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does
iPhone 13 mini
The iPhone mini won't be returning, according to rumors – and you think that's a mistake