As data center growth accelerates in the APAC region, Stuart Hendry, Vice President of Enterprise and Partners for Network Infrastructure at Nokia Asia Pacific, explores how AI-driven solutions and automated data center fabrics are laying the groundwork for scalable, reliable, and human-error-free operations.

The digital age is upon us, and its heartbeat pulses through data centers around the globe. These facilities have become the indispensable backbone of the internet, empowering industries, businesses, and individuals alike. As digital transformation accelerates across diverse sectors, the demand for data center capacity is reaching unprecedented levels.

One of the studies I read, Moody’s Ratings forecasts that the APAC data center capacity will grow at a compounded annual rate of almost 20 percent through 2028, with investments exceeding $564 billion to meet rising computing demands. This rapid expansion projects that APAC will account for about 30 percennt of global data center capacity, with regional capacity expected to more than double—from 10,500 MW to 24,800 MW.

This dramatic growth not only demonstrates the progress of technological innovation but also introduces a range of complex risks and challenges for long-term operations.

One of the critical challenges we face is minimizing human error. In this complex landscape, automation has therefore shifted from being a luxury to an absolute necessity, ensuring operational efficiency and reducing risks associated with manual intervention.

As enterprises grapple with scalability, reliability, and the need for AI-ready environments, advanced Data Center Fabric networking solutions and Event-Driven Automation (EDA) platforms that facilitate their operations are emerging as game-changers for the region’s future.

Building the foundation for scalable networks

In an AI-driven future, the demands on data center networks are higher than ever.

With worldwide spending on AI projected to more than double by 2028—reaching $632 billion, according to IDC—it’s clear that AI workloads will transform critical industries.

But this transformation cannot happen without a solid network infrastructure capable of handling the enormous connectivity requirements associated with AI.

Today’s data centers must be built with network fabrics designed for scalability, flexibility, and reliability. A data center fabric is essentially a network architecture consisting of leaf and spine switches that work together to create a resilient and scalable infrastructure. These fabrics support both traditional and AI-driven applications, ensuring seamless connectivity between servers.

At the heart of these fabrics are components like hardware (physical networking interfaces, control complexes, switching matrices, and fans) and software that manage data flow and network operation. Many modern data center fabrics are built on merchant-silicon devices, which standardize the use of protocols and ensure consistent operation across the network.

One example of a solution I like to give that addresses these needs is Nokia’s Data Center Fabric, which utilizes high-capacity switching platforms, a modern Network Operating System (NOS), and a design that prioritizes operational reliability. This approach enables data centers in APAC to scale efficiently, manage increasing AI workloads, and maintain uninterrupted operations, even as network complexity continues to rise.

Speed and efficiency with automation

While scalable fabrics are essential, managing and optimizing these vast networks requires automation to reduce human intervention and eliminate the risk of manual errors. Enter Event-Driven Automation (EDA)—a key breakthrough in automating complex data center operations.

Another example of innovation in this area I like to highlight is Nokia’s EDA platform, designed specifically for the AI-driven era. Solutions like this are paving the way toward reducing human error in data center operations. By automating complex processes and improving reliability across multi-vendor networks, these platforms represent a critical step forward in minimizing operational complexity and enabling more resilient, scalable infrastructures.

So how does EDA work? This innovative platform automates the entire data center network lifecycle, from Day 0 design to Day 1 deployment and Day 2+ daily operations. EDA abstracts the complexity of managing networks across different hardware and software vendors, enabling real-time provisioning, monitoring, and ensuring seamless network operation.

One of the standout features of EDA is its ability to detect and correct potential issues before they impact the network, thus achieving zero-human-error operations. By proactively identifying discrepancies and optimizing network resources, EDA helps organizations in the APAC region build AI-ready infrastructures with unparalleled reliability. The platform also allows data centers to manage massive amounts of traffic without any disruption—a critical capability as AI-powered workloads increase exponentially.

The use of sophisticated and intuitive platforms like EDA breaks down the barriers to pervasive adoption of network automation. By streamlining network management, it frees up enterprise datacenter teams to focus on the revenue-generating needs of their lines of business rather than troubleshooting and mundane day-to-day maintenance tasks, bringing a new level of reliability and efficiency to their operations.

Towards zero-human error

The growing reliance on AI-driven applications demands infrastructure that not only scales rapidly but also maintains reliable non-stop operations without human intervention. To stay ahead of the curve, enterprises need to embrace automation solutions that allow AI-capable networks to run without the risk of human error.

Nokia Data Center Fabric and EDA platforms are pivotal to this transformation. By offering scalable, automated, and AI-ready infrastructures, these solutions enable data centers to meet the evolving demands of the digital landscape in APAC. The move towards zero-human-error operations not only boosts reliability but also allows valuable human resources to shift their focus from daily troubleshooting to strategic innovation.

In a region where data center capacity is expected to more than double in the next five years, the combination of fabric-based scalability and automation-driven reliability is key to ensuring sustainable growth. As highlighted by a colleague in this blog post, reducing human errors through automation plays a crucial role in mitigating the risks inherent in managing complex, large-scale data center environments. Automation ensures greater operational efficiency and reliability in increasingly intricate network infrastructures.

The future of APAC’s digital ecosystem hinges on robust, scalable, and AI-ready data centers. Of course, governments, enterprises, and data center operators must also collaborate to invest in Data Center Fabric and EDA solutions to ensure they remain competitive in a rapidly changing digital world.

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