TECH & AI
“Automation adds intelligence to infrastructure and enables real-time situational awareness across power, cooling and environmental systems”
Ciaran Flanagan VP and Global Head of Data Centre Solutions & Services Siemens
In response, many operators have shifted towards more modular and valueengineered architectures, including N + 1 and‘ four makes three’ designs. These models maintain availability across defined failure scenarios while reducing capital expenditure and improving efficiency. At the workload level, availability zones, multihoming, and workload mobility now provide additional protection for end users.
However, shifting workloads during an incident does not eliminate the underlying vulnerabilities within individual facilities. It simply moves the problem elsewhere. Hardware failures persist, with Uptime Institute’ s Annual Outage Analysis 2025 continuing to identify power-related issues as a leading cause of major outages. These failures are often rooted in equipment fatigue, design limitations, or operator error.
Q. WHICH LAYER OF UPTIME DESIGN IS BEING OVERLOOKED?
» Across all models, from 2N to N + 1, a critical vulnerability persists: In many data centres, the control and automation layer is not designed with the same level of redundancy as the mechanical and electrical systems it governs.
This is a significant blind spot. Control systems orchestrate the entire facility, monitoring conditions, coordinating responses, and providing operators with the visibility required to make informed decisions under pressure. When that layer is single-threaded, even the most robust physical redundancy can be undermined.
56 September 2026