Digital Realty Opens Innovation Lab in Virginia

A test server hall in Ashburn, Virginia, known as 'data center alley,' offers a rare look inside the AI boom. Digital Realty, one of the world's oldest and most established data center operators, recently opened an innovation lab in the area. The lab, which opened in September, allows the company to test new technologies and show visitors what it's like to be inside a data center.

The lab features a glass floor that reveals pipes and other infrastructure helping to keep the servers cool. The sound of fans cooling racks of AI chips generates enormous amounts of heat, creating a 'demented white noise.' A gold-colored Nvidia AI system packed with multiple AI chips is also on display, estimated to be worth around $1 million.

Getting inside a data center is not easy, with some companies declining requests for tours and others requiring non-disclosure agreements. However, Digital Realty allowed a tour of its innovation lab and a nearby campus under construction, demonstrating that companies can show the public how these facilities work without revealing proprietary information.