{"resourceId":"nvidia-dsx-facilities-infra-ref-design-v2-20260819","versions":[{"version":"external-05001af4557e8c4147b1b14c234207d47281aad3264d5285ac85b00b80923caf","resource":{"id":"nvidia-dsx-facilities-infra-ref-design-v2-20260819","title":"DSX Facilities Infrastructure Reference Design v2.0 for 250 MW-class AI factories","organization":"NVIDIA","sector":"AI factory facilities / NCP reference design","geography":"Global reference (NVIDIA Cloud Partner design guide)","publishedAt":"August 19, 2026 (Design Guide v2.0 cited on page)","publicationDate":"2026-08-19","eventDate":null,"sourceName":"NVIDIA DSX Documentation","sourceLabel":"Vendor standards / reference architecture","sourceUrl":"https://docs.nvidia.com/dsx/facilities-infra/reference-design-overview","evidenceClass":"standards-guidance","outcomeClass":"cautionary","topics":["infrastructure","governance-procurement","operating-model"],"finding":"NVIDIA's DSX Facilities Infrastructure Reference Design (Design Guide v2.0, August 19, 2026) documents a 250 MW-class example site—157 acres, 1,536 GPU racks, 110,592 GPUs—with 34.5 kV campus MV backbone, 45°C liquid-cooling design point with dry coolers (no evaporative water), N+1 CDUs, cabinet TDP from 198 kW (MGX Gen 1.1) to 330 kW (Vera Rubin NVL72), and cooling plant not UPS-backed on the GPU side.","sledRelevance":"Sets the true facility bar for NVIDIA AI-factory scale. Directly cautionary for SLED: most campuses and agencies cannot host 198–330 kW cabinets or 250 MW campuses. Use as a sizing/transferability boundary when partners pitch AI-factory language for education or government rooms.","evidence":"Docs page cites NVIDIA DSX Facilities Infrastructure Design Guide v2.0 (August 19, 2026); example table lists 250 MW-class IT load, 96 Scalable Units, 157-acre footprint, 240 MW compute IT+mechanical and 22.8 MW core loads; text states 45°C liquid-cooling design point, dry coolers with no evaporative water use, chillers on 4.16 kV, and cabinet TDP 198–330 kW.","architectureImplications":"Treat power (34.5 kV), dual-temperature facility water, N+1 CDUs, and CIN fiber ≤500 m as first-class design objects—not bolt-ons after GPU selection.","governanceImplications":"Utility interconnect, BESS/generation permitting, and EPA/state stormwater notes imply multi-year capital governance beyond IT procurement.","securityPrivacyImplications":"Network Core separates Tenant Access and Secure Management Network; page does not specify sovereign or FedRAMP controls.","caveats":"Reference design for NVIDIA Cloud Partners at hyperscale; not a measured SLED deployment. Supplemental figures via NVOnline. Actual sites vary.","streamIds":["nvidia"],"roles":{"sales":"Use DSX figures to reset unrealistic AI-factory promises for campus rooms. Sell measured facility readiness and phased scalable units, not 110k-GPU headlines, when engaging education or government buyers.","engineering":"Compare prospect cabinet TDP and loop temperatures to the 198–330 kW and 45°C design points; reject lift-and-shift into air-cooled legacy halls without CDU/plant plans.","delivery":"Front-load utility, mechanical gallery, and fiber-spine design reviews before GPU PO; document UPS boundaries (Core only) as an operational risk."},"roleDetails":{"sales":{"customerProblem":"Buyers hear AI-factory language without grasping megawatt, acreage, and liquid-cooling prerequisites.","stakeholders":["facilities VP","CIO","capital planning","utility liaison"],"discoveryQuestions":["What is peak rack kW and loop temperature available?","Is evaporative cooling restricted by water policy?","Who owns MV substation and BESS decisions?"],"valueHypothesis":"A reference-aligned facility plan reduces stranded GPU purchases and schedule risk.","potentialEngagement":"Facility gap assessment against DSX Scalable Unit assumptions for a single hall or lab.","unsupportedClaims":["Campus can host 250 MW DSX without new capital","Dry coolers always eliminate chillers","UPS covers GPU cooling plant"]},"engineering":{"fit":"Fit as planning baseline for greenfield AI halls; poor fit as-is for legacy SLED machine rooms.","architectureIntegration":"Co-design 34.5 kV backbone, CUB/CDU loops, CIN spine, and compute HACs as Scalable Units.","prerequisites":["Utility capacity study","Liquid-cooling plant design","Fiber distance plan ≤500 m"],"constraints":["198–330 kW cabinet TDP","GPU cooling not UPS-backed","NCP-oriented scale"],"security":"Plan SMN/TAN separation; map to agency zoning separately.","proofOfValue":["Signed facility readiness checklist","Pilot Scalable Unit heat-rejection test","Documented UPS/backup scope"]},"delivery":{"work":"Multi-year site/facility build with mechanical and electrical partners.","dependencies":["utility","mechanical OEMs/CDU partners","network plant"],"ownership":"Owner's facilities engineer with AI platform input.","skillsAdoption":"IT ops must learn liquid-loop and MV coordination.","governanceCheckpoints":["Capital board approval","Permitting (stormwater/NPDES)","Factory acceptance of CDU N+1"],"acceptanceCriteria":["Measured loop temps at design point","Documented rack power budget per SU","Written deviation log from DSX guide"],"risks":["Schedule slip on long-lead MV gear","Underestimating mechanical load","Applying hyperscale design to undersized rooms"]}},"retrievedAt":"2026-09-17T03:14:00Z","enrichedAt":"2026-09-17T03:20:00Z","enrichmentBasis":"retrieved source","accessibilityWorkforceImplications":"24/7 NOC/SOC/FOC staffing model assumes industrial ops workforce, not typical campus IT shifts.","procurementImplications":"NCP reference and Marketplace CDU lists imply partner-constrained BOM; SLED RFPs should separate facility package from GPU SKU.","operatingModelImplications":"AI factory ops with dual-temperature plants and non-UPS GPU cooling require runbooks distinct from traditional HPC rooms.","sourceVerification":{"openedUrl":"https://docs.nvidia.com/dsx/facilities-infra/reference-design-overview","referenceExcerpt":"NVIDIA's 45°C liquid-cooling design point expands the operating window for rejecting campus heat","promptVersion":"sled-research-v4.0","model":null,"basis":"agent-reported inspection"}}}]}