A new data centre for UCloud will open soon. As part of the transition, there will be a short period of downtime at the end of April and – for some users – a need to move data.
The data centre is being established through a collaboration between SDU, Danfoss and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and will host the hardware behind DeiC Interactive HPC – UCloud. At the same time, the infrastructure is being upgraded with new and more powerful hardware.
The UCloud infrastructure will therefore be consolidated in a single data centre instead of being distributed between SDU and AAU. The transition may affect you as a user. Here is an overview of what you should be aware of.
Short downtime during the migration
When the system is migrated to the new data centre at the end of April 2026, all services are expected to be unavailable for up to 3 days. Once the migration has been completed, the new data centre is expected to be fully operational in early May 2026.
Moving data
If your data are stored in SDU/K8s, they will be moved automatically to the new data centre during the migration. You do not need to take any action.
⚠️ Special note for users with data in Aalborg (AAU) ⚠️
If you have data in AAU/K8s or AAU/VM, they will not be moved automatically. These data must be transferred to SDU/K8s before 20 April 2026, otherwise they will be lost. Please note that transferring data can take time, so it is a good idea to plan accordingly.
All compute allocations willexpire
As part of the transition to the new system, all existing compute allocations will expire on 30 April 2026. This happens automatically as part of the migration to the new infrastructure.
Procedures may vary between universities
The procedure for new allocations on the new data centre is determined by your university, and the allocation of compute resources is handled by the university’s local DeiC front office.
If you are unsure about the procedure, we therefore recommend contacting your local DeiC front office.
For further information, important dates and the timeline, see SDU’s documentation.
More computing power – and a simpler system to use
In the new data centre, UCloud will receive new and more powerful hardware, giving researchers better opportunities to work with large datasets, advanced computations and AI.
At the same time, it will become easier to choose the right resources. Where several different machine types were previously available, users will now simply choose between two types of compute:
- CPU – for standard computations
- GPU – for tasks such as AI and advanced data processing
This simpler structure makes it quicker and clearer to apply for and use computing power, allowing researchers to focus more on their analyses and less on technical choices.
The new data centre has also been designed with a focus on energy-efficient operation. In collaboration with Danfoss and HPE, advanced cooling and heat recovery systems are used that make it possible to reuse excess heat and reduce energy consumption.
The initiative forms part of ProjectZero in Sønderborg, which is working to make the area’s energy system CO₂-neutral by 2029.
Read more about the new data centre here: