The trend toward the mobile user continues at an accelerating pace and trends indicate that the mobile applications and hardware (smartphones and tablets and even vehicle based systems) will exceed the PC based information client. While on the surface this would not appear to impact the design of...
One of the design issues facing data center operators is the projected life cycle of the facility, writes Julius Neudorfer. The data center is evolving at a much faster pace over the last several years especially when compared to the past 35 years.
No new data center should be designed or built without some form of DCIM system as part of the base infrastructure system. While DCIM requires additional investment, it can ultimately lower the TCO by improving operational and energy efficiency, while
Current designs for traditional enterprise type data centers aren’t necessarily flexible enough for the myriad of newer devices coming their way. IT hardware is beginning to morph into different form factors, which may involve non-standard physical configurations, as well as unconventional cooling...
This article series examines some of the classic design adaptations and new data center design trends being adopted as businesses strive to meet the challenges driven by evolving IT architecture.
The business case for custom data centers are sometimes driven by special technical requirements, rath¬er than a better ROI. In those cases, the IT architects should be asked to make a solid business justification for its long term viability of the specialized IT hardware, as well as the competitive advantages of the leading edge technology. However, if some reasonable compromise and proper research is done prior and during the design phase, it may be possible to deliver a custom built data center with minimal impact on the long term TCO (refer to part 2 “Total Cost of Ownership”).
The advantages of a custom design can look and be attractive, since they may be able to accommodate non-standard IT hardware or provide very high energy efficiency or high cooling density. However there are potential pitfalls for those who have not had a great deal of experience with custom designs.
Like any large scale project, when commissioning a data center design, whether standard or custom, a clear understanding of the responsibilities and points of contact (POC) and/or project managers (PM) need to be carefully selected and agreed to by all involved parties.
Before considering building a custom data center, you need to carefully examine your organizations requirements and compare them to the deliverables offered by the standard “off-the-rack’ designs that comprise the mainstream data center industry.
The concept and purpose of a Custom Data Center would seem obvious, like a custom suit, a facility specially designed and built to meet the owner’s exact specifications. Yet, it is an often used and sometimes misunderstood term when referring to data centers.
It would be imprudent to oversimplify all the tangible and intangible elements that need to be fully understood and evaluated when creating a global data center initiative. Yet here are ten things to consider when building your global data center strategy.
It is very important for your initial plan to include one or more points earlier in the growth curve that is the trigger for the decision to transitioning away from a co-lo or hosting operation and into your own data center.
Before you can begin to analyze or make any decisions as to where you want to locate your organization’s data centers, you need to first step back and understand what your immediate and long terms goals are for your organization’s business and how it is best served by its computing architecture.
In this five-part educational series on Data Center Energy Efficiency,we have looked at the factors that impact total energy use and the opportunities for improving energy efficiency in the data center. Here are six additional factors that will impact the efficiency of your data center. The post...
The power system is considered the most critical element of the data center. Effectively it is a chain of key electrical sub-systems and components that are the essential elements for delivering uninterrupted, conditioned power to the IT equipment. This article is an part of the DCK Executive Guide...
While there continues to be a bit of difficulty in trying to quantify the energy efficiency of a data center’s IT systems, the efficiency measurement of the data center facility infrastructure is now is a well-defined metric. It is known as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), which was introduced by The Green Grid in 2008. The Green Grid is a global consortium of companies, government agencies, and educational institutions dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems.
In the past, IT equipment manufacturers and their data center operators were focused more on maximum performance, not energy efficiency. While the newest generations of computing hardware have continued to increase in performance, they have also become highly focused on energy efficiency. In fact it has been shown that in many cases the cost of energy for an older commodity server is higher over a three year period than the cost of the server itself. This is especially true in older data centers when the cost energy for the supporting power and cooling infrastruc¬ture is added to the total energy cost (See Understanding PUE in the facilities section of the DCK Guide to Energy Efficiency, page 5). This article is an abridged version of the IT System Efficiency section of the DCK Executive Guide to Energy Efficiency and the second article in a 5 part series on Energy Efficiency.
There are many factors that go into a data center’s total cost of ownership (TCO) besides site selection. As part of the Data Center Knowledge Executive Guide Series on Total Cost of Ownership, this post outlines other factors that impact a data center “build or buy” TCO analysis. Comparative Maintenance Costs Unlike a typical commercial building, which normally does not operate on a continuous basis and has downtime maintenance windows (i.e. nights and weekends), data centers do not have that option. While virtually all systems require maintenance, there is additional redundant power and cooling equipment installed to provide what is known as “concurrent maintainability.” Maintaining the electrical and mechanical systems in a 7×24 data center requires more complicated equipment, as well as a more sophisticated meticulous approach, since downtime is not an option. This requires a staff trained and experienced with bypassing critical systems, without affecting the ...
There are many factors that go into selecting the proper site for your next data center. As part of the Data Center Knowledge Executive Guide Series on Total Cost of Ownership we will look at how site selection impacts TCO. Site Selection Factors • Geographic Location – Stability • Distance and Availability of Utilities and Communications Providers • Cost of Energy (Local Rates and Green Energy Incentives) • Distance and Availability of Communications Providers • Availably of Skilled Labor and Costs
Total Cost of Ownership “TCO” is basic and easy to calculate; just ask any first year economics or business major. Nonetheless, the true TCO of the data center is somewhat more elusive to project accurately. There are many subtleties which can be overlooked or are simply unaccounted for (or perhaps underestimated), over the operational life of a data center. This Data Center Knowledge Executive Guide Series of articles will examine the many aspects of TCO, such as energy costs and operating efficiency, as well as other data center specific issues.
Decisions made in the design and build stages will not only affect the total CapEx of the data center, but will forever impact its energy efficiency and long term operating costs, as well as limiting the functional life of the data center. Below are a few excerpts from the Data Center Knowledge Executive Guide on Data Center Build vs Buy. Many studies have shown that energy costs are now the largest expense related to operating a data center. In fact, in older, less efficient data centers, the energy costs for a typical server exceed the cost of the server over its typical three-year operational life. A new building offers the greatest opportunities to incorporate the latest sustainable and energy saving LEED building practices, as well as installing the most efficient power and cooling systems. Designing and building for energy efficiency is no longer a political nicety to demonstrate your organization ...
The data center industry is laden with inter-related terms such as Uptime, Tier Levels, Availability, Redundancy and Reliability. In order to make an informed decision it is important to understand what they mean and what is the actual significance for any proposals you are considering in your “Build vs Buy” analysis. The concept of “Uptime” was pioneered by the Uptime Institute which was founded in 1993 and introduced its well defined Tier Classification system: I, II, III and IV, of which Tier IV represents the highest level of projected availability. Today, its Tier Certification system is globally recognized and its members are mostly Fortune 100-sized companies having multiple data centers averaging 50,000 square feet. And while not everyone subscribes to the Uptime Institute officially, marketing references to *Tier 2,3 or 4 are common among those seeking to ascribe a certain level of design or construction to a data ...
Besides the level of infrastructure redundancy within your data center, consistency of procedures for operations, maintenance and support of the critical infrastructure systems are key to ensuring continuous availability. In fact, the Uptime Institute created a specific sub-category called Operational Sustainability to define and evaluate operational procedures, as an addition to their well recognized Tier Classification rating system. Proper facilities management procedures and 7×24 availability of qualified support and maintenance staff for the mission critical systems such as UPS, power distribution, back-up generators and cooling systems are key to ensuring continuous availability. The importance of this factor should not be underestimated, and there are significant ongoing costs of hiring and retaining the required highly specialized and qualified personnel.
