Legacy |
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hit the limit – or so we think . Like me , we have hit middle age , thinking we are still ‘ OK ’ but masking the decline caused by the passing of the years and a change in priority driven by limited public sector spending , a little neglect and a lack of investment .
A hard limit
Data centre technology continues to evolve at pace . Moore ’ s law seems to continue unabated . What was once housed in a data centre can now be outperformed by a single server . Back when we started 4kW per rack was considered a hard limit . Today , data centre designs include racks approaching 20 to 30kW . With extreme facilities experimenting with racks at 50kW using air cooled methods .
Manufacturers of IT equipment have extended the life of air cooled technology by designing for higher inlet temperatures . Combined with efficient data centre design , such as containment and airflow management , cooling can be delivered more effectively . These advances have thrust new life into technology that had been thought of as approaching end of life . This extension of traditional technology goes some way to explain why new and innovative technologies such as close coupled water and immersion cooling are still niche . Back to athletes . A holistic use of technology , data analytics and the increased understanding of physiology , diet , performance , training and recovery has seen records continually broken . Investment in today ’ s athletes includes the provision of a coach , a physiotherapist , a masseur – and others – sports psychologists , nutritionist and data analyst all on hand to join the dedicated team using real time data to bring about the optimum performance .
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Push the boundaries
We , the operations managers , are the athletes . We have the technology and a team of experts at our disposal . We have an increasing array of tools and techniques enabling us to push the boundaries and optimise the performance of our systems .
Using automation , environmental monitoring , intelligent PDUs , coupled with new cooling technologies offer the opportunity to be leaner , fitter – better . Getting a grip of assets including any underlying shadow IT , carrying out aggressive decommissioning of legacy infrastructure and cabling . These are tough and formidable challenges that are not for the faint hearted . Bringing them all together in one place requires discipline .
This analogy is true when relifing an old data centre .
Take DCIM , perhaps the biggest challenge of them all , for instance . Getting the most out of your solution is tough . I ’ ve met many data centre managers who have tried to implement DCIM only to fall off the pace when they reach the point of ‘ We ’ re OK ’. As a result they vastly underutilise the power of the tool . I can see a much better world and perhaps more importantly , a true return on investment , if we push ourselves , putting in the extra effort to mount the summit .
Sometimes it is easier to build new and retire the old , we see examples every day , but at what cost ? Typically , it is dependent on several factors in selecting your data centre and facilities – resilience , IT , cooling , networking etc . the cost can range from £ 3m – £ 8m per megawatt – including build .
Undoubtedly the time from breaking ground to completion can be shortened but there is a
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Moore ’ s law seems to continue unabated . What was once housed in a data centre can now be outperformed by a single server . |
cost for the additional resources to deliver a short timescale . If you look across our industry , I believe that there is a market for relifing old data centres , indeed a number of companies are doing just that ; even taking on old buildings to convert for data centre use .
A simple answer
If the existing legacy space is suitable , then to me , it ’ s a relatively simple answer . We have the teams at our disposal . We know the roles needed to optimise performance and build for the future . What we need to secure is the investment that backs every athlete , the willingness to back our ability and judgement . With a comparatively small investment compared to a new build and some innovative thinking , I ’ m convinced we can breathe life into our legacy data centres making them fit for 21st century world class businesses .
After all , world class needs to run through the entire organisation , not just that which is customer facing , for it to be truly world class . The vision needs to be lived , breathed and the effort spent in order to transform legacy to legitimacy . Making the effort can provide cost savings year-on-year ; driving up efficiency whilst driving down the associated costs of power and cooling .
How am I doing today ? It ’ s fair to say , ‘ I ’ m still OK ’, but I know and passionately believe that I could be better . All it takes is belief , creativity , investment and effort . Like the athlete of old in me , maybe it ’ s time to don the mental running shoes and start putting the effort in to drive our estate to the next level . Perhaps some of you should think about it too .
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May 2017 | 33 |