Building a data centre is a massive undertaking, but it’s one that many companies may have to face in the near future. Cloud computing and the increasing reliance on web applications and intranets means that current data centres, designed for storage and web hosting, are constantly hitting the wall in terms of capacity and more than 40% of IT architects are now considering expansion of their current centre, or a total new build.
Demand for data centres, whether they be rented spaces or proprietary units, is set to increase dramatically and data storage has even been labelled as “the new oil.” Corporations that simply rent server space are having to up their game and consider moving into data centre builds or face being held to ransom by the industry.
If you’re one of them then it’s important to know what you’re letting yourself in for and to plan for the future.
Think Small, Grow Big
The data centres currently out there have become big and slow and the way we’re going, half the world will be covered with huge shipping containers filled with racks of servers. The next generation need to be smaller, streamlined, more effective and energy efficient. It’s time for a total rethink from the ground-up when it comes to what’s required of the modern data centre, so if you’re already investing in the planning process, then you have to think about ways to reduce the company footprint.
Go Modular
It’s difficult to expand current data centres because technology moves so fast and it’s impossible to marry up networks, servers and silos. A modular approach creates unique building blocks that can be pulled, replaced and linked to the next in the chain at any point.
Of course even the definition of modular has changed. In the old days it used to be huge metal containers fitted out with racks of servers. Now it can mean much smaller, single-rack solutions. The advantage is that the blocks can be apportioned where they’re needed most and you don’t need to future-proof the system, or provide too much in the way of computing resource for individual applications right now by providing too much capacity. You can simply beef up each part of the system when it needs it most.
A single appliance can consolidate the compute and storage tiers with a modular system, which reduces the workload on staff and streamlines the whole process. Modular systems are also portable, which is one of the reasons Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have adopted this build out style.
Convergence is Cool
The latest trend in data centres is to have a single resource tier that contain the server and storage in one. This reduces the need for additional networking equipment and hardware. That is good for costs, scalability and future proofing
Go Public Cloud, and Private...
Many companies want to operate a public cloud to allow customers to access applications, while keeping sensitive company information and the customer’s personal details safely under lock and key. Hybrid cloud environments are becoming increasingly popular and even if you don’t need it now, you might need to follow the model of Amazon’s Web Services sooner than you think.
Keep Hardware Simple
Many IT leaders have got caught in the trap of upgrading specialised data centre hardware every few years. There’s no way to amortise those costs and there’s a distinct lack of flexibility in the set-up, as some don’t support new software capabilities that some cloud computing solutions demand.
If you spend big on hardware that becomes redundant within a few years then you may find yourself explaining things to the board shortly before collecting a P45. Commodity hardware is cheap and that allows the investment in the software that can make the best use of modular clusters of hardware. Power low cost hardware with a software layer and you won’t need to spend big. So if cost is an issue then invest more in the software layer, and less in the actual nuts and bolts.
Standardise, too, to make sure that the whole operation runs lean. Most operations can be served by a few different configurations, so keep the whole data centre as close to your ideal set-up as possible.
Some IT managers don’t have to worry about the costs and can spend freely on the latest technology, but they are the lucky ones. However, it’s still worth pointing out that it’s necessary to maintain a balance between affordable and cheap. You also can’t afford for parts to be falling over very often, so do choose quality parts from a reputable supplier, rather than rebranded, cheaper hardware.
A recent trend is to install flash memory to enterprise storage solutions as a quick and easy means of expansion. This creates hybrids that run much faster than the original servers and the flash memory comes with a number of additional advantages, such as reliability. With proprietary hardware it becomes more difficult to absorb technological advances and there’s a greater risk of redundancy later on.
Facebook built its data centres using cheaper hardware. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you.
Get Your Budget Right
Do not place trust exclusively on industry benchmarks, because you could miss out subtle expenses like landscaping, permits, power and security. You can help minimise the costs by selecting a site that already has the required planning permission, and even working within an existing building. Don’t underestimate the build costs either, it takes specialist expertise to build a data centre with the correct level of safety, protection and future proofing.
IBM is investing close to £1 billion in 15 new data centres to cope with the expected demand from cloud computing in the coming years. Most companies don’t have that kind of money to throw around, but if you’re building a data centre now then you should be prepared to squeeze some more money out the board to make sure you’re not building another in a few years thanks to an exponential hike in data requirements.
Use DCIM
DataCentre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software has become an essential part of new data centre builds as it helps at every stage, from laying out the hardware through to optimising the energy efficiency in an active centre.
It also helps IT consultants and network designers to work out the complex capacity plan, which can affect cooling requirements and the bottom line. By switching modules into ‘standby’ mode when the demand is low, DCIM can save massive amounts of power and money.
With DCIM you can even run the data centre remotely and have a so called dark data centre, saving on staffing costs. However, security and a good disaster recovery plan will have to be implemented if you take this route.
Think About the End User
Data centres used to be a mere storage vessel, but times are changing. Enterprise IT is heading towards a consumer model, where employees tap into the system through applications and virtual desktop systems that allow the company to access applications and desktop information from any device. Employees have to share large files like never before, too. This creates a whole different set of stresses and strains on the data centre, all of which will need to be configured into costs at the planning stage.
Consolidation and Virtualisation
Virtualisation software extends the life of older servers and makes sure that new ones are used more efficiently. Virtualisation software is also the best way to increase efficiency in terms of the utilisation, with some inefficient older servers utilising just 10% of the hardware.
By increasing the efficiency and using 40% and beyond of the hardware, parts of the data centre can be switched to standby while a small part bears the load in off-peak times. Inevitably this means cooling equipment can be switched off in certain parts of the centre and only a section will need monitoring. These are incremental savings, but they all add up.
Think About an Energy Efficient Data Centre
Costs come in all shapes and sizes, and the power that feeds your data centre and keeps it cool will be the biggest single whole life expense. eBay’s Project Mercury and Project Topaz are the poster children for efficiency, thanks to fuel cells from Bloom Energy, solar panel set-ups and water recycling for the cooling system.
This lowers the energy bills by as much as 50% compared to the units eBay leased in the past. Significant savings like this help pay for the hardware, so do your sums and see how much you can save now and years into the future. When you consider that powering the datacentre will form 20-60% of the overall bill, it’s not a cost that can simply be ignored. Add to this the potential benefits to the company and its customers when it comes to being a ‘green company’ and it’s also very good for business.
In the UK natural air cooling is now in vogue, thanks to the servers’ ability to run hotter than before. Air conditioning isn’t cheap in a house, on this scale it is a huge expense. Many data centres in colder countries like the UK, Germany and Northern Europe are now built without any form of inbuilt refrigeration, so the big players are confident it works. Of course the external air must be filtered and kept at the right humidity level, so it isn’t quite free.
Google has opted for a wind-farm to provide the power for its data centre, which just won’t be practical for most companies. Apple, too, has an outsize solution with its solar farm idea.
Gas turbines offer an attractive price point, though, and can be used on a much smaller scale.
Low power servers, too, can make a huge dent on the energy bill. HP and Dell both unveiled low energy alternatives to the x86 servers and blades recently and the latest models owe a great deal to the smartphone revolution. Smartphones have to balance performance and battery drain and so micromanage each stage much more carefully than with the x86. That technology, strangely, is filtering up.
Of course it’s not just about the money. An environmentally-friendly data centre, or as friendly as it can be, is an essential step for any socially responsible company.
Location, Location, Location
Google is currently building a data centre on a disused barge in the San Francisco Bay area, and you can think outside the box when it comes to location, too. An existing building can save big on the initial build, but there are radical solutions that may work better, for a variety of reasons. Government grants might be available for redeveloping an older site and there can be PR advantages to redeveloping a brownfield site in your local area. You can even come up with an innovative solution that reflects your brand, just like Google.
Data centres come in all shapes and sizes and serve a variety of businesses and organisations. From the small data centre that offers web hosting, VPS and virtualised applications, to the huge Amazon-style data centre(s), there’s innumerable options.
All of this makes a difference to the type of hardware and software used, the location, the cabling used and more. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, data centres need meticulous planning, perfect design and a highly professional outfit to undertake all of the work that’s necessary. Of course, it’s likely than you’ll need skills outside of IT to add to the build team as well. Whatever the case, it’s no easy undertaking and it’s worth making sure that you have the funds and vision to match your plans.
