We hear it all the time. “I
want my data center to run more efficiently.” Or “What solutions do you have
that will drive efficiency?” What we assume is that everyone has the same
definition of efficient and that their measurement of success is the same.
When it comes to data
centers, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Some may only consider the
amount of power and cooling being used. Others think it’s all about using whitespace.
Several will focus on the processing and network connectivity.
In our recently published
paper, “The
Connected and Efficient Data Center,” we take a look at how data center
owners and managers need to think differently, more holistically, about what
constitutes efficiency.
For example, if the focus is
on power and cooling, which typically represents 25 to 40 percent of a data
center’s monthly OpEx, then 60 to 70 percent of costs are somewhere else in the
business.
The costs for cooling and
power may be high because of the estimated 15 percent of servers that either
unused or underutilized. Or the fact that asset management isn’t seen as part
of an efficient data center, so there are “ghost” servers that are not being
used yet are still drawing power and incurring software license fees.
Modern tools such as data
center infrastructure management (DCIM) and automated infrastructure management
(AIM) are available making it easier to manage the growing complexities of the
data center. From power and cooling to network connectivity to capacity
management, data center professionals now have greater visibility and insight into
how their data centers are performing - providing a more holistic view of their
data center.
Tell us your definition of
efficiency in the comment section below.
And
if you are attending the AFCOM Data Center World conference in Las Vegas, March
14-18, 2016, stop by CommScope’s booth 918 to see holistic data center solutions in
action.