EDITOR’S QUESTION
SARAH DOHERTY,
PRODUCT
MANAGER AT
ILAND
urrently, businesses
thrive on data which is
C
growing at exponential
amounts. Therefore,
data backup is the
initial step needed
for protection so that businesses can
guarantee smooth operations. It is also
used to protect the organisation’s data
against damage, cybercrime, theft,
software failure and disaster. Data centres
are more than just a safe and secure
facility with space that is equipped
with reliable power and network, they
are becoming a valuable addition to
many businesses as they prove to be a
dependable extension of their IT team.
Data centres are limitless entities.
The more processing power and
bandwidth that is made available, the
more resources
it will demand.
Every improvement
in a data centre
performance is
quickly consumed by
the latest applications or
a new project that requires
even more throughput, faster
processing speeds and more data
storage. Keeping pace is a constant
challenge for IT teams. The data centre
needs to offer optimal performance,
minimise waste and provide for costeffective
operations. Issues like ageing
infrastructure, an unsuitable location or
poor data centre design can obstruct
optimal performance targets.
Business owners are in constant need of
reliability when it comes to maintaining
WITH THE RIGHT
CLOUD DATA
CENTRE DESIGN,
THE BUSINESS
CAN SCALE
AND GROW
AS NEEDED
WHILE STILL
PROVIDING THE
OPTIMUM IT
PERFORMANCE
THAT IS
REQUIRED.
a dependable operation. A data centre
is built to withstand a 24/7 service easily,
however, the components require a
significant amount of infrastructure
support in both hardware and software
areas. These include power subsystems,
stable and uninterruptible power supplies,
proper ventilation, high-quality cooling
systems, fire suppression, reliable backup
generators and connections to external
networks. The business world is moving
at an incredibly fast pace while matching
the overwhelming demand for information
with excessive amounts of data creation.
With the ever-changing requirements
of the modern business model, many
companies place their confidence in
cloud data centres, as these facilities
play a crucial role in reaching their IT
requirements. Using the cloud has many
benefits over using on-prem data centres.
For example, on-prem data centres
require a substantial capital investment in
hardware. With the cloud, an organisation
pays only for the portion of hardware that
they use. On-prem data centres also incur
added costs for power, environmental
controls (HVAC), regular upgrades and
tests, security, etc. With a cloud provider,
these costs are built into the subscription
fee structure.
Data centre design is a large-scale
process. It not only requires a
common-sense approach to planning
and organisation, but also the help
of specialists to guarantee ongoing
optimisation within the operation. With
expert assistance, a business can
create successful strategies, properly
manage resources and avoid pitfalls that
compromise efficiency and cost money.
With the right cloud data centre design,
the business can scale and grow as
needed while still providing the optimum
IT performance that is required. ◊
32 Issue 19
www.intelligentdatacentres.com