Intelligent Data Centres Issue 19 | Page 32

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