DATA CENTRE PREDICTIONS
Data centre operators need more storage , computing power and higher bandwidth to connect more devices .
On top of these needs , they have a requirement to reduce the time it takes to get data to and from their customers .
This is according to ProLabs , a global leader in optical networking infrastructure . ProLabs is distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa by Networks Unlimited .
ProLabs notes that the result of these forces outlined above is the development of the Edge data centre , also known as Edge Computing .
To some degree , data centre operators have reached the limits of what can be done in large , centralised locations .
Therefore , operators are creating new architectures for their data centres , and Edge data centres are the result . Minimising latency of data to and from the customer and the core network are key drivers along with the following customer requirements , as they :
• Are closer in proximity to the end-users
• Are smaller than traditional data centres
• Run a more limited set of applications required for the local user community
• Share operational overhead as a distributed node of larger data centre organisations
• Cache frequently used content
These new architectures deliver three fundamental requirements , including faster processing speed , lower latency and increased bandwidth .
These mandates require Edge data centres to be built upon optical networks of two types :
• The local optical network within the data centre and the right transceivers , cables and racks for connecting servers to switches and storage
• The high-speed optical links , typically Wave Division Multiplexing ( WDM ), that connect the Edge data centre to the customer and to other service providers
USING OPTICAL NETWORKS TO BUILD THE RIGHT ARCHITECTURE FOR SERVERS , SWITCHES AND STORAGE WITHIN THE BUILDING AS WELL AS THE HIGH-SPEED CONNECTIONS TO THE CORE NETWORK PROVIDES THE FOUNDATION THAT EDGE DATA CENTRES NEED .
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