Blog Post
The Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC): Virtualization In The Data Center
The Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC): Virtualization in the Data Center
One of the biggest trends in the data center in 2017 is set to be software-defined computing, storage, and networking. In other words, the virtualization of everything. These software-defined functions are becoming so common because of their benefits: they allow organizations to have flexibility and speed, and, at the same time, lower their costs. It’s not difficult to see why businesses have adopted virtualization on such a wide scale. But what does this increasing virtualization have to do with the data center? Read More
Blog Post
Data Center or Server Room: The Best Choice for Your Business
With upwards of 80 percent of enterprises and 63 percent of small and medium sized businesses investing in big data projects over recent years, and budgets of $1.6 million to $7.4 million, the question of data storage is at the forefront of many companies’ minds. One decision facing such companies as they look to store data is the choice between internal server rooms or external data centers. Here are some key components to consider as you make the data storage decision.
Blog Post
Unconventional Data Centers
Innovative thinkers are constantly thinking of creative ways to save space and money by relocating their data centers – some that you certainly would not expect. One of the biggest reasons to choose an unconventional center is because of their environmentally friendly methods for cooling or redistributing server heat.
Here, we’ll talk about five of the most clever places where data centers have been built or are in the midst of being constructed. Read More
Blog Post
Three Ways Your Data Center Can Save Energy
With environmental concerns on the rise, it’s more important than ever for data centers to run efficiently. From smart watches to smart cars, data centers are at the forefront of technology, and our dependence on them is only expected to grow. In the U.S. alone, industry experts predict the data center construction market will grow at a CAGR of 4.38% between 2016 and 2020. As we face more and more pressure to keep operations green, it’s critical that data centers keep their carbon footprint to a minimum. Here are some things to consider as you create a more efficient data center. Read More
Blog Post
PCI Express Storage Solutions in the Data Center
Faster and less-expensive solid state drives stand to change the mechanical storage expectations of the modern data center. Current connection standards are creating a performance bottleneck that is unable to keep pace with SSD speed gains. To combat this problem, storage device manufacturers are looking at new ways of connecting storage devices to computer systems. Read More
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Software Defined Data Centers: Moving Towards a Brighter Future
Companies that have not switched to a software defined data center model are missing out, maximizing existing infrastructure while throwing away money on upkeep costs. It’s time to move to a more efficient way of managing web applications and long-term storage. Modern computing requires more server power than ever: fortunately, server technology can handle more work than ever. Software defined data centers address the need for more power while being more economical in the process. Read More
Blog Post
Energy Star 3.0 Server Spec to Examine New Tech Trends
It’s no secret that data centers are one of the biggest electricity consumers in the world. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, American businesses use about 91 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to power data centers for an overall cost of $13 billion. According to an APC whitepaper, electricity makes up about 20 percent of server rack lifetime cost of ownership. New technological developments like Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and general-purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) have not only changed how quickly servers can operate, but have also made them more efficient. According to ComputerWorld, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies is giving the new technology attention in the upcoming server Energy Star 3.0 specification to help businesses purchase and implement server infrastructure that keeps the electric bill down. The new specification may take a few years to complete. Read More
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Data Center Energy Efficiency
Businesses operating data centers often neglect infrastructure efficiency which costs the business substantial money. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, U.S. data centers used 91 billion kilowatt-hours to operate in 2013. The organization argues that energy use could have been cut by 40% by optimizing infrastructure for efficiency which could save American businesses upwards of 3.8 billion dollars annually. Power efficiency is a major concern for small-to-medium level implementations, not just for massive server farms. Read More
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Solid State Drives in Data Center Use
The performance improvements solid state drives have over hard disk drives make the flash-based storage devices sound like an ideal upgrade for your business’ data center. However, the speed boost you experience when you swap out the HDD with a SSD on your personal computer may not translate into the same positive experience on a server. Read More
Blog Post
Are SSDs Worth It In The Data Center?
For decades, hard drives have ruled data centers as the only viable, cost-efficient way to store data. However, innovations like 3D NAND technology raise the amount of memory that can be stored in a single chip, lowering the overall cost per GB for solid state drives (SSDs). With renewed competition, SSDs are becoming cheaper than ever before, as prices are expected to cut in half by the end of 2015. Now that cheap, large SSDs are becoming so prevalent, is it time for companies to consider SSDs for their data center?