Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/148754
In the dynamic world of servers, storage and networks, management is no easy proposition. That's because data centers aren't just big – they're huge. The massive amount of processing power needed to drive business operations means companies are always adding new devices and increasing energy use. This data processing growth heightens both IT management complexity and OpEx costs. The increased OpEx perks up the ears of every member of the "C-Suite". That's why tools such as Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) have taken center stage in the battle to control data center costs and improve efficiency. DOLLARS AND SENSE B ut how big are today's data centers and exactly how much money are we talking about? A recent report by industry analyst firm IDC estimates data centers will grow to more than 700 million square feet by 2016. Driving this growth is increased demand for business agility. According to IDC's Rick Villars: "CIOs are increasingly being asked to improve business agility while reducing the cost of doing business through aggressive use of technologies in the data center. At the same time, they have to ensure the integrity of the business and its information assets in the face of natural disasters, data center disruptions or local system failures. To achieve both sets of objectives, IT decision makers had to rethink their approach to the data center." Analyst firm IDC notes data center footprints have grown significantly. This is driving data center spending as companies expand the number of servers, storage and network hardware. Forrester backs this up. According to the firm's "Forecast: Data Centers Worldwide, 2010 – 2015," data center hardware spending is estimated to have been $98.9 billion in 2011 – hitting $126 billion by 2015. Looking closer at some of the largest data centers, a clear picture of spending and growth emerges. Recently, Forbes published a ranking of the world's biggest infrastructures. Topping the list is the Range www.datacenterjournal.com International Information Hub in Langang, China. The 6.3 million sq. ft. infrastructure is nearly the same size as the Pentagon. In second place, the Las Vegas, Nevada 2.2 million sq. ft. Switch SuperNAP is considered the world's largest operating data center campus. And in third place on the Forbes list is the National Security Agency's Utah data center – with an estimated cost of $2 billion – its footprint is more than one million sq. ft. Note the cost of the NSA's data center – $2 billion – that's just construction and development! Imagine the costs to power these massive structures and the vast amount of money potentially lost by poor facilities management. It's this lack of visibility into data center and facility performance that's hurting most companies – and sounding the alarm for more efficient and effective data center management solutions. A recent article in The New York Times calculates just how much power is consumed in data center operations: "Most data centers, by design, consume vast amounts of energy in an incongruously wasteful manner…Online companies typically run their facilities at maximum capacity around the clock, whatever the demand. As a result, data centers can waste 90 percent or more of the electricity they pull off the grid." A CLEAR PICTURE A facilities manager's lack of full operational visibility into the combined IT and facilities infrastructure – includ- ing power and cooling – means an unclear picture of performance. Even with manual data collection, the information is often too complex to analyze. That's because data centers and facilities consist of a complex system of intertwined elements. Changes to devices can have noticeable influences across such variables as temperature, power draw, and network performance. In addition to new operational and capital expenses, the management picture becomes all the more cloudy. Enter Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM). DCIM extends the traditional systems and network management approach to include both physical and asset-level components. It's the merging of IT and facilities management to centralize monitoring, management and intelligent capacity planning of all critical data center components. In fact, the use of DCIM solutions is having a significant impact on productivity and cost savings for companies across the globe. As a whole, companies that regularly use DCIM tools report up to 25 percent in energy efficiency savings. They attribute this to having real-time access to critical facilities information and infrastructure operations. According to a recent analyst report by "The DCIM Experts": "At its core, DCIM helps to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and lower the risk of downtime while enhancing the flexibility and agility of operations. DCIM delivers specific costs savings by lowering energy consumption and improving the efficiency of operations by effectively man- THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL | 29