Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/584904
4 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com i n the "olden days," companies built a system for one purpose—say, a transactional system to take orders—that had only one type of static data to manage and store. Today, those same transactional sites have to connect and integrate a lot of rich data to meet customer expectations, from social chat for customer service to demo videos and rich product data, to links driving to social channels for customer reviews. e relationship between all of this data and the diverse systems delivering the data is increasingly complex and calls for a hybrid solution in which 1) legacy systems are delivered from a colocation data center or from an on-premise customer loca- tion, 2) recently built systems are delivered from private clouds, and 3) ancillary data such as videos, chat and social media are delivered from public clouds. Add in the regulatory constraints and control issues of proprietary data, and it is clear that data and systems should and will live in multiple infrastructure locations. All of this complexity, coupled with a desire in enterprises to focus on the core business, leads to increased outsourcing of corporate data centers and server closets, as many enter- prises conclude that providing their own data center and IT infrastructure does not make economic or strategic sense. e result is that hybrid IT companies like ViaWest are continually building new facilities, and although it seems like a data center could be built just about anywhere, a multitude of factors go into deciding the ideal location. The Macro PicTure No matter what type of data center is being built, there are several "macro" location factors that should be taken into consideration but are oen overlooked. 1. network availability. For many data centers, network availability is a critical factor— especially for those that are managing public clouds. It's fairly simple to bring a network into a location, but a solid network infrastructure is imperative and a variety of network providers is desirable. 2. Power cost. e local rates for power into a facility, which can require 20 megawatts or more, can vary significantly. e variability in power costs alone can be the difference between a data center that is successful and one that fails. 3. threat of natural and man-made disasters. Something that is oen overlooked is the pattern of threats in a certain geographic location, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, nuclear power plant disasters and so on. In some cases, a simple difference of 15 miles in one direction or another can gain a data center 200 feet in elevation, making it less susceptible to flood damage or moving it into a lower-risk seismic zone. For example, ViaWest's new Brookwood data cen- ter in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro is in a far better location for tsunami, flood and seismic risks than it would have been if it were built in downtown Portland. 4. statewide economic and tax incentives. Several states and metropolitan areas offer lower tax rates than others, making the process of building and operating a data center in these areas less expensive than in other locations. ose economic differences are passed along to customers and can make a significant difference in the rates data centers charge. 5. Free-cooling opportunity. A data center's cooling system can account for a large amount of the facility's power consumption, so looking at the free-cooling opportunities—cooling using water or air instead of mechanical compressors—in a given area is also an important consider- ation. e cooler and drier the overall climate, or the nearer it is to colder-temperature water such as rivers and oceans, the greater the opportunity to use these resources to cut down on power consumption for mechanical refrigeration. Something that is often overlooked is the pattern of threats in a certain geographic location, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, nuclear power plant disasters and so on. In some cases, a simple difference of 15 miles in one direction or another can gain a data center 200 feet in elevation, making it less susceptible to flood damage or moving it into a lower-risk seismic zone.