Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/860140
THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL | 1 www.datacenterjournal.com Feature 2 Data Center SuStainability: an OutSiDe-in apprOaCh By Jeff Burges An old adage says that "data centers are brown so that everyone else can be green." And although this saying can be true, it's 2017, and companies are far more environmentally conscious than ever. Thus, it's crucial for data center operators to employ best practices that optimize their efficiencies while simultaneously encouraging environmental sustainability. 8 Data CenterS: energy COnSumerS Or energy playerS? By Jeffrey R Clark Large data center operators such as Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft have the resources to pursue innovations that may filter down to the rest of the industry. But sometimes their energy projects are simply out of reach for smaller operators. For example, Apple built a massive solar farm to power its Maiden, North Carolina, data center. Other technology companies are investing in solar and wind power or are buying it from utilities. These developments apparently point to the evolution of data centers from simply consumers of energy to, in some sense and in various ways, producers. basements don't flood. The need for backup batteries for data storage and servers is also critical. 14 iS Data Center airFlOw Still a myStery? By Jose Ruiz Is data center airflow still a mystery? To be blunt, only if you let it be. Although not everyone who operates a data center is a physicist or expert in fluid dynamics, they do have access to a variety of products that do the heavy lifting. Despite this plethora of available tools to help you identify areas in your data center that are hot enough to smelt metal, a romp through any number of "mission critical" facilities will uncover a healthy complement of empty metal racks being bathed in the cool breezes delivered from the perforated tiles surrounding them. Since many readers will be "shocked…shocked" that this level of optimum- airflow apostasy still exists in many shrines to compute and storage, it's helpful to examine how and why many of our data center peers remain in a state of "airflow mystification." 18 the Future OF Data Center pOwer DiStributiOn By Anand Krishna and Vladimir Gulkarov Data centers are becoming more and more intrinsic to every facet of our lives. Data that is stored and processed in data centers is shaping how we travel, conduct our financial affairs, build and deliver products and services, communicate, shop, keep our societies secure, receive information, entertain ourselves, and get health care—to name just a few areas! The role of this data in our lives is growing rapidly, making us more productive. 22 2017 energy repOrt By Jeffrey R Clark Energy is the fuel of data centers, so the dynamics of the energy market will affect everything from cloud-service pricing to site selection and more. Recent years have shown some curious energy trends, judging from data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This data provides a window into energy prices, consumption and mix of sources—all of which concern a data center industry that has, perhaps unjustly, gained a reputation as an energy hog. Because the economy is so interrelated, accurately identifying the role of factors such as efficiency in, say, energy consumption or price is a tough task. Yet we can still make interesting observations as well as tentative predictions of how they will affect data centers. 26 the impOrtanCe OF reDunDanCy in Data Center baCkup pOwer SOlutiOnS By Curt Gibson Uptime is important to every industry. No business owner, manager or leader wants to close their doors, shut down production or stop shipping for any reason. Nevertheless, the data center industry is perhaps even more sensitive to downtime than many others. Ours is an era in which the need to access data is growing at a dramatic pace. VenDOr inDex All rights reserved. No portion of DATA CENTER Journal may be reproduced without written permission from the Executive Editor. The management of DATA CENTER Journal is not responsible for opinions expressed by its writers or editors. We assume that all rights in communications sent to our editorial staff are unconditionally assigned for publication. All submissions are subject to unrestricted right to edit and/or to comment editorially. AN EDM2R ENTERPRISES, INC. PUBLICATION ALPHARETTA, GA 30022 PHONE: 678-762-9366 FAX: 866-708-3068 | WWW.DATACENTERJOURNAL.COM DESIGN : NEATWORKS, INC., JOHNS CREEK GA 30022 TEL: 678-392-2992 | WWW.NEATWORKSINC.COM