What options are available when you're reaching the limits of energy, space, and cooling?
Optimize: The quickest way to address this problem and increase available power, space, and cooling capacity is by optimizing an existing facility. The greatest optimization gains can be achieved by reducing the overall server power load (through virtualization) and improving facility efficiency. For example, up to 70% of the power required to cool and humidify the data center environment can be conserved using currently available technologies such as outdoor air economizers, ultrasonic humidification, high-efficiency transformers, and variable frequency drives (VFDs). Using these techniques in conjunction with new high-density IT systems will allow many facilities to increase their IT capacity while simultaneously reducing facility overhead.
Move: If your existing data center can no longer be modified to support high-density solutions, there may be no other option but to move to a new space. This process will likely begin with a needs assessment and site selection process and conclude with either a remodel of your existing facility or a relocation to a new building.
Outsourcing: Besides proceeding with their new own facility, there are two other options worth considering:
• Colocation: This means moving your data center to a shared facility managed by a suitable service provider. There is a wide range of business models under which these services can be provided (including full business responsibility). It's important to ensure that the terms of the agreement match your short- and long-term needs and (always) consider the flexibility you require for your data center to evolve throughout its lifespan.
• Cloud computing: The practice of leveraging shared computing and storage resources – and not just the physical infrastructure of a colocation service provider – has been growing rapidly for some niche application-based products.