Logicalis IDs Top Five Data Center Changes IT Pros Should
Expect
Farmington Hills, MI, June 7,
2011 – Cloud computing has been defined in many ways, but
perhaps the most important way to look at the cloud today is to see
it as a way to deliver the consumption of IT as a service.
For companies that want to keep IT inside the security of their own
data center, a private cloud strategy can give users the elasticity
they need to respond to changing business needs quickly, cost
effectively and in a way that can simplify IT management. But
according to Logicalis (http://www.us.logicalis.com/),
an international provider of integrated information and
communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, there are
important considerations for the data center when implementing a
private cloud strategy to serve the needs of an IT-hungry
business.
“The adoption of a cloud computing strategy
can have far-reaching effects on a company’s IT operations.
This is where true collaboration between executives, business unit
managers and the data center operations team is an absolute
necessity. Start by identifying the business challenges to be
met. Then, examine the technology assets in place and the
company’s financial goals and objectives,” says Kevin Gruneisen,
vice president of data center solutions for Logicalis. “There
will be pros and cons to every decision, and the effects on the
data center and its ability to deliver price-performance to its
users must be taken into account at every turn.”
Five Changes Private Clouds Bring to
the Data Center
1.
Lower Cost: Through an effective virtualization
strategy and a resultant reduction in servers, data centers can
reduce the amount of cabling, floor space, and power they consume
by record amounts. On the flip side, virtualization is only
the beginning of a journey into the cloud; systems also need to be
able to dynamically provision IT resources as needed
on-the-fly.
2.
Less Control: Instead of having to over-buy to
meet changing demands, the addition of a self-service portal above
the orchestration level provides on-demand consumption, enabling
the IT team, and designated end users, to spin up capacity as
needed, thereby increasing business agility. But the idea of
giving end users easy access to resource control leaves CIOs and
other IT professionals nervously pacing the floor.
3.
Increased Need for Automation: Imagine that
a functional cloud environment looks something like an onion with
traditional infrastructure at the center and a self-service layer
around the outside. Between the resources and the self-service
portal, there must be distinct layers for automation, monitoring
and governance. Without automation, any savings gained
through virtualization and self-provisioning is lost on the
additional IT staff needed because there is no staff-on-demand
option that will take effect just when you need it. Without
monitoring and management tools in place, self-service provisioning
could seem like the Wild West all over again.
4.
Power & Cooling Changes: While a private cloud
is responding to changing business demands on the front end, the
back end of the cloud in the data center needs to be able to
respond to changing demands for power and cooling. Servers
that become virtualized require specific power and cooling needs.
As private cloud features like self-provisioning are introduced,
hot aisles may get hotter requiring more cooling in that region.
Power consumption fluctuates when virtual machines are spun up and
down and will require smart power distribution units (PDUs) that
can monitor power and respond to changing demands.
5.
New Visibility Requirements: With virtualization,
self-provisioning and other cloud-enabled advances, it is now
possible to develop applications that can right-size themselves
dynamically according to pre-determined criteria. That’s great for
new applications, and great news for IT departments. But
there are still decisions that need to be made by a live person, so
monitoring the data center in a private cloud environment is key.
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tools should be
deployed so the operations teams can actually see what is happening
in the data center with regards to these changing computing
capacity, power and cooling dynamics.
“Private clouds leverage the equipment and
skills a company already has in its data center which makes them
extremely cost-effective solutions for delivering IT as a
service. But it’s also important to recognize that new tools
may be needed to take full advantage of everything a private cloud
has to offer,” says Gruneisen. “Automation and orchestration
tools, properly implemented, are the key to moving from a
virtualized environment to a private cloud. And knowing just
what needs to be added or changed in the data center can only come
from a thorough assessment of both the company’s business needs and
IT’s ability to meet those needs.”
Media Contacts: Lisa
Dreher, VP, Marketing & Business Development, Logicalis, Inc.,
lisa.dreher@us.logicalis.com;
425-201-8111; http://www.us.logicalis.com/
or Karen Franse, Communication Strategy Group for
Logicalis, kfranse@gocsg.com;
866-997-2424, http://www.gocsg.com/.
About Logicalis
Logicalis is an international provider of
integrated information and communications technology (ICT)
solutions and services founded on a superior breadth of knowledge
and expertise in communications & collaboration; data center;
and professional and managed services.
Logicalis Group employs over 1,900 people
worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design,
specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the
needs of over 5,000 corporate and public sector customers. To
achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with
technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM and Microsoft.
The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of
$1 billion, from operations in the UK, US, Germany, South America
and Asia Pacific, and is fast establishing itself as one of the
leading IT and Communications solution integrators, specializing in
the areas of advanced technologies and services.
The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec
Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges,
with revenues in excess of $4 billion.
For more information, visit http://www.us.logicalis.com/.