Steps to Building a Modern Datacenter

Wired published “8 Steps to Building a Modern Datacenter” highlighting features of modern data centers. Companies are trying to work hard with a consistent need for storage and computer resources. The Wired article focuses on the "what" and not the "how".

Be Modular

• There is a greater need for compatible frameworks and consoles across network, server and storage silos.
• Modular design is simple and flexible.
• Much smaller and compact single rack solutions.
• Incorporate fixed, vendor-defined ratios for computing resources and storage capacity.
• The IT hardware has also gotten much smaller while delivering the required computing power, over the last 2-3 years. 

Converge When Possible

• Fewer dedicated resources.
• Economical and efficient.
• Functions can be combined into one appliance.
• Improves scalability.
• No need to spend on additional hardware or high-speed, dedicated networking equipment.

Software Drive

• The days of expensive, specialized hardware in datacenters are ending.
• New services without adding hardware.
• Save on cost.
• Offer agility.
• Distributed applications.
• Improve uptime, global scalability and service continuity during site failures.

Embrace Commodity Hardware

• Scale fast with minimum investment.
• Distributed software layer abstracts all resources across clusters of commodity nodes.
• Deliver aggregate capacity.
• Surpass the most powerful monolithic approaches.

Empower End Users

• Datacenters need to be resilient and reliable.
• Meet the growing demands.
• Applications ranging from virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) to employees handheld devices.
• Admins are moving to end-user computing models.
• Desktops, applications and data are centralized within the datacenter and accessed by employees via any device from anywhere.

Break Down Silos

• Don’t need separate teams of specialists for each technology.
• Integrating the technologies into a single scalable unit, or datacenter building block, reduces the need for specialized staff.

Go Hybrid

• Many enterprises want to use the public cloud.
• Keep business-critical applications involving confidential data safe within the confines of the private datacenter.
• Control over of security, performance and service level agreements.

Focus on Service Continuity

• Enterprise disaster recovery strategies tend to be reactive.
• Consumerization has altered user expectations.
• Admins have to be proactive and focus on service continuity.
• Enterprises should re-architect their applications to be distributed.
• Better scale globally and perform well and increase uptime.