Data centers are large, important investments that, when properly designed, built, and operated, are an integral part of the business strategy driving the success of any enterprise. Yet the central focus of organizations is often the acquisition and deployment of the IT architecture equipment and systems with little thought given to the structure and space in which it is to be housed, serviced, and maintained.
Data Center Assessments: The First Step to
OptimizationTable of contentsIntroduction 3The problem 3The solution 3Optimizing the IT architecture 4Meeting mandates for efficiency 4Realizing return on investment (ROI) in projects 5Elements of a good assessment 5Survey 5Analysis 6Recommendations 6Types of assessments 6The cost of assessments 7The benefit of assessments 8Conclusion 9Appendix A 9Types of facility infrastructure assessments-examples of scopes of services and deliverables 9A basic capacity survey 9An infrastructure condition and capacity survey 10Thermal quick assessments 10Thermal comprehensive assessments 11Introduction The problemData centers are large, important investments that, Many data center managers and operations when properly designed, built, and operated, are directors do not know the capacity, utilization, or the an integral part of the business strategy driving the availability of their data centers. This leads to the success of any enterprise. Yet the central focus of inability to:organizations is often the acquisition and deployment . Support a change in the business strategyof the IT architecture equipment and systems with little thought given to the structure and space in which it is . Optimize the IT architecture with equipment to be housed, serviced, and maintained. refreshes, or through consolidation and virtualization . Meet corporate mandates for efficiencyThis invariably leads to facility infrastructure problems such as thermal "hot spots", lack of UPS . Realize the return on investment (ROI) as used in (uninterruptible power supply) rack power, lack of justifying upgrade projectsredundancy, system overloading and other issues that Missing any one of these business drivers can range threaten or prevent the realization of the return on the from, in personal terms, "a career changing event" investment in the IT systems. or, in business terms, a lost opportunity to contribute The solution is to understand fully the capacity of the significantly to the success in achieving a business data center to support "mission critical loads" (the IT strategy. infrastructure), the availability ("uptime" potential) of the data center, and the condition of the key facility The solutioncomponents and systems. Management then can Supporting a change in the business environment: make informed decisions based on facts, which leads A well-designed and executed assessment supports to better direction of resources to close the known the ability to respond to a change in the business gaps between "what is" and "what should be" in environment. IT processing, systems, and software systems reliability. are now an integral part of company offerings, Good management decisions rest on knowing: either in distinct products (that is, the software driving your digital camera), or services (that is, on-line real . What you have time quotes from your car insurance company). The . What it can, and can't do speed of business today is approaching real time, . Where investment gives the greatest returns and change is the constant, not the exception. The ability to react to changes in the business environment A well designed facility infrastructure assessment ... [download for more]
