Five Data Center Trends in 2016

Posted on by ldavidson

All signs indicate that 2016 will be a year of many challenges. Disruptive technologies will be introduced, the exponential increase in computing power will continue, while businesses will demand a prompt response to quickly changing requirements. At the same time, the requirement to be highly resource-efficient will stay the same. Data Center technology will reflect this.

There are many signs to suggest that 2016 will be a year filled with challenges. Among the most significant are the number of disruptive technologies being introduced and the burgeon ing rise in computer power. This reflects a substantial need for businesses to require a prompt response to change their business requirements quickly and efficiently and the need for highly efficient resources will not change.

Due to these challenges, we can expect the following predictions that are likely to manifest in 2016:

Data Centers Harness IoT Technologies

Internet of Things will play a greater role in data centers. This will allow managers the ability to monitor performance of environmental measurements and components in real-time, leading to smoother business operations and higher time-efficiency.

Sensors measuring variables, such as humidity, electricity, and temperature, will be incorporated into the network equipment to make monitoring much more rapid and efficient. This will allow data centers to utilize greater uptime and ensure capital and operational expenditures are kept at an all time low.

Furthermore, data centers will benefit from having access to a greater number of platforms. This includes the integration of IoT integration data from a variety of sources to ensure computing facilities operate at optimum levels.

Hyperconvergence

Systems that are hyperconverged will allow users to benefit from all critical IT components in one system and managed via layer of software, will become a common data center infrastructure practice among companies. The strategic directions and requirements of the business pave the way for infrastructural simplification and time efficiency across IT departments.

Hyperconvergence will become largely influenced by virtualization as SAN storage inefficiencies become well-known and the requirement of digitizing network and storage layers.

Considering how convergence is growing as a trend, the need for hyperconverged infrastructure management platforms will become inevitable. Such platforms will be critical for offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the entire IT infrastructure, one that will be highly needed to oversee and operate both its physical and virtual aspects.

Software-Driven Infrastructure

IT operations will also become increasingly automated at the hardware-component layer of the entire system, due to the emergence of software-defined networks (infrastructures that are defined by software instead of hardware).

As a result, it will result in reduced operating costs and errors, and greater infrastructure agility. It will also lead to data being presented in a manner that will ensure utmost availability and responsiveness, useful for quick decision making and strategy readjustments.

More importantly, there will be a lot more emphasis on software platforms providing a comprehensive view of connectivity and infrastructure components to ensure management and provisioning efficiency is increased. If you manage all database components in real-time and ensure all are up to date, you will be able to ensure faster system recovery. This will not only be possible with virtual service problems, but also due to a physical infrastructure’s faulty components.

Building Block Scalability

Enterprises are expected to build and develop IT systems that function similarly to cloud platforms of major tech industry names, such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook. An IT environment that is resilient and robust enough to meet the needs of the business as required will prove to be a substantial competitive advantage and a means of averting business risks and minimizing operating expenses.

However, they will not be able to tap into these tools and features with their existing technology and tools. To achieve the gains of large established companies, they will need to opt for IT infrastructures that can support high physical scalability, whilst being resilient enough to complement software-defined approaches. This will provide businesses the advantage of ensuring both physical and software aspects of the infrastructure conform to their business goals and strategic directions.

Automation for Labor Efficiency

Data center management activities will be the standard in data center infrastructures. This is because of its use in reducing human errors and work load, as well as for speeding up the time required for solving equipment failures.

There is also expected to be a major shift in the way in which infrastructure and operations teams manage IT facilities due to the emergence of fool-proof tools, such as automatic validation IP discovery.

The new environment will allow network administrators the capacity to utilize new skills and become familiar on eliminating repetitive and mundane tasks, including provisioning storage. Enterprises will thus hire labor that have a set of skills pertaining to efficient use of the data center. This move will be a radical change, from the conventional infrastructure domain expert type of workers to ones that will have a skill set for a greater range of requirements, such as cross-technology API integrations, user experience outcomes, and the methods through which new systems can be integrated with older systems.

This will pave the way for a highly important year for the practices and management approaches pertaining to data centers, one that will be dominated with new processing requirements and virtual tools and capabilities.

Data center managers in post-2016 will be those that can effectively manage both software platforms to oversee IT operations and see greater resource availability and integration of new technologies into the existing technology to achieve higher resource utilization.

  • APT (Advanced persistent threats) will keep evolving. There is a significant level of development and industrialization surrounding the hacking community. Contrary to the view that hacking is carried out by lone individuals, there are now nation states and entire teams dedicated to corrupt sensitive and classified corporate data through next-generation malicious software programs and methods. Security thus is in dire need of a major breakthrough to be able to handle newer threats efficiently and effectively. With APTs, you are involved with not just human threats, but also physical and logical ones surrounding your data center.

 

Hackers have developed capabilities that can target at particular weaknesses and various corporate services which they take advantage of and exploit. According to Juniper Research, the substantial amount of digitization of the lives of consumers and records of enterprises will lead to a rise in data cost breaches amounting to more than $2 trillion in 2019 globally. This is an increase in the cost of breaches by as much as 4 times compared to that in 2015.

 

Furthermore, there have also been cases in which large network and security providers had loopholes within their security systems. As such, enterprises and organizations are faced with an unprecedented security risk and need to thoroughly evaluate the capabilities of their defenses  and intelligent security systems across their entire data center and cloud system to be able to prevent considerable data and financial losses.

 

Among the many solutions is to implement new types of cloud security technologies that are equipped with superior encryption and threat detection and elimination capabilities. Such systems will secure new traffic points between cloud ecosystems and the data center, keeping in mind that your data can be a potential target. In lieu of this, you develop a high resilient and efficient security architecture that can narrow down particular data points and be capable of integration with other tools and technologies in your data center. The result of this will be that your network will be a critical component of your security system and offer superior security monitoring and threat detection and elimination.

 

Greater adoption of automation and orchestration. Automation tools are expected to be the norm, considering how next-gen cloud systems are incredibly diverse. Advanced policy control and place governance are incorporated into many new automation tools. Companies can take advantage of technologies that enable cloud administrators to oversee cloud security aspects and benefit from greater visibility and system transparency.

In addition to the benefit of keeping resource utilization costs to a minimum, such types of platforms instill an exceptional amount of dynamism into automated cloud platforms in the form of multi-cloud controls, orchestration, and scaling.

The best part about all of this is that your automated cloud platforms also become proactive too. Through automation and analytics features, it allows you to forecast and visualize business requirements with much more clarity and accuracy.

Workflow, data center orchestration, business automation technologies are thus extremely beneficial in allowing enterprises to efficiently control resources and ensure user experience is optimized. Most importantly, you need to remember that developing proactive cloud platforms means that they are capable of adjust to current market trends and shifts.

Furthermore, the economies surrounding data center management and resources are also being controlled by you. Orchestration and automation also allows administrators to emphasize on enlarging the business instead of constantly dealing with resolving problems. Cloud is thus becoming synonymous with orchestration and automation technologies, and you can integrate various kinds of cloud tools along with data center points. All of these benefits makes your business substantially more agile in relations to their IT ecosystem.

IT Helping Hands and Collocation

Posted on by ldavidson

You are in need of a highly efficient security system that guarantees a comprehensive and robust means of protecting your information assets in data centers from accidents, natural disasters, vandalism, theft, and other incidents and catastrophes. For this, enterprise security involves having both physical as well as technical security, and we at Networx offer both to enable you to have strong confidence in managing your IT and business operations.

Networx provides you with a dedicated mix of security tools that can manage physical security through mantraps, bollards, access control systems, and surveillance systems. This will be essential for safeguarding.

For physical security, our facilities utilize a dedicated mix of security tools from mantraps, bollards, surveillance systems, and access control systems. This will be crucial for fortifying your premises from intruders and prevent key information assets free from the hands of criminal activities as well as from catastrophes due to natural or man-made causes.

Our technical security covers installing quality pro-active systems and counter-measures in place to avoid the possibilities of data loss or corruption. We tailor our enterprise-grade tools and security solutions to the meet the needs of both private and public enterprises through a variety of authorization processes and protocols, including multi-factor authentication. This ensures that only authorized staff members are given permission to access data center facilities.

We also understand that the security requirements for each enterprise vary. This is why we strive to make our security capabilities and solutions flexible so that can be easily adjusted according to your needs and fulfill your expectations. We work with you closely to make your data center facilities have the most efficient and robust security systems.

Among the data centers we offer are SUPERNAP data centers. The SUPERNAP 8 data center, for instance, is credited with Uptime Institute and has obtained its Tier IV Golf Operational Sustainability Certificate. The switch SUPERNAP 9, furthermore, has also gained widespread industry recognition by winning the Tier IV Design Certificate, Tier IV Constructed Facility Certificate, and the Tier IV Gold Operational Sustainability Certificate.

Collocation

Our collocation facilities offer cooling, power, space, and physical security features for the storage, server, and networking equipment of other firms. These are connected to a number of telecommunications equipment and network service providers easily and at low cost.

Collocation has grown dramatically in importance, especially for firms that need a sufficient amount of tools and equipment to fulfill their IT needs. Through collocation, companies can secure multiple advantages, one of which is saving a considerable amount of time arranging logistical support for the work, and instead allowing the IT staff to focus exclusively on the number of hours worked.

Other benefits include attaining significant scale advantages through having very large mechanical and power systems that range between 4500 and 9500 square meters, which equates to a range of 50,000 to 100,000 square feet.

The following presents a detailed list of collocation benefits that firms can achieve:

  • A fully functioning and predictable expenditure model
  • Extra capacity can be added swiftly and cheaply according to requirements
  • Improved access to power and space
  • Quality data center facility management via trained and experienced IT professionals
  • Shared networking via a developed and close-knit ecosystem of partners
  • A developed infrastructure for creating cloud strategies
  • Flexible or agile infrastructure to effective manage resources and assets during emergencies or effective planning
  • A comprehensive roadmap for data backup and recovery

The collocations facilities are offered to businesses on a term-basis, usually via contract as a retail rental business. Here are a few features:

  • Easily lockable cages or rack cabinets
  • Power is available in a number of formats, AC and DC
  • Efficient cooling to prevent premises and devices from damage or corruption due to overheating
  • Strong network connectivity – that can be utilized in a ‘house blend’ in which clients are connected to their own router via a colo provider, which is a customer of carriers, to multiple carriers, or as a ‘cross connect’ systems where access is available to carriers, to routers, or both
  • Robust physical security that includes a spectrum of solutions including badge and biometric access, video surveillance, secure logging, and other kinds of effective user authentication tools
  • Real-time performance tracking and monitoring for ensuring all aspects of the systems are functioning smoothly and any failures are detected and resolved instantly

In addition, redundant systems are also offered to help mitigate the problems when equipment and devices fail. Furthermore, there are plenty of scale economies that firms can benefit as a result of having access to multiple small and medium-sized businesses in a one-facility network. These are as follows:

  • Higher reliability for failed systems due to having redundant resources
  • Engineers monitor systems on a 24/7 basis
  • High network bandwidth and low network latency at minimal cost
  • Specialist IT technical staff, who are skilled and experienced that offer a range of service and repair service at a fraction of the cost for each client

There are various kinds of collocations customers. These are:

  • Web commerce companies that require cost-effective, redundant internet connections to use facilities in a safe environment
  • Established and large companies that use facilities and require data backup and business continuity solutions to counter disaster risks
  • Telecommunication enterprises that use data center facilities to exchange data with other similar companies and are in need of access to multiple clients. This is usually provided via a collocation facility in which multiple carriers provide data and serve as a ‘carrier hotel’; the existence of such a network is extremely beneficial to potential customers due to the value that is offered to them
  • eCommerce websites that require internet facilities to operate servers specific for processing online transactions in a secure and reliable manner

In general, collocation services provide features such as physical security, power, and infrastructure; Clients, on the other hand, have access to their servers and storage facilities. Other than this, the facility space pertaining to rack, cage, or room is leased and various collocation data centers, nowadays, are increasing their services portfolio to include managed services that complement their client’s strategic business goals and objectives.

Although there are many reasons that encourage business owners to choose collocation instead of developing their own enterprise data centers, the most cause for their decision is CAPEX, or capital expenditures, which are linked to the construction of a large building or operating a computing facility.

Typically, collocation data centers were immensely popular with private companies, mainly because of its data recovery benefits. However, it is now being utilized by cloud service providers a lot more frequently.

In addition, collocation is an extremely efficient solution for some enterprises, though there are certain drawbacks. The higher the distance in moving and manually touching devices, the greater tend to be travel costs. In these circumstances, clients that use collocation services are locked in long-term contracts, which prevent them from the possibility of re-negotiating prices when they experience operational difficulties.

For this reason, it is essential that companies evaluate their collocation service level agreements (SLAs) to judge whether they are in a position to oversee and manage a lack of cash and funds due to unexpected hidden charges.

Benefit of Managed Service Provider s

Posted on by ldavidson

Most businesses are limited by the initial investment which is required to develop the working structure of the organization as well as to create its physical elements. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in the IT industry used to face the same dilemma initially, as a lot of capital was required to establish physical resources such as network centers, servers and database systems that form the backbone of most IT services.

Recently, MSPs have new partners available to them that allow them to overcome their limited financial capacity to rapidly expand business from the first day onwards. This allows them to spend more in organizational hierarchy as well as in developing more complex products and aggressive marketing strategies.

Here, we compare the traditional model of IT services which have front end costs and compare it with the new model where third party hardware services are available for hire.

Analysis of Traditional MSPs

The analysis of a traditional MSP shows that the business starts with investing a great deal in static resources such as establishing a Network Operating Center (NOC) and similar facilities. There are also costs that are attached with recruiting the talent required to take care of these network facilities, although there is currently no revenue stream to cover their costs.

The business therefore, starts with a large negative offset and already has financial strain. As the MSP finds clients, it is able to use the hardware that it has, to take care of work each day. The organization also has to invest in new resources whenever it wants an expansion in the future or simply for maintaining the current network.

A simple look at the initial investment and the average time taken to reach customers reveals that most traditional MSPs run in the negative at least for the first year. They gradually start to make profits as customers come on board. The business has a lot of fixed costs that it has to pay regardless of receiving any business.

Business expansion is also difficult in this model as it requires reinvestment to buy new devices as well as more experts to maintain the growing network. The fixed operational costs are extremely corrosive in this model and dampen the profit making capability of the industry. These problems are reduced though, when we take a look now at the new model that MSPs can use.

Analysis of MSPs that Use RMM/NOC Partnerships

Now, if we compare the performance of modern MSPs who can form a partnership with an existing RMM/NOC service provider, we find that the dynamics of the business costs change completely. Third party services are usually based on the amount and time of resource used, which means that there are no capital requirements for taking these services from the other company.

An MSP which employs a third party NOC service can start its business operations from day one. These services are availed in exchange of a fee, which is far cheaper than having to install all the network services. The business quickly starts to make money as clients are found and in all probabilities, a partnered MSP will achieve a positive balance book in a maximum of two quarters.

It saves costs not only in terms of not buying the equipment, but it also saves money because very few experts are required to manage the offered services as the upkeep of physical devices is the responsibility of the NOC partner.

This presents a low risk model that allows the MSP to think innovatively about the services it can offer because it is sure that it can support any new service by simply renting out more utilities from their technology partner. This model reaches a positive cash flow very quickly and it has a much more sustained business structure.

This business model is excellent for expansion as well. Once an MSP starts to get more clients, it can develop better service models and expand by simply making a new contract to get more physical resources to support the new clients. It offers better profits and there is little chance of failure even if the number of clients is reduced.

A Brief Comparison

All businesses have variable expenses. They are difficult to control, but the real difference that appears between the two MSP service models is that you can confirm the fixed expenses in the third party technology partnership model. It is achieved by paying a fee to the partner who allows a business to have complete knowledge of its expenses.

This means that it is easier to control these known expenses and ensure that all the revenues that are received from the clients produce a profit for the organization. These new MSPs have their entire focus on product development and generating excellent customer relations. The first model depends on the greater utilization of the already available resources.

The traditional MSPs therefore, direct their efforts on both product development as well as an efficient use of the organizational resources. This divides the attention of the organization and results in reduced efficiency.

Outsourcing in this regard is quite helpful. An MSP can also use a hybrid model where it establishes a small amount of physical resources while also partnering with a third party for additional physical IT capabilities.

 

We are your local managed service provider in Las Vegas, Montana, and Nevada.

10 Benefits of Outsourcing IT with Managed Service Providers

Posted on by ldavidson

IT Managed service providers allow organizations to quickly receive IT support and ensure that they can start their business activities right from day one. Here are the top ten benefits of outsourcing IT services.

1.     Be Compliant and Secure

The first and the foremost concept in outsourcing IT is to ensure that your organization is compliant with the all the latest regulations that apply in the field. Managed services also provide excellent security to your network and ensure that your servers and workstations are regularly audited to ensure fair usage.

There are many activities in the business where security is a serious issue such as when wire transferring payments as well as managing work delivery to the clients. It is also important to outsource to a company that is experienced with the PCI compliance standards which can be viewed here. A good managed service will ensure that your company data is secure and you can easily contact your clients and discuss sensitive information without being fearful about security.

Teledata Technologies Managed Service Providers

2.     Competitive Edge

You need to have a competitive edge and you can only have it when your workforce is directed solely towards your customers. Hiring an IT service allows your own employees to avoid spending time in performing research and implementation of concepts. They have fixed costs so it is easier to pass on the benefits to the clients.

3.     Complete Focus on Core Business

All businesses have limited financial and human resources. By outsourcing IT services, a company can ensure that all of its efforts are geared towards the success of its core business. This allows the company hierarchy to remain focused and not be disturbed by various IT issues and tasks.

4.     Get Trained IT Help

Since most business owners are not IT qualified themselves, it is hard for them to establish if their employees are proficient in the IT industry. Certifications are often used in the IT industry to depict expertise, but real time experience is more important which is a hard to judge talent. Managed services ensure that trained professionals will be supporting your IT needs.

5.     Implementing the Latest Technology

If you outsource your IT to a reputed organization, then you have the support to immediately start on new and complex projects. You may find it hard to prepare the required support using in house talent as it may require a lot of training and working hours. IT companies already have the right talent and allow you to quickly apply the latest technology for your business needs.

6.     Managed Services Provide Experienced Help

Leading IT service providers have the benefit of being experienced in resolving all the issues that arise within the technological support. A network problem may be alien for an in-house team, but a service provider commonly resolves these issues on a daily basis which gives them an edge, especially for small and medium scale organizations.

7.     In Line with the Industry Giants

Small businesses often struggle to compete with industry giants because they have superior support elements such as a vast IT department. Outsourcing helps small companies get access to the same quality of service and ensures that a better cost structure and economy of scale allows your business to outperform its larger industry counterparts.

8.     Reduced IT Costs

Outsourcing takes away all the costs that are attached with setting up a network support department. This reduces the initial IT costs and creates pay-per-use IT services model.

9.     Reduced Labor Needs

The establishment of IT also requires special employment needs. Experienced IT staff is rare and quite expensive. Outsourcing eliminates the need for employing IT professionals and this reduces the working structure of the organization.

10.   Risk Reduction

The last benefit is also a crucial one. Risk management and reduction is an important concept in all businesses. All business activities carry a certain risk including IT services. By employing a managed service, a business transfers the risk to the IT partner. The fixed costs allow better risk analysis and therefore a company is able to perform the best in terms of risk reduction.

 

About Networx:

We’re the smart choice for a better network. With the backing of our industry-leading partners, we provide cutting edge information management along with the best service and support in the industry. Networx Technologies is a leader in delivering superior Cloud Computing, Information Management, and IT Solutions. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff ensure that Networx is well-equipped to serve as your single point of accountability for all of your technology needs.

 

How Data Centers Work?

Posted on by ldavidson

Introduction

Despite the adoption and rapid advancement in the cloud computing paradigm, there is still a growing need for organizations to manage and store data efficiently within their local area network. On-premises data storage is thus becoming a key concern to help organizations be able to process voluminous amounts of data in an increasingly data-driven economy.

Information technology trends such as Big Data and Internet of Things, for instance, given their immense potential for competitive advantages and organizational growth, require far more storage and processing requirements than what are currently available.

While the focus of cloud computing is to provide data storage capabilities off-premises, data centers revolve around on-premises data. Firms that successfully utilize data centers are able to benefit from a range of advantages, leading to greater organizational value and growth. This is particularly important in a fiercely competitive industry where the company that leverages data the best wins the game. Large scale hospitals, market research companies, retail organizations, and government agencies all are reliant on handling data to ensure efficient customer service through best practices and procedures.

In fact, a growing number of companies are tapping into the benefits of data centers to ensure smooth flow of data processing capabilities within their organization. For this reason, it is imperative that managers understand what data centers are, how they function, what are the different features and issues in data centers, and how data centers are anticipated to evolve in the future.

What are Data Centers?

Tech target defines data center as,

“A centralized repository, either physical or virtual, for the storage, management, and dissemination of data and information organized around a particular body of knowledge or pertaining to a particular business. “

An example of a data center is the NCDC (National Climatic Data Center), which consists of the largest database of weather. In the case of a private company, a data center exists either as a separate facility or within premises. Data is not stored online, but rather on-premises.

Data centers are very large in size, similar to large mainframe computers, and require regular maintenance for smooth functioning. In some cases, the size of a data center can take up an entire building or number of buildings, in which network servers are running on a constant basis.

Also known as server farms, data centers provide a host of critical functions including data storage, data backup and recovery, networking and data management. Additionally, data centers can also handle other services such as cloud data storage and applications, instant messaging and e-mail, e-commerce, and a range of other services. Private companies and organizations usually utilize data centers for meeting telecommunications needs. Organizations that operate web-based call centers or onsite phone systems across a large network will find data centers particularly useful.

Data centers are used in a variety of private and public sector to access, store, and process volumes of data efficiently. A New York Times source reported that there are approximately 3 million data centers, and the number is only expected to rise in the years to come.

Different types of Data Centers

Data centers exist in many different types, each of which that offer unique capabilities and features. It is crucial for managers to know these types and its differences so that they can invest in one that meets their organizational needs and objectives. Some of these are as follows.

In-House Data Centers

These data centers are operated by the organization using their own facilities. The particular organization will invest in a data center that meets industry requirements and ensure the design and construction of it is according to its on-premises space and supporting technology.

Colocation Data Centers

In such data centers, equipment is housed and provided for third parties. A company can choose to invest in a collocation data center to provide its client with higher bandwidth through access to networks of major carriers or through outsourced services. Companies of all sizes and industries can benefit from a colocation data center.

Wholesale Data Centers

These cater to fewer companies with data storage requirements much higher than in collocation data centers. It operates similar to a leased warehouse in which the company will choose to offer data center services to clients. All maintenance issues will be handled by the company or provider, and all clients will be able to retain control of their hardware equipments.

Advantages of Data Centers

Organizations and institutions that utilize data centers benefit from a number of advantages pertaining to cost, efficiency, and greater data resilience. Let’s look at these in further detail.

Cost efficiency

Efficient data centers enable organizations to benefit from fewer instances of downtime issues and higher performance. In this way, costs pertaining to upgrades, maintenance, and disruptions are minimized, resulting in higher cost savings. While investments in data centers can be substantial, its efficiency ensures costs are minimized over the long run in the form of greater network performance and data management.

Greater data control

Organizations also benefit from exercising greater control of their data through a centralized approach to data storage and management. Users have greater visibility of their data since multiple files and folders become much easier to manage. In this way, duplication of data is avoided and managers can ensure no important data is left out in refocusing their IT and business strategies.

Disaster recovery

Since data centers also provide backup and recovery services, organizations can ensure all their critical data and information assets are in safe hands. This means that in the case of events, such as power outages, natural disasters, theft, or cyber attacks, confidential information pertaining to customer accounts, employee details, and future business strategies are not leaked or corrupted.

Firms that have poor risk data management practices can lose years’ worth of planning if their sensitive data becomes stolen. Data centers, on the other hand, allow firms to meet risk management objectives with greater accuracy and effectiveness.

Meet compliance requirements

Due to the nature of information available today, many firms are required by law to store and process data in ways that conform to best practices. Failure to conform to these requirements can cause them to face penalties. Data centers, thus, prove to be highly important in this regard.

How Data Centers Work?

Components

A data center is made up of a number of different components that vary according to its type. The following are some of the components you need to know about.

Servers

Servers make up for much of a data center. In fact, a data center constitutes of a plethora of servers, each consisting of a storage space, a processor, memory, and an input and output function. You may think of these servers as a compact version of a laptop, but with far greater performance and processing capacity. Although the servers do not contain any monitors, there may be monitors in separate locations to allow staff to ensure all equipments are functioning properly.

The servers can be configured to work on a particular task or run many tasks in parallel. The latter is important in the case of colocation data centers to provide a variety of data center application to a host of clients and users.

Storage equipment

These constitute a very substantial part of the data center infrastructure. The storage equipments ranges from hard disk drives and solid state drives to backup batteries, uninterruptible power supplies, backup generators, and other related equipments. The variety of storage devices are needed to store and process a variety of data, such as social media information, bank records, and e-mails. The storage equipments are usually stacked vertically in the form of racks.

Networking and cabling equipment

In addition to storage and server equipment, a data center also requires equipment for networking and cabling. This is essential to provide users with a high internet bandwidth depending on the type of data center in use. Wholesale data centers, for instance, will consist of a greater number of cabling and networking hardware so that users are able to manage greater datasets.

The many components used for this include switches, routers, NICs (Network Interface Controllers) and cabling. The type of cabling also varies; organizations can choose from a range of coaxial, copper, plastic, or fiber optic cables to balance speed and safety.

Power supply

Data centers should be organized to run efficiently in case of a power outage or other emergencies. The objective of the electrical equipment should be to ensure the smooth flow of electricity from the utility grid to the IT equipment. Usually, a data center is connected to two separate electricity grids. This is done to ensure that the data center can still operate and maintain its performance should one grid fail to deliver electricity.

Depending on the type of data center, it will consist of a number of backup diesel generators that are capable of producing more than 20 megawatts of power. Another key aspect of effective electricity infrastructure is that the diesel motors are always kept heated so that no time is wasted on data management in the wake of any kind of problems.

Block batteries are also important in making sure all application can be operated in such situations. Lastly, ATS (Automatic Transfer Switches) are also used to provide smooth transition of power from the electricity grid to the backup generators.

Cooling

Data centers run on a 24/7 basis, causing a substantial amount of heat to be generated. Ensuring it operates smoothly without facing any interruption or electrical hazards requires an efficient cooling infrastructure. Its objective is primarily to ensure that the heat generated is removed properly so that it does not cause the data center to shut down.  The cooling infrastructure functions similarly to a fan for limiting the heat produced in a laptop or desktop computer.

The cooling systems comprises of a number of CRACs (Computer Room Air Conditioners) or CRAHs (Computer Room Air Handlers). These are kept cold through the use of a number of super-cooling units, usually six, with around 300,000 liters of water kept at 4 degrees Celsius. The purpose of using such a large quantity of ice-cold water is to provide a fail-safe mechanism should the cooling system fail.

It also relies on an efficient arrangement of servers to allow cool air to flow from the floor and through the racks of servers, causing the heat to be dissipated. The temperature of the cool generally lies between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Security

Given the substantial amount of data stored in the servers, it is critical for organizations to ensure their data centers are equipped with a considerable amount of security features. Data centers that provide e-commerce transaction capabilities, for instance, are exposed to a range of risks. It is important that organizations implement a number of steps to ensure their data centers are kept secure from both internal and external factors.

One of the most important steps is to provide a single point of entrance and a back exit door. This will not only help keep costs low, but also limit entry points to authorized personnel. In this way, companies can mitigate internal security risks.

A second way to embed security is to have a robust system in place to identify and eliminate potential threats. This can be done through the use of efficient server monitoring software and tools that can manage DRAC and ILO service processors and oversee all alerts when risks are imminent.

Also, you can secure your mouse, keyboards, and video systems through a secure password or authorization code for personnel so that only staff that are authorized are able to access data centers.

What to look for in an effective Data center?

If you are a business that is looking to invest in a data center for your industry needs, you must take the following guidelines into account to ensure you make the most of it.

Simplicity

The easier it is for you to handle and maintain your data center, the more likely it will be for you to be able to use it effectively and meet your organizational goals and objectives. The entire infrastructure should be simple to understand and operate so that you have fewer chances of making errors or require constant upgrades and replacements.

Scalability

The scalability of your data center will have a great bearing on the number of years you can use it for. To decide on what data center size is the best fit for your needs, you need to review your future goals and objectives, your budget, your facility size and space, and whether you have the manpower and expertise available to manage the multiple components of the data center.

This is particularly important if you are planning to expand and will require investing in many onsite phone systems or other types of office telephone systems. The same is applicable for organizations using call center software or telephone recording software solutions.

Flexibility

You should also make sure that all the components of the data center infrastructure are easily upgradable. The components must be easy to service or repair should it become faulty and its structure should be easy to adjust and move around to suit your on-premises space.

End Note

Datacenters are becoming necessary for organizations to effectively store and manage large volumes of data. If you are a business that is looking for a solution to a number of multiline business phones or telephone recording software systems, a data center can enable you to meet your requirements.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Posted on by ldavidson

Is mobile device management (MDM) turning into enterprise mobility management (EMM)? Given how many SMEs and enterprises are embracing the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model, it is plausible to think that MDM is transitioning to EMM as part of a comprehensive mobility strategy of a firm to reduce downtime between tasks via remote access of the network.

MDM is now a necessity for businesses, but it’s not a solution. In reality, it is only part of the solution which is EMM, and businesses are realizing that. One of the main realizations has not been that of moving to the BYOD model, but how to ensure security of corporate data and uphold privacy standards.

Outlook of MDM

Security must remain paramount and be established through a set of security policies in-line with the integration of mobile device management systems. One of the common mistake businesses make in moving towards MDM is not updating the existing security policies, despite that they change the workflow in order to accommodate more mobility. That’s when your business is prone to be hit with a hefty fine for noncompliance if things go wrong.

Since MDM is not necessarily the solution (only in a few cases), a business has to realize that MDM is a part of an overall strategy to promote mobility in the workplace. It refers to the management of personal and company devices including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices that can be used to access the company network and systems. MDM should allow the IT staff to shut down devices remotely in case they are lost, stolen, or if there is a potential security threat.

Outlook of EMM

As the integration of BYOD models in various workplaces continues to grow, the concern for a growing number of corporate data in personal smartphones and mobile devices is evident. A typical executive-level employee has access to company emails, contact details, internal reports, and more. The fine line between where work life starts and where it ends gets blurry by the day, only increasing the need to have comprehensive EMM policies that promote security, maintain privacy, and provide transparency.

BYOD is quite a simple concept, but its application is what is complex. Management plays a crucial role in adopting EMM strategies that ensure that the convenience of BYOD does not compromise productivity, collaboration, security, and privacy of personal and corporate data. Companies that have existing EMM frameworks must not stop at management and security, but must move towards more collaboration and analytical reporting on BYOD. This allows a business to proactively respond to changes in regulations, the market, and the nature of the workflow, while providing crucial information that can be used to drive decision making.

Sources:

http://www.endpointprotector.com/solutions/bring_your_own_device_byod

http://solutionsreview.com/mobile-device-management/good-luck-deploying-mobile-device-management-without-these-key-features/

http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/mobile-security/316849-the-changing-ways-it-is-dealing-with-mobile-devices