Data Centers - Cloud Computing

Data Centers

The term Data Center has grown over the past 10 years or so to include numerous networking facilities, however a clear definition of what constitutes a Data Center can be found in EN 50600-1: "Design of Data Centres" standard:

"A structure to house computer systems, networking systems, data storage and associated components including all installed technical infrastructure systems such as power distribution, environmental control, telecommunications cabling and all pathways and spaces."

In a recent Gartner survey, when respondents were asked what the three most important drivers of strategic change in their organisation's data center would be through the end of 2011, business continuity and availability came in first, with 50% of respondents. The second and third most commonly mentioned drivers were cost containment initiatives - with 37% of respondents - and maintaining or improving user service levels and satisfaction - with 36% of respondents.

Server virtualisation is a major current trend in increasing the efficiency of Data Centers however it can lead to stresses in the supporting connectivity infrastructure that need to be addressed at the same time.

Dave Cappuccio, chief of infrastructure research at Gartner says that "The new data centers are not like the old ones. Organizations need to make a break with the past and realize that innovation in data center design will yield both reduced capital and operating expenditure. Think small, think dense - the objective is the highest compute performance per kilowatt."

Gartner goes on to advise vendors to help customers to be strategic with their network infrastructure rather than continue to take a silo approach.

The inference from all these issues is that there will be huge pressures on Data Centre Managers to maintain high levels of agile Data Center service availability, whilst reducing costs and they will be looking to their suppliers to help them achieve this.

TE Connectivity has over a decade of real world experience in partnering with many of the World's most successful Data Center designers, builders and users. We are strategically placed to provide some of the most influential, experience based advice to Data Center Infrastructure managers that will enable them to implement the most cost effective, future proof connectivity infrastructure quickly and efficiently - leaving them with more time to work on their issues with active equipment, cooling and power consumption.

The term cloud is simply a metaphor for the "internet" and has been derived from the "cloud" diagram commonly drawn to represent "the internet" or previously a computer or telephone network where the cloud represents a mass of inter-connected equipment such as computers, servers and storage devices. The size, power and location of these devices should not be a worry to us - all we need to know is that we can plug into the "cloud" and send and receive data to and from it without worrying how it happens.

"Cloud Computing" is the next developmental stage of the internet. It is where the computing services (hardware and software) that would traditionally be located on the physical network, within your building, are migrated into the cloud - enabling you to access both computing and hardware services wherever you are and whenever you want them.

Thus the physical computers, storage and software applications become a service which you typically access locally and pay for as you go or on a contract basis. The terms "Cloud" and "Cloud Computing" are everywhere at the moment and there is a lot of hype surrounding them, what they can do, how you need to be part of it etc. At any one time, similar amounts of computing, hardware, software and connectivity will be required (actually more will be required in line with data growth) but it is where that equipment will be located that is important and whether the Data Center Managers decide to "own" that infrastructure (CAPEX) or whether they decide to pay a charge for it (OPEX) as a service. One of the main selling points for the cloud approach is that you are able to flex the amount of service, and by implication computing assets, that you are paying for as your business demand flexes. Cloud computing advocates believe this provides the user with benefits both in terms of cost & service agility.

These services can either be through the ‘public cloud' or part of a ‘private cloud'. In a private cloud, some of the service providers computing assets are clearly designated for use by a specific client organisation, primarily to address perceived security concerns.  This level of dedicated resources can be further extended by bringing these private cloud assets back into the enterprise or even back into enterprise ownership itself, retaining some of the flexibility and ‘on demand' nature of the cloud network architecture.

TE Connectivity can provide advice, support and implementation solutions for Data Centre and LAN Managers whether they have developed their strategic plans and are looking to deploy or if they are still in the development stage.

TE Connectivity has over a decade of real world experience in partnering with many of the World's most successful Data Centre designers, builders and users. We are strategically placed to provide some of the most influential, experience based advice to Data Centre Infrastructure managers that will enable them to implement the most cost effective, future proof connectivity infrastructure quickly and efficiently leaving them with more time to work on their issues with active equipment, cooling and power consumption.

For further information visit our Data Center solutions web pages where you can download our Data Center Solutions brochures here or contact your local representative.

Product Focus - Pre-terminated Fibre Solutions for 10, 40 & 100 Gbits/s Applications

MPO Fiber connectivity MPOptimate

• MPOptimate is the leading pre-terminated fiber optic solution, incorporating MPO connectivity, on the market today
• The MPOptimate system is the only system on the market which is capable of meeting both current and future design and applications requirements.
• 40 and 100 Gb/s Ethernet applications, in particular, require much higher precision and a tighter system design approach.
• All MPOptimate products are factory pre-terminated and tested. They are designed primarily for fast and reliable operations in Data Center applications but can provide similar performance benefits for backbone applications in office environments
• The latest developments for 10G, 40G and 100G standards have resulted in more stringent levels of power loss budgets. This has had an impact on the maximum values of insertion loss (IL) and return loss (RL).allowed in a link.
• The MPOptimate preterminated solution delivers the lowest Insertion Loss (IL) and the highest Return Loss (RL) values in a multiple cassette configuration. Configurations using up to 6 cassettes create more flexibility in the design of an end-to-end optical channel for the next generation of Data Centers.

This results in the design & the deployment of a data center infrastructure not being restricted by any limiting factors associated with the physical layer thereby providing flexibility, scalability and modularity to meet the specific business requirements.
 

For more information on TE Connectivity's MPOptimate system please click here