Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
or traditional, data centers often had multiple software platforms to support a diversified
software ecosystem, which also affected the kind of hardware used. Cloud data centers
are homogenous both in software and hardware, so optimization is simpler. Cloud data
centers are designed and configured to cater to a virtually infinite number of users, while
traditional data centers are meant to serve only the capacity of the organization and maybe
some third parties such as partners and customers.
Since data centers are enormous investments for a company, meant to provide a signifi-
cant return on investment (ROI) in the long term, great planning is required.
According to the white paper produced by Network System Architects (
www.nsai.net/
White_Paper-Planning_A_Data_Center.pdf
), the following are key points to consider in
the planning stages for a data center:
Floor space
■
Power requirements and conditioning, including backup and uninterruptible
power supplies
■
Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC) and fire prevention systems
■
Network connectivity and security
■
Support and maintenance strategy
■
Business continuity and disaster recovery
■
Logical security
■
Floor Space Consideration
One important consideration is the building that the data center would be located in, espe-
cially the floor space. You must consider the overall weight of the data center, including all
the equipment and even the flooring itself, especially if it is to be located in floors higher
than the ground floor. The capacity rating of the building must be considered when the
center needs to be placed above ground level, which is often the case in areas that are prone
to flooding. The floor and floor tiles require special consideration because potentially heavy
loads from equipment are concentrated in small floor areas. We are, of course, referring to
the racks themselves. Each rack has a different rating according to its function. So let's con-
sider one rated for 2,000 pounds. That means that each foot (caster) of the rack has a point
load of 500 pounds, which needs to be carried by one or two square inches of floor space,
and if tiles are used, we have to consider that one or two rack casters can occupy the same
tile. So we must make sure that each tile is able to handle the weight that is placed upon it.
Raised flooring is often the choice of many designers because it gives the best flexibility in
terms of network and electrical cabling and offers a cheaper alternative to open-air cooling
because you would need to cool only the air beneath the floor and within the racks.
Power Considerations
Data centers by virtue of their purpose require a lot of power, which makes this an important
consideration that must be addressed very early on. Power coming from the main electrical
grid is not often stable and will fluctuate depending on the time of the day as the overall load
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