Things You Need to Know for Effective Data Center Management

Today’s knowledge workers will live by the availability of accurate and complete data at all times. All businesses irrespective of their size rely on the availability of data and adequate tools to process the same. Big data analysts are now the hot jobs in any industry. Even legacy methods of managing data are being migrated to more flexible and modern data management systems, some simple while some others more complex and integrated for large scale commercial houses. At the core of this paradigm shift is the data itself. To be able to plan to procure data, track it, manage and analyze this data is wholly contingent on being able to store this information securely and the importance of data center infrastructure management has never been so high.

The core principles to managing data still form the strong foundation of selecting a data center solution most suited to your needs. Data integrity, availability, consistency, reliability and security are pivotal fundamentals that need to be safeguarded irrespective of the method adopted for managing your information. An ideal data center should not dilute these basics while still being able to cope up with your business needs and expected growth. Planning for such a solution is often a neglected step in the entire process of building a data center. However, it is imperative to look at this stage rigorously to fully utilize whatever solution you pick. Reach a consensus about the functional scope of the project, budgets, schedules, IT infrastructure and resources dedicated to the project, redundancy requirements and cost imperatives, not only at the present time, but also taking a view of your business’ future goals. Prioritizing amongst your various goals, will help you achieve the maximum benefits when you look at either deploying a new solution or migrating your legacy system to a new one.

The next stage of the process is design and derives entirely from the planning stage. Once your plan is ready, design elements to meet all your imperatives will take over. For example, if you need to save on electricity consumption, a detailed analysis of your usage can help design wattage optimally. Efficient air management and cooling systems can drastically reduce operating costs thus meeting any cost constraints.

Effective utilization of space with a need to scale up your infrastructure can also be met through simple but sound design principles. Building emergency response elements is also increasingly gaining importance.

Once you have designed a system, an ongoing requirement to ensure you reap the returns from your data center is to manage the center’s functioning without breakdowns. Cohesion between the external service providers, internal IT teams and their internal customers i.e. line managers would determine the ability of the solution to cope with new demands as well as exigencies. Frequent meetings will help build a deeper understanding of any constraints or trends that emerge in the business landscape and pre-empt requirements.

Managing and monitoring power supplies, conducting regular continuity of business checks and periodic training and testing of on-site maintenance personnel should be built into the fabric of the operating protocol.

A holistic data center solution is one that not only provides you with the physical tools to manage your business effectively, but also supports growing demands of both internal and external customers in a pocket-friendly and timely manner.