Improving the efficiency of data centres

Good data and information management has long been recognised as a crucial issue for business, so smoothly run data centres are essential to keep companies competitive in their markets. However there is now more pressure than ever for companies to deliver faster and cheaper data centres, as the amount of data being processed is increasingly rapidly. By 2015, there will double the amount of data processed as there was in 2007, which means that good technology is needed to meet this demand. At the same time, economic circumstances have increased the pressure IT departments are facing to reduce operational costs without compromising on safety or security, as well as improving energy efficiency and reducing power consumption.

Many companies are therefore looking to streamline their data centres and improve their operational efficiency, and to do so they must look seriously at their network infrastructures. Many businesses forget about the difference that structured cabling can make in supporting key operational, economic, energy saving and growth requirements.

For a start, organisations need an optimal solution of both fibre and copper cabling, using fibre in the backbone and copper at the network edge. This will provide the most efficient infrastructure, giving the necessary longevity to a data centre that will now be expected to last for 15 to 20 years. Businesses also need to choose high quality cabling that can provide easy and efficient migration paths to predicted higher bandwidths of 40G and even 100G. In order to do this, we recommend that companies use OM3 or OM4 multimode fibre for switch to switch connections or, for connecting servers, a Cat 7A cabling solution with GG45 connectors which provides backwards compatibility with legacy equipment whilst still supporting higher bandwidths without the need for requiring refurbishment or re-installation.

In addition, high grade copper cabling systems such as Cat 7A are designed to make the most of energy saving initiatives such as Energy Efficient Ethernet. Features such as Wake-on-LAN, in which devices are switched off when idle and brought back to life ready for communication on receipt of a 'magic packet', can significantly reduce an organisation's power consumption and improve energy efficiency.

Companies need to remember that the design and architecture of data centres is crucial to ensure that they remain agile and flexible enough to respond to fluctuating business demand. It's a bit like designing a house - you can have the best materials in the world but if you put your bath in the middle of the kitchen it will still be fairly useless. It is crucial that organisations put the right things in the right places in their data centres. The first question that organisations need to ask is whether to use top-of-rack, end-of-row or middle-of-row designs. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks, but generally speaking the latter two offer the most flexibility and agility as they can accommodate future changes more easily and cost effectively.

Organisations often have limited space in their data centres so need to use high density panels, racks and cabinets to make efficient use of space available, and should also make the most of pre-manufactured and pre-tested cable assemblies which reduce the installation time required. By focusing on the long-term, regarding the infrastructure as a structured cabling utility rather than simply a patching system and investing in the best solutions available, businesses will see long-term efficiency benefits and increased ROI as changes to network and increased bandwidth requirements can be implemented without additional cost.

In addition to implementing the best cabling infrastructure solution, organisations also need to ensure that they have the right management tools in place to monitor physical connections in real time. This can help in planning, controlling and reporting and bring operational improvements. There can often be complex arrangements between the facilities and IT departments regarding who is managing what aspect of a data centre, but by using the best tools available both departments can work together to manage the physical infrastructure, increase security through IP traffic controls and alerts, and increase energy savings through power and environmental monitoring.

Businesses are facing increasing bandwidth requirements and a need for constant uptime, meaning that data centre efficiency is more important than ever before. By planning carefully and making the most of new technologies and tools, organisations can ensure that their data centres are efficient and long-lasting.