http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Console/XmlSyndication/Display/RSS.asp?xsid=66C949F2CF2A471683C9ACB7857269BB DatacenterDynamics FOCUS Magazine - Editor's Blog - Ambrose McNevin http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=5BAD79C807FC4E2C8D7B57D18FC9D761 You would expect lots of cloud and virtualization announcements from Vmworld, the conference being held this week in San Francisco. There are many partners talking about they can integrate, augment or build services upon vCloud. Step forward Verizon, EMC, HP, and others. What is a slight surprise is that there are hardware announcements coming from the show. It actually started last week, during the last week of August. Usually that week can be a desert for news. However, thanks to the good people at VMware and their decision to straddle the end of August and start of September by hosting VMworld this week we got lots of pre-pre announcements. \Then in the week itself there was product news from Samsung and Dell is even using the event to tout its containized data centers. These stories are covered on our news pages. This is good news for the data center sector, and of course, great news for Vmware. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST 5BAD79C807FC4E2C8D7B57D18FC9D761 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=D37C48FC801D4CACB0A0DB5BF4376EED The UK's Atomic Weapons Establishment (a wonderfully English name) has a new supercomputer. It has 2,160 (6 core) processors in 1080 blades with 750TB of storage. Peak performance is 145 TeraFlops (trillions of calculations per second). We were talking in the office the other day about a suitable definition for 'Extreme Computing.' This fits the bill. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST D37C48FC801D4CACB0A0DB5BF4376EED http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=AC4DA6D533584BEEBB7C5CBBFB5BBDAF Proof, if it were needed, that the data center represents the key target market for all things business IT, came this week in the form of the emphasis put on the sector by none other than Michael Dell. Commenting on its Q2 results the only quote form the man who built his fortune by bolting together PC components and who returned as CEO to sort out the company he founded, began: “We continue to strengthen our portfolio of data center solutions...' Meanwhile over at rival HP, which has its own problems at CEO level, the Technology Solutions division reported a 1% drop in revenue for its Q3. Earlier this year HP embarked on a marketing campaign focused on all things mission critical. While these efforts were unlikely to deliver instant results, it will be interesting to see how things go in the final quarter. With a new CEO on the horizon, the pressure is on. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST AC4DA6D533584BEEBB7C5CBBFB5BBDAF http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=2D170B728F1743B98BDEB0CEA27B006C It is a good thing that manufacturers are emphasising the energy efficient operation of their processors. The latest is IBM which announced a raft of Power7 chip based tin today. IBM joins Intel and AMD in slashing the power used by its products. By now everyone has heard of the Green Grid’s PUE and its definition: ‘The Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric identifies data center infrastructure efficiency by comparing the total amount of energy consumed by the data center to the total amount of energy consumed by the Information Technology (IT) equipment.’ A simple, many will say simplistic, question: What will this continued reduction in server energy use do to data center PUE numbers? Of course, the goal is not only about efficiency. The goal is what a Clarkson* might call Uuuumph! Or Whuuuuof!. It is or course also about Performance. *For those of you fortunate enough not to know what a Clarkson is, be content to live in ignorance. Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST 2D170B728F1743B98BDEB0CEA27B006C http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=8258B68CDCA744E0998C3C788D130C7A Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software is a relatively new category so I was delighted to have a briefing with Jon Temple, CEO of supplier nlyte Software. Nothing unusual about that except that at the time of the interview two of the people on the call, one of them being me, were in separate Taxis. This led to the interview being somewhat truncated, first by me alighting for a trip to an ATM and again by me arriving at the DCD office. Despite these interruptions Jon remained focused throughout. I especially enjoyed his answer when I asked if there was a threat from large software companies moving into the DCIM space: 'Don't confuse intent with capability,' he said. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST 8258B68CDCA744E0998C3C788D130C7A http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=4D55C8A83ED642259185252817C82A0E Today, somewhere just outside London I was en-route to a meeting at a data center. Having picked up a colleague at the local train station we drove towards our destination. En route, to our left we saw a large warehouse type building surrounded by some pretty impressive 4metre fencing. It looked the part so we pulled of the highway and up the slip road. Faced with an electronic gate and with no obvious means of communication I spotted a man on the other side of the gate walking across the car park. "Excuse me," I roared, "is this a data center?" "Yes." he shouted back. "Does it belong to 'X'? I continued. "No," he bellowed, "they are just down the road, past next turning and the third gate on the right." It is great to know that all that time and effort being put into security training is paying off. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST 4D55C8A83ED642259185252817C82A0E http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=2AAFA1CC910944DBABF11C527ABAA968 Cloud Computing, it's everywhere. From cloud ready server architectures to efficiently cooling a data center, delivering unpredictable variable load the challenges of operating a data center tasked with delivering the promises of on-demand computing are huge - what could be simpler than automaticially re-routing power within and between data centers as demand shifts? So FOCUS decided to examine how cloud ready are IT and Facilities. The result is our dedicated Cloud Section which appeared in Issue 10 of FOCUS magazine. However the Cloud is so important we also separated it out as a standalone supplement which is available to view on this site. If you want to examine in detail the issues around powering and cooling a cloud data center, some of the governance issues, see what servers are available and read the experiences of NASA's chief architect of the space agency's Nebula cloud system then make sure you read the full FOCUS on Cloud. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST 2AAFA1CC910944DBABF11C527ABAA968 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=1B5DAE035D764B9691A816EB46FF7C97 Just before the FIFA Football World Cup Started - and I admit I am a football fan, I even watched South Korea v. Greece - there were dire warnings that corporate networks might come under strain as office workers watched the games through video streaming services such as the BBC's iPlayer or commercial broadcaster ITV's equivalent - ITVplayer. UK based Star Networks and network edge content delivery provider Akamai were among those to highlight potential problems. With the USA securing an honourable draw against England on Saturday it means that by the time England face Slovenia in their final group game on June 23rd - kick off is during office hours - the strain might start to show, and not just on the network. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST 1B5DAE035D764B9691A816EB46FF7C97 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=A5CB6DF14A8E4EB98040BBB6C2D6B9F9 When a group of industry leaders expressed concern to ASHRAE about proposed changes to the 90.1 Standard in an open letter on a public google blog it raised some key issues about efficient energy use. In a broader sense it again showed that the data center industry has specific requirements and as with any regulation or standard it must have its specific needs taken into account. A data center is a unique commercial building. While measuring what goes in is often easier than measuring what comes out of a data center the industry knows it must continuously strive for strive efficiency. ASHRAE – and especially the TC 9.9 committee knows the data center industry well. Other regulators are not so knowledgeable. Regulations can be blunt instruments. For example there is a campaigns being waged to have data centers removed from the binds of the UK Carbon Reduction Commitment. What must be avoided is inappropriate regulation which fails to take into account the demands of data center operation. Regulators, wherever they may be need to understand this. You can read the views of ASHRAE and the industry in the current issue of FOCUS magazine. Read the digital edition for instant access. Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST A5CB6DF14A8E4EB98040BBB6C2D6B9F9 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=EE787F714B47412CBFCE6EEB7242CE02 While the US delights or despairs in news that President Obama's health bill will pass into law - we must be aware that next up will come the Energy bill. If the US manages to define an energy policy and then pass it into law -we can expect massive impact on the data center sector. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST EE787F714B47412CBFCE6EEB7242CE02 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=11686BA817E047B8A8A351DD42CAE341 The Opposition Conservative Party today issued its Technology Manifesto for the forthcoming UK general election. No mention of data centers but it does say that it will 'transform our electricity networks with 'smart grid' and 'smart meter' technology that automatically matches supply and demand.' Sounds great. And expensive. To quote Ron Bowman in our feature Is The Smart Grid An Intelligent Move? from the current DatacenterDynamicsFOCUS: Building a smart grid is 'incredibly expensive.' There are good ideas in there also with commitments to building expertise in engineering and IT and high tech industries. Look out for our public sector coverage in the next issue of the magazine. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST 11686BA817E047B8A8A351DD42CAE341 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=1FA49171C4A74711AECE07620EEA8EC8 Confidence is difficult to quantify. To my knowledge there is no empirical method for measuring confidence - though I stand to be corrected by my fellow blogger Nick Parfitt our DCD Research Director, a man who knows a lot more about these things than I. To me confidence is relative - measured against the challenges faced, such as an opposition team or tough business conditions. But judging from the atmosphere at the 2010 DatacenterDynamics New York conference ( the 8th for DCD and my 2nd) confidence is certainly on the up. If the conversations that took place yesterday in New York are a yard stick for confidence then business looks like it is transitioning from shocked to normal. The tone was not over confident - though this being New York they don't do quiet and what is quietly confident for the Big Apple could easily be construed as outright arrogance anywhere else - but as our Tri-State friends would say: 'Hey, whaddya are you gonna do? Business is good.' Look out for the news and other reports from the event over the coming days and in the next issue of DatacenterDynamicsFOCUS. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST 1FA49171C4A74711AECE07620EEA8EC8 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=85DC2FA112BD41A991DECAFA9522DADE The mega scale facility is now officially a live data center as it opened for business in the cold and windy North East of England this month. It really is grim up north. Sitting as it does on a branch road of an industrial park, the high tech nature of the mega scale data center near Sedgefield eight miles in from the coast and around 250 miles north of London is not obvious. This is just how the owner likes it. The security fence is painted green to blend in with the newly planted trees in the newly landscaped grounds- or at least it will come springtime. We are asked not to take pictures of the fence. We are asked not to identify the government department which will house its IT there. Though perhaps the name of the government department from whence came the honorary guest who officially opened the site a few days earlier and which is celebrated with a large brass plaque in the reception area gives a clue as to who is paying for a large part of it. The 30 or so loading docks on the road facing side make it look like some kind of distribution depot - maybe a stopover for cheap beds or IKEA furniture en route from Sweden via China. Once inside it clearly is not a warehouse - at least not in the half that has had a floor fitted 5 metres above the ground. Of the four data halls on that side of the divide each will be cooled through high volume low speed air transfer that uses filtered outside air sucked in through slanted louvres in the outside walls (these add to the boring warehouse image) and pushed up through the cold aisle contained cubes to keep the servers for central government departments and private enterprise customers at a constant 24o C. The bleakness of the location is a natural advantage. The air is often cold, the weather is often damp and the wind is always blowing. On the road to Darlington close to the Wynyard data center is a coal fired power station. So power to the site is not an issue and the design uses the cooling that comes with the territory. It is grim up north, but most places in the Northern hemisphere look bleak in February and heavy industry is rarely conventionally pretty. The new data center does at least mean that in the 21st century there exists a continuum of the industrial age. And for our friends in the north this is good news... (a full report with pictures will be available on the main site soon) Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST 85DC2FA112BD41A991DECAFA9522DADE http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=2D50C5877FF141D1BCB410D487BA8903 The Feb/March edition of DatacenterDynamics Focus is available now. The digital edition can be accessed on this site: http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus . With Wall Street in the news thanks to President Obama's plans for the banks our cover feature could not be more timely. Huge investments have been made and more are planned to provide proximity space and capacity to stock exchange platforms. High frequency trading is here and the demand for colo space in stock exchanges is surging. The exchanges have their own strategies and the traditional colo players and the connectivity firms have plans of their own. We've spoken with some of the biggest players and detail the latest connectivity deals that have been made in the New York area and beyond. A must read. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST 2D50C5877FF141D1BCB410D487BA8903 http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus. With Wall Street in the news thanks to President Obama's plans for the banks our cover feature could not be more timely. Huge investments have been made and more are planned to provide proximity space and capacity to stock exchange platforms. High frequency trading is here and the demand for colo space in stock exchanges is surging. The exchanges have their own strategies and the traditional colo players and the connectivity firms have plans of their own. We've spoken with some of the biggest players and detail the latest connectivity deals that have been made in the New York area and beyond. A must read.]]> http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&AudID=E5BD2FF22AF74DF3A0D5F4E519A61511&type=Blog&mod=View+Topic&mid=67D6564029914AD3B204AD35D8F5F780&tier=7&id=B095C17EAA354865889430A02004A3FD We, as you know, look forward. Our role is to tell you what is coming. But once a year we take a look back. And it is quite an interesting exercise to take stock. 12 months ago Cisco's move into the server market was being predicted with some saying the ground was being prepared for the mother of all battles. The nervous global economy put a stop to that. But theUCS was the result and its affects may be long term. In the US the IT sector wanted $40 billion in fiscal stimulus. There were some big ticket public sector data center projects announced but not dozens. The Green Grid was about to publish more metrics - this time around DCeP. Apart from PUE, the more detailed metrics have yet to achieve wide adoption or endorsement. Work continues. Today many of the issues first covered 12 months ago remain unresolved. Power considerations in everything from storage to networking. The then nascent EU code of Conduct - will it be widely adopted voluntarily? Modularity in the data center - how much is hype? Some things that looked certain to happen didn't - HSBC's York data centre - being an example and some things that should have happened by now are yet to known - a true understanding of what a Cloud Computing data centre will look like? Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST B095C17EAA354865889430A02004A3FD