5 Ways to Improve Data Center Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)
The push for greener and more efficient data centers is well underway. As a result, improving data center power usage effectiveness (PUE) is more important than ever. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are a few simple and successful methods that may help improve data center power usage effectiveness. Let’s dive into five PUE enhancements for data centers. A Recap of PUE Power usage effectiveness measures how energy-efficient a data center or IT facility is. It is a holistic evaluation of a data center’s energy consumption, including IT equipment and auxiliary systems, such as lights, cooling equipment, and more. PUE is the ratio of the total amount of energy […]
7 Common Security Threats for Data Centers
Data centers face challenges beyond maintaining equipment and software to maximize uptime, including data center security. These security threats can take many forms, but a handful of attack vectors are favored by hackers and other bad actors. The following are seven of the most common threats that data centers face. The Data Center Security Threat Landscape According to the 2022 Official Cybercrime Report, cybercrime costs will reach a total of $10.5 trillion by 2025. But even the costs of individual data breaches are also on the rise: As of 2021, the average price of a single breach perpetrated in the U.S. was $9.05 million. In 2023, to date that figure […]
Is Data Replication the Same as Data Backups?
Having a disaster recovery plan is vital. System failures and outages can happen at any time. Unfortunately, this downtime carries a lot of risk. Failures and data loss can mean noncompliance penalties, loss of revenue, and customer service interruptions. Understanding the differences between data replication and backups helps data center managers and specialists mitigate that risk. When servers and systems fail, data center managers must have a plan to restore both application functionality and critical data. Data backups and replication are two methods to accomplish this goal. This article explains these processes, shows how they compare with each other, and details where they fit in with a disaster recovery plan. […]
9 Challenges That Data Centers Are Facing Now
In the best of times, managing and operating a data center can be rewarding and lucrative. The realities of what it takes to keep a data center healthy and profitable appear when challenges arise. The world is currently experiencing economic uncertainty and data centers are grappling with their own economic challenges. With some foresight into what may happen next and the ability to adapt, data centers may be better positioned to surmount obstacles and remain in growth mode. Here are nine (9) of the current biggest challenges data centers face. Unless significant developments revolutionize the way data centers operate, these factors may continue to cause issues in data centers for […]
5 Steps For Choosing The Right Data Center Lift
Safety is one of the most important reasons for purchasing a data center lift. Some facilities may try to use warehouse lifts rather than purpose-built lifts designed specifically to transport, install, and uninstall IT equipment in data centers. Using the wrong type of lifts may cause employee injuries, damaged equipment, wasted time, and shorter equipment lifespans. Choosing the correct server-handling device to lift and move heavy servers and other rack-mounted data center equipment requires research and due diligence. Data center managers should be careful about choosing the first device they come across—or the cheapest—expecting it to perform well and prevent costly accidents. It is also important to factor in the […]
Comparing Data Center Lift Cost Versus Return On Investment
When evaluating the cost of a new data center purchase, price is often an outsized factor. Items that you know are essential and needed, even safety-related, might seem too expensive to some decision makers, especially if operational funds are already allocated. However, the investment in things such as a safety-certified data center lift often pays for itself in a relatively short period of time. Let’s break down the connection between data center lift cost versus return on investment and look at reasons for purchasing dedicated server-handling devices. It always comes down to the numbers; with enough time and enough averted accidents, the ROI of a data center lift will be […]
AWS Unveils Modular Data Centers for the Military
The appeal of an easily deployable data center for the military to use on demand is undeniable. Military deployments are frequently unpredictable and often short-term, so it doesn’t make sense in many cases to set up a full-size data center when a smaller, more portable option would do. Additionally, the growing technological requirements of the military are increasing the demand for innovative data center solutions. This is a challenge that will probably continue to grow. One of the most promising solutions is the idea of using modular data centers for military operations. Here’s what military modular data centers might look like, and why they could be a great option under […]
The Potential Impact of ChatGPT on Data Center Cybersecurity
Not long ago, it would have been hard to imagine a world in which anyone could code almost anything with only a few minutes of effort. On November 30, 2022, with the release of ChatGPT, that world became a reality. Though AI technologies are not new, ChatGPT is unique in that everyone, not just IT people, has access to AI capabilities. Since the release of ChatGPT, users have discovered numerous ways to harness AI to make significant changes in their daily lives and workflows. And, unlike many new technologies that get released to great fanfare and then die down when the novelty wears off, it appears AI is rapidly growing […]
5 Ways That Microgrids Benefit Data Centers
Today’s data centers must supply a continually increasing amount of processing power, storage, and data transfer capabilities to their clients. However, fears about the environmental impact of this increase puts pressure on data center managers to shrink their carbon footprint and move toward renewable energy production. Balancing these two conflicting objectives might seem impossible, but there is hope. One promising solution to this dilemma is using microgrids—individual, autonomous power grids that can connect or disconnect from the larger city grid at will. Microgrids could produce sustainable energy on-site without straining central power systems. With the effective use of microgrids, net-zero carbon data centers could eventually become a reality. Some people […]
Data Center Trends to Watch for the Rest of 2023
Data centers—and the clients who rely on them—exist on the cusp of technological advances. When new technologies emerge, data centers and tech enterprises often adopt them first. With this thought in mind, here is a summary of 2023 trends. Artificial Intelligence (AI) As AI develops, it is revolutionizing the way that major industries operate on a day-to-day basis. These AI solutions will need powerful hardware to operate efficiently. Data centers are preparing for AI to become ubiquitous in expected and unexpected ways, and are planning now to be able to support multiple high-resource AI solutions at a time. Interestingly, AI is playing a more prominent role in data center operations […]
