In recent years, data center (DC) managers have been faced with evolving challenges as they seek to successfully manage their environment, especially as new applications have emerged, and data storage and user needs are ever on the rise.
In this blog, the team at Connectivity outlines the top challenges that data center managers face in their day-to-day operations—as well as considerations to keep in mind to effectively handle a modern data center environment.
Issues Data Center Managers Deal With
The following are the biggest obstacles most data center managers deal with in their professional lives:
Capacity Management: This is a high priority for a data center pro. The data center must be kept running at peak performance—and that means maintaining optimal efficiency. Considering the ebb and flow of data usage as well as the focus on cost control, this can be a tall order. As such, Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) systems are increasingly popular amongst the DC manager community. DCIM systems offer a great and effective way to manage capacity, including identifying unused storage, computing, and cooling capacity. What’s more, a DCIM system can pinpoint usage trends while also minimizing risk.
Power Management: Another top concern that data center managers face is increases in power consumption and finding an effective way to deal with that power consumption. Ultimately, as virtualization reduces, physical servers and power needed at the cabinet/rack increases.
Cooling Requirements: Alongside a boost in power requirement needs is cooling requirements. Data center managers must design a data center that allows for maximum cooling—for instance, a design that would transition cables from beneath a raised floor to an overhead conveyance, using slimmer cables to facilitate more cooling throughout the data center itself, or even minimizing excess cabling through a structured cabling solution that uses patch panels and trunking.
Future Proofing: Finally, planning for the future is a constant focus for a data center manager. There is a need to ensure current cabling infrastructure has the ability to support a business’s needs as time passes. If future proofing is not engaged in and focused upon in strategy development, a business could face significant expenses if new cabling infrastructure must be constantly upgraded to align with new technologies or hardware that is used by the company.
Connectivity is Passionate About Partnering with Data Center Managers
Every data center manager needs a cabling infrastructure partner they can trust—and that is where the team at Connectivity comes into play. We are experts who understand where the industry is going and remain current on trends and future data center and cabling developments that could impact our clients. Realize that you do not have to go it alone, and we would welcome the opportunity to consult with you to solve problems, implement best practices, and realize a cabling infrastructure solution that can benefit your business for years to come. Reach out to our team today and schedule a consultation.