September, 2018

For one reason or another, every business requires a Data Center at some point. There is an ever-increasing demand for data everywhere, and as a result of this, companies require more and more processing power and storage space.

There isn’t a specific kind of company that will require a Data Center, but some are more likely to require it than others. For instance, any kind of business which uses, processes, or stores a lot of data will definitely require a Data Center. These businesses can be educational institutions – like schools or colleges, telecom companies, or even social networking services. Without constant access to data, these companies can fall short on providing essential services. This can lead to loss of customer satisfaction as well as revenue.

Earlier, businesses only had the option of going for a physical Data Center, where data would be stored across several devices in a single facility. At such a time, to ensure smooth operations of the Data Center, it was enough simply to have an efficient cooling strategy in which power was judiciously used.

With the rise in technology, however, cloud servers are now available on which data can be stored remotely. As a result of this, the future of Data Centers is one in which all devices are connected across several different networks. This requires more Data Center elements than existed previously. Moreover, the metrics on which the efficiency of a Data Center is judged have also evolved.

There are now 4 factors according to which the success of a Data Center can be determined. They are:

• Infrastructure
• Optimization
• Sizing
• Sustainability

Infrastructure

A lot of businesses forget the fact that infrastructure can directly impact the performance of a network. Maximizing network performance can be achieved by paying attention to three parts of the complete infrastructure – the first being structured cabling, the second being racks and cabinets, and the third being cable management.

To take just one example, scalable as well as feasible rack and cabinet solutions are an effective way of realizing this. Not only can they accommodate greater weight thresholds, but they also have movable rails and broader vertical managers. This provides options for increased cable support, airflow, and protection.

Optimization

The faster a Data Centers expands, the quicker it grows in terms of size and complexity. This requires significantly quick deployment time. A Data Center needs to be updated regularly to support the growing needs of a business. Purchasing infrastructure solutions which can optimize time will be a wise decision in this regard – it will help in manifold ways by making it easier to move infrastructure, or to make additions or subtractions to an already existing setup.

A modular solution can become the foundation for scalable building infrastructure and save time as well! Modular racks and cabinets can be put together quickly, and also have adjustable rails and greater weight thresholds. Thus, they can accommodate new equipment very easily. Such a modular solution can support future changes in the network as well, without increasing the scope of disruption.

Sizing

Earlier, the one key factor in assessing the efficiency of a Data Center in terms of size was to see how fast it would grow. Accordingly, the infrastructure supporting it would also grow. While sounding simple in theory, such a principled decision – that expansion will happen without any forethought – is detrimental both in terms of capital as well as energy.

The truth is that space is a premium everywhere – so why shouldn’t this be the case while considering a Data Center? An infrastructure system should always be built for optimization, so that the process of scaling is straightforward and not beset by liabilities of any kind. One simple way to achieve this is to adopt the rack as the basic building block for a Data Center.

Sustainability

Sustainability is not a singular concept. While it is often associated with not destroying natural resources, it can also be tailored to achieve the opposite effect – to conserve them. A myth is often propagated regarding natural resources – that it is more expensive to streamline processes to be sustainable. The truth is that it costs the same and, moreover, it has a lot of benefits as well.

When sustainable manufacturers design solutions which lower the overall impact your Data Center will have on the environment, it translates into more flexibility in terms of design, shorter installation times, as well as reduction in material waste on site – and much, much more. The key factor is energy efficiency, and therefore all other processes are streamlined to fit this metric.

It is no longer enough simply to consider effective cooling and energy solutions as the be-all and end-all of Data Center operations. Data Centers play a crucial role in terms of a business’ overall success, and trying simply to maximize efficiency within a Data Center is a short-sighted target. Other forms of efficiency can equip the Data Center to be changed later at reduced costs, thus making it more capital-effective.

Ultimately, the goal should be to make the Data Center have efficient infrastructure and optimized modular solutions. In addition, it should be scalable in terms of size, without incurring liabilities, and should also be sustainable, as it will help with all of the above.

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A Data Center is usually a physical location in which enterprises store their data as well as other applications crucial to the functioning of their organization. Most often these Data Centers store a majority of the IT equipment – this includes routers, servers, networking switches, storage subsystems, firewalls, and any extraneous equipment which is employed. A Data Center typically also includes appropriate infrastructure which facilitates storage of this order; this often includes electrical switching, backup generators, ventilation and other cooling systems, uninterruptible power supplies, and more. This obviously translates into a physical space in which these provisions can be stored and which is also sufficiently secure.

But while Data Centers are often thought of as occupying only one physical location, in reality they can also be dispersed over several physical locations or be based on a cloud hosting service, in which case their physical location becomes all but negligible. Data Centers too, much like any technology, are going through constant innovation and development. As a result of this, there is no one rigid definition of what a Data Center is, no all-encompassing way to imagine what they are in theory and what they should look like on the ground.

A lot of businesses these days operate from multiple locations at the same time or have remote operations set up. To meet the needs of these businesses, their Data Centers will have to grow and learn with them – the reliance is not so much on physical locations anymore as it is on remotely accessible servers and cloud-based networks. Because the businesses themselves are distributed and ever-changing, the need of the hour is for Data Centers to be the same: scalable as well as open to movement.

And so, new key technologies are being developed to make sure that Data Centers can cater to the requirements of a digital enterprise. These technologies include –

• Public Clouds
• Hyper converged infrastructure
• GPU Computing
• Micro segmentation
• Non-volatile memory express

Public Clouds

Businesses have always had the option of building a Data Center of their own, to do which they could either use a managed service partner or a hosting vendor. While this shifted the ownership as well as the economic burden of running a Data Center entirely, it couldn’t have as much of a drastic effect to due to the time it took to manage these processes. With the rise of cloud-based Data Centers, businesses now have the option of having a virtual Data Center in the cloud without the waiting time or the inconvenience of having to physically reach a location.

Hyper converged infrastructure

What hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) does is simple: it takes out the effort involved in deploying appliances. Impressively, it does so without disrupting the already ongoing processes, beginning from the level of the servers, all the way to IT operations. This appliance provided by HCI is easy to deploy and is based on commodity hardware which can scale simply by adding more nodes. While early uses that HCI found revolved around desktop virtualization, recently it has grown to being helpful in other business applications involving databases as well as unified communications.

GPU Computing

While most computing has so far been done using Central Processing Units (CPUs), the expansive fields of machine learning and IoT have placed a new responsibility on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). GPUs were originally used only to play graphics-intensive games, but are now being used for other purposes as well. They operate fundamentally differently from CPUs as they can process several different threads in tandem, and this makes them ideal for a new generation of Data Centers.

Micro segmentation

Micro segmentation is a method through which secure zones are created in a Data Center, curtailing any problems which may arise through any intrusive traffic which bypasses firewalls or. It is done primarily through and in software, so it doesn’t take long to implement. This happens because all the resources in one place can be isolated from each other in such a way that if a breach does happen, the damage is immediately mitigated. Micro segmentation is typically done in software, making it very agile.

Non-volatile memory express

The breakneck speed at which everything is getting digitized these days is a definitive indication that data needs to move faster as well! While older storage protocols like Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) and the small computer system interface (SCSI) have been been impacting technology since time immemorial, a new technology called Non-volatile memory express (NVMe) is threatening their presence. As a storage protocol, NVMe can accelerate the rate at which information is transferred between solid state drives and any corresponding systems. In doing so, they greatly improve data transfer rates.

The future is here!

It is no secret that Data Centers are an essential part of the success of all businesses, regardless of their size or their industry. And this is only going to play a more and more important factor as time progresses. A radical technological shift is currently underway: it is bound to change the way a Data Center is conceptualized as well as actualized. What remains to be seen is which of these technologies will take center stage in the years to come.

 

Reliable and affordable connectivity to leverage your Data Center and Cloud investments

To know more about Sify’s Hyper Cloud Connected Data Centers – a Cloud Cover connects 45 Data Centers, 6 belonging to Sify and 39 other Data Centers, on a high-speed network…

Any network infrastructure forms a section of a much larger IT infrastructure of any organization. Typically, a network infrastructure is likely to contain the following:

• Networking devices: such as LAN Cards, modems, cables, and routers
• Networking software: such as firewalls, device drivers, and security applications
• Networking services: such as DSL, satellite, and wireless services.

The continuous improvements in the technologies underlying the network infrastructure have made sure that as a business owner, you keep your network infrastructure up to date with the latest trends. It is easy to see why network infrastructure plays such an important role in enterprise management and functioning. Big businesses must keep thousands of devices connected to maintain consistency across the whole enterprise. Having a strong backbone helps. This is where a good network infrastructure comes in.

Considering the innovations and advancements in this sector, let’s look at some of the important trends which will help you find out if your infrastructure is up-to-date, and if not, where work is required:

Cloud networking systems

First and foremost, the reliance of businesses with cloud systems is increasing over the years. So, to start with, you should make sure that you are using a cloud-based system for your network infrastructure. With both public and private cloud options available, big enterprises are looking to shift their operations onto the cloud for fast, reliable, and secure operations. Hybrid clouds, which mix the good bits of both public and private cloud networking systems, have also emerged as viable network infrastructure solutions for enterprises.

Security as the topmost priority

Enterprises are giving utmost importance to security, owing to the fact that data breaches and hacks have been on the rise. With new innovations in tech come new ways of hacking networks. To protect against these breaches, organizations are now beyond the traditional firewalls and security software, and are turning up the heat on any malicious hacker looking to take down their network. Security has now become by far the biggest motivator in improving network security these days.

A secure network infrastructure requires you to have properly configured routers that can help protect against a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. Further, a keen eye must be kept on the Operating systems as they form the foundation to any layered security. If privileges within an OS are jeopardized, the network security can be compromised at large.

An increased importance to analytics

For a long time, network analytics tools have been pulling data from the network, but it seems that the tides are changing. Enterprises now use their own big data analytics tools to generate information on trends and are pushing data from the network infrastructure. Companies like Cisco and Juniper are providing telemetry from their networking infrastructure to local analytics systems, with Juniper using OpenNTI to analyze it. Is your network infrastructure in-sync with your data analytics tools? If no – you must consider doing that, you don’t want to be left behind while the world progresses.

SD-WAN

Software-defined wide area networks continue to be a hot trend in network infrastructure innovations. Although the concept of SDN hasn’t been as successful as first imagined, SD-WAN seems to be the exception to the rule. Perhaps it is the only good thing that’s come out of the SDN concept. SD-WAN is gaining wide acceptance due to the fact that it offers good riddance from complex routing policies, and allows us to go beyond the capabilities of normal routing policies. There are numerous vendors offering SD-WAN models for your infrastructure, and the cost for it varies from vendor to vendor. Ease of use is what drives enterprises towards SD-WAN.

If an enterprise incorporates the above-discussed network trends, it is likely that the Infrastructure is not only ready for today, but is also future-proof. To make sure your network infrastructure is always up-to-date, you need to keep up with the latest news, innovations, and trend changes in networking.

Disaster can strike anytime. Whether they are natural or inflicted by man, disasters have small chances of being predicted accurately. Whatever be the case, enduring and recovering from these disasters can be a pretty rough job for your enterprise.

Disasters can potentially wipe out the entire company, with the enterprise’s data, employees, and infrastructure all at risk. From small equipment failure to cyber-attacks, recovery from disasters depends upon the nature of the events themselves. Disaster recovery is an area of security management and planning that aims to protect the company’s assets from the aftermath of negative events. While it is incredibly tough to completely recover from disasters within a short span of time, it is certainly advisable to have disaster recovery systems in place. In the time of need, these DR plans can present an effective, if not quick, method of recovery from negative events.

The importance of a Disaster Recovery System

Prevention is better than cure, but sometimes, we must make do with the latter. We cannot prevent every attack that can potentially cripple our enterprise, but we must make sure that we have the resources to recover. The need for disaster recovery systems can arise from various situations, some being discussed below.

• The unpredictability of nature

It is estimated that about 4 out of every 5 companies, which experience interruptions in operations of 5 days or more, go out of business. The wrath of Mother Nature is certainly a contributing factor to this statistic. One can seldom predict when Mother Nature is about to strike. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and hurricanes can cause irreparable damage to enterprises and businesses. Stopping these disasters is impossible; however, not having a disaster recovery plan in place is inexcusable. We cannot predict how much damage nature can cause to our company; hence, it is of prime importance that a disaster recovery system be in place to prevent your enterprise from falling prey to the aforementioned statistic.

• Technology failures can occur anytime

These days, customers want access to data and services every second of the day, every day of the year. Due to the immense pressure on your enterprise systems, it is possible that they may crumble. Machine and hardware failure can seldom be predicted, but it is certainly possible to resume normal work with minimum disruption and slowdown. The only way to do this is either by eliminating single failure points from your network, which can be extremely expensive, or by having suitable recovery systems in place. Having recovery plans, in hindsight, are perhaps the best bet for you to keep your enterprise going at full speed.

• Human error

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

Humans aren’t perfect, and are bound to make mistakes. The nature of these mistakes cannot be predicted. In order to survive all these unpredictable phases, you need to have an effective disaster recovery plan in place.

Enough about the reasons behind backup plans.

Let’s look at what a good disaster recovery system should include.

Your disaster recovery system must include…

Each and everything that could potentially save you from having to start up your enterprise from scratch. Methods to recover from every potential interruption, from technical to natural, should be there in your DRP. These include analyses of all threats, data backup facilities, employee and customer protection, among other essential things.

With each passing day, you must also consider any additions or updates to your DR systems. Technology is improving day by day, and it is possible that what you’re currently trying to achieve may be made easier and quicker by the use of newer tech. Also identifying what’s most important, and where to innovate, is a crucial aspect of DR planning.

In order to ensure that your DR system is running at full speed, your enterprise can hold mock disaster recovery drills. This will help identify weak points in the system, and make people accustomed to the processes involved. It will make reacting to the actual disaster much more efficient and quick.

DRaaS

Disaster Recovery as a service has made it easier for enterprises to have disaster recovery systems ready. Various providers have reduced the load on entrepreneurs when it comes to preparing for disasters, by offering them custom made effective disaster recovery systems. Perhaps the most important thing one should do now is not wait. If your enterprise has a disaster recovery system in place, thoroughly test it for bottlenecks, if it doesn’t, well, get one!

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To know more about GoInfinit Recover
– Sify’s disaster recovery solution with no change to your IT setup…

Every organization requires a Data Center, irrespective of their size or industry. A Data Center is traditionally a physical facility which companies use to store their information as well as other applications which are integral to their functioning. And while a Data Center is thought to be one thing, in reality, it is often composed of technical equipment depending on what requires to be stored – it can range from routers and security devices to storage systems and application delivery controllers. To keep all the hardware and software updated and running, a Data Center also requires a significant amount of infrastructure. These facilities can include ventilation and cooling systems, uninterruptible power supplies, backup generators, and more.

A cloud Data Center is significantly different from a traditional Data Center; there is nothing similar between these two computing systems other than the fact that they both store data. A cloud Data Center is not physically located in a particular organization’s office – it’s all online! When your data is stored on cloud servers, it automatically gets fragmented and duplicated across various locations for secure storage. In case there are any failures, your cloud services provider will make sure that there is a backup of your backup as well!

So how do these different modes of storage stack up against each other? Let’s compare them across four different metrics: Cost, Accessibility, Security and Scalability.

Cost

With a traditional Data Center, you will have to make various purchases, including the server hardware and the networking hardware. Not only is this a disadvantage in itself, you will also have to replace this hardware as it ages and gets outdated. Moreover, in addition to the cost of purchasing equipment, you will also need to hire staff to oversee its operations.

When you host your data on cloud servers, you are essentially using someone else’s hardware and infrastructure, so it saves up a lot of financial resources which might have been used up while setting up a traditional Data Center. In addition, it takes care of various miscellaneous factors relating to maintenance, thus helping you optimize your resources better.

Accessibility

A traditional Data Center allows you flexibility in terms of the equipment you choose, so you know exactly what software and hardware you are using. This facilitates later customizations since there is nobody else in the equation and you can make changes as you require.

With cloud hosting, accessibility may become an issue. If at any point you don’t have an Internet connection, then your remote data will become inaccessible, which might be a problem for some. However, realistically speaking, such instances of no Internet connectivity may be very few and far between, so this aspect shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Moreover, you might have to contact your cloud services provider if there’s a problem at the backend – but this too shouldn’t take very long to get resolved.

Security

Traditional Data Centers have to be protected the traditional way: you will have to hire security staff to ensure that your data is safe. An advantage here is that you will have total control over your data and equipment, which makes it safer to an extent. Only trusted people will be able to access your system.

Cloud hosting can, at least in theory, be more risky – because anyone with an internet connection can hack into your data. In reality, however, most cloud service providers leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of your data. They employ experienced staff members to ascertain that all the required security measures are in place so that your data is always in safe hands.

Scalability

Building your own infrastructure from scratch takes a lot of input in both financial as well as human terms. Among other things, you will have to oversee your own maintenance as well as administration, and for this reason it takes a long time to get off the ground. Setting up a traditional Data Center is a costly affair. Further, If you wish to scale up your Data Center, you might need to shell out extra money, albeit unwillingly.

With cloud hosting, however, there are no upfront costs in terms of purchasing equipment, and this leads to savings which can later be used to scale up. Cloud service providers have many flexible plans to suit your requirements, and you can buy more storage as and when you are ready for it. You can also reduce the amount of storage you have, if that’s your requirement.

Can’t decide which one to go for?

There is no universal right choice. Your choice should depend on what your business is prepared to take on, what your exact budget is, and whether or not you have an IT staff available to handle a physical Data Center.

Consider a dedicated private cloud infrastructure services for your mission-critical workloads

To know more about GoInfinit Private
– Sify’s private cloud storage service that will be ready for application deployment in as little as 10 weeks…