Perspectives on Data Center Design: 2010

Data center design is a wide-ranging topic, as reflected in the 2010 offerings in the Industry Perspectives section of Data Center Knowledge, which  presented the opinions of thought leaders on a variety of aspects of design - from build-your-own to outsourcing, signs and signals of the need for transformation and guidelines for that transformation. We have pulled these together for easy reading. Enjoy!

Should You Build or Outsource Your Data Center?
By Jeff Hinkle, Global Net Access, February 5, 2010
Is operating a data center your company's core mission? Many organizations are not equipped to conduct operations at an enterprise level. For data center specialists, operating these facilities is a core value proposition, and as a result the systems are more robust and the operations are more mature and refined.

Data Center Retrofit Strategies
By Coy Stine, Bluestone Energy Services, April 20, 2010
What are the best opportunities for cost-effective retrofits and energy-usage reduction in data centers? A look at the merits of upgrading electric infrastructure, server virtualization and cooling optimization.

Three Signs It’s Time to Transform Your Data Center
By Helen Tang, HP,August 3, 2010
Is your data center ready for a transformation? Here are three signals to look for when evaluating whether to invest in transformational updates to your data center infrastructure.

Designing a New Type of Data Center
By Scott Kuehn, H+L Architecture, August 24, 2010
The architects for the Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) are creating a design that will accommodate the needs of this critical research project where scientists are studying climate science and global warming.

One Size Does Not Fit All in the Data Center
By Kevin Wade, Force10 Networks, September 23, 2010
The concept of "one-size-fits-all" is inaccurate when it comes to data centers. From high-performance cluster computing to web hosting, data centers are as different as their functions.

5 Simple Rules for Transforming Your Data Center
By Hubert “Hu” Yoshida, Hitachi Data Systems, October 7, 2010
While transforming storage capacity in the data center is often challenging, some basic guidelines will assist in the process.

In addition, you might also be interested in our columns on related topics, such as cooling, power and eneregy efficiency.

Do you have something to say on a current data center topic? We welcome submissions from industry leaders. See our guidelines and submission process for information on participating. View previously published Industry Perspectives in our Knowledge Library.