Consolidation is the Key to Reduce Data Center Operating Costs

Multiple data centers is a widely followed practice by most of today’s big IT enterprises. However, the concept of multiple data centers spread geographically and logically apart does have some serious issues, such as increased burden on resources, higher cost of maintenance, and more manpower and energy requirements. You have to consider the fact that you need separate software licenses, separate building infrastructures, separate supporting infrastructure like cooling units, and power supply for each of the redundant data centers. Moreover, during the time of a disaster or recovery, the companies may have to combat severe regulatory policies that will vary with different geographical localities.

All these issues together create the need for consolidated data centers. Consolidation helps to bring together remote data servers so that corporate compliance and asset utilization can be dealt with more effectively. It also reduces manpower as well as capital requirement and plays a significant role in the reduction of operations cost as well. Other benefits include lesser network complexity and easier recovery coordination with a single regulatory policy guiding the data center.

The biggest issue that companies face when trying to consolidate their data centers is the implications of the strategy on Wide Area Networks, especially in the transfer of large files. However, a good data consolidation strategy that involves efficient data mirroring and backup as well as faster data retrieval mechanisms can be combined to reduce the risks of data center consolidation in WANs.

Are you facing these issues? Have you thought about data center consolidation?

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.