DATACENTRES
Economics rule 2009 – real
datacentres
eW ’re already seeing the centres hit the
limits of density even with low power
limits to
technology. Rental and leasing still make up
most of the cost of running them in Europe.
Will economics and the limited availability
of power at the right levels force data
datacentres?
centres to use lower energy settings?
Steve Yellen, VP Product and Market
The global credit crisis is making financial companies cut
Strategy, Aperture Technologies, says:
“There is indeed a problem here, but it’s
back, and one effect is to limit the investment in new data
not just one of scarcity: it’s also a problem centres. With demand still rising, as it must, almost in spite
of managing the limited resources that
of any economic downturn, some people are predicting a
are available. Surveys conducted by the
crisis in data centre availability in the next two years....
Aperture Research Institute (ARI) on over
100 data centre professionals have shown
that many are not adequately managing
the power density of their racks, with an
alarming 21% unaware of their maximum A
crisis in datacentres availability could hit in the next two years, as the
problems of financing them hits home and reduces the available facilities.
Digital Realty Trust, which has properties located in 26 metro areas
power density per rack. hW en management across North America and Europe says that customers have no choice but to
processes are inadequate, there’s a clear expand, but the space may still run out. And even those centres with green
trade-off between density and reliability. features, supposedly in demand by clients are finding it hard to use them, citing
26% of those surveyed said they had suffered lack of tools and performance issues.
outage as a result of PDU, breaker or power “Certainly, demand continues to be strong and by all indications, the
strip problems and 22% said they’d suffered datacentre facilities for many corporations really are not discretionary. They
downtime caused by overheating.” are required for continued productivity and continued expansion of the
Data centre management is conservative businesses, and I think they cut across virtually all vertical markets,” says
by nature, and will be reluctant to rely on Mike Foust, CEO of Digital Realty Trust.
unproven technologies, such as low power But in a market that continues to be significantly underserved by
settings, even in these circumstances, he independent research, it says it has analysed the top markets and found that
says. Low power settings are too much some 86% of respondents in the 2008 study noted that they will probably
of an unknown quantity. It’s tempting to expand their number of datacentres in the next 12 months. This indicates an
think that low power settings can solve the active phase of datacentre expansions during the second half of 2008 and
problem of limited capacity, but the reality first half of 2009.
is that datacentres need to have more Then, it found that some 45% of respondents plan to expand in three
robust processes in place to manage power or more locations. This is an increase of nearly 20% over the 2007 result
and cooling. “This becomes exponentially indicating that the scope of datacentre projects has increased along with the
more important as the datacentre nears number of projects. Thirdly, the planned square footage requirement for an
its capacity limits, and the risk of outage average expansion site has risen 50%, from 10,000 feet in 2007 to 15,000
from human error increases. Low power square feet in 2008, another indication that the scope of datacentre projects
settings would at best postpone an has increased significantly in the past year. Power availability is a common
impending problem if not coupled with limiting factor in expansion plans.
better management. In the meantime, we’d But the irony is that, even when the power saving features are available,
expect to see datacentres deploying low they aren’t used. In the latest ARI study, 74% of those surveyed refused to
power devices experimentally. Over time, activate power saving features on devices if it would mean a drop in overall
we expect them to increase the use of low performance. hW ile some 37% are concerned that the power/performance
power settings in line with management’s ratio doesn’t add up, 15% say that they have no way to track whether the
understanding of their capabilities, risks power saving setting is on or off. Nearly half (48%) of those surveyed blame
and limitations. And as the devices improve business issues for not using power-saving features, saying that users wouldn’t
over time, the performance penalty will tolerate a drop in performance in the interests of saving power.
drop, making them a more effective and When it comes to procurement, energy efficiency and ease of disposal
desirable solution.” www.aperture.com are the lowest priorities, rated as less significant than brand and price, says
the ARI study. Some 37% of data centres have no plans to measure energy
52 8020 EUROPA JUNE 2008
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