Data Center and Virtualization

Ökkeş Özdemir
April 01, 2013

What are the factors determining data centre usage, what do the companies expect from data centres, what should they expect?

The most important factor for data centre demand is that semi-conductors are used in all hardware. The components containing semi-conductors, for example processors, memories and components containing every type of chips need significant amount of electricity and get very hot.  As a result, they need great deal of electricity and cooling infrastructures.  Therefore, big companies work on R&D studies of processors operating by photons instead of electron. Since many services have already been carried to IT infrastructure; hardware , in other words servers, that will respond these services, central storage units, network infrastructures connecting those with each other need large amount of operation power. Therefore, you have to provide all required stabilized electricity, cooling and dust-free environment needed for cooling. All enterprises which will provide central service must establish a data centre or small system room according to IT infrastructure they need. Server and storage hardware cannot operate in uncooled environment and also they cannot stand next to other users such as work station due to noise that they generate.

Data has been increasing constantly each year. What do you think about how big data will reflect on central services usage in short and long run?

Based on last decade, growing data caused increasing demand for data centres. Hard discs where data is stored become very hot since they contain moving parts and they need large amount of electricity and they cover a large area. As data grows, place demand and cooling and electricity demand increase. Along with big data, data and disc capacity will increase exponentially.  Consequently, it seems that change in data centres is inevitable. On the other hand, disc industry made 2,5 inch discs commonly used so this situation decreased little bit.

Can you evaluate tendency of data centre use in the market and awareness on that aspect?

In foreign countries, locations where cooling demand is less, energy cost is less and which is easily accessible are preferred. Even, they choose low-energy consuming components although they are more expensive, they also care about Green IT concept and they use fire protection systems instead of fire extinguisher technologies. Whereas in our country, private sector is much closer to that approach; unfortunately governmental institutions take that job as an ordinary civil work including electrical fuses, raised ceiling, lowered ceiling and cabling. They disregard energy and cooling efficiency, traceability, capacity enlargement ability, low purchase costs. In the future, it is unavoidable to comply with the Data Centre standards that the countries releasing the technology follow.