The world around us is changing daily, and these changes push all of us to find new ways to evolve and move into a future that is powered by technology. For businesses, this means working with companies that provide the latest technology-backed services to help them overcome challenges they face in today’s ever-changing world. For the data centers that power those businesses, this means embracing new technologies and improved design philosophy to help them mitigate their customers’ concerns while bringing enhancements to the services that they provide to them.
One technique that accomplishes all of these goals and serves the needs of both businesses and data centers is the incorporation of hardware intelligence into data center rack designs.
Overcoming Problems with Hardware Intelligence:
The importance and need for hardware intelligence are easily revealed when considering the two main problems that are facing businesses and data centers in the current, competitive economy.
The first of these problems is cost, which is usually one of the most important considerations for both sides of any technology-based industry. For businesses, the issue of cost is one of the biggest factors that impact their decision for choosing services that suit their needs. In data centers, the issue of cost is mostly based on the prices associated with upgrades to existing equipment, replacement of outdated equipment, and upkeep and maintenance of all equipment.
The second problem that can be overcome through the use of hardware intelligence is availability. Businesses rely on the availability of their data and systems more than ever before as more and more of our business is done in an online world. Data centers rely on the availability of their services to keep their customers and equipment working efficiently.
To mitigate these problems for both sides of the industry, data centers can reevaluate their designs so that they can plan and build their racks with the latest technological advances. By building better designs, their equipment will be able to operate with optimum performance, taking advantage of a variety of powering and cooling options that simply were not on the market before. By taking these steps, data centers are able to keep their costs lower while providing services to businesses at competitive pricing. In addition, making changes to older design styles can prevent downtime, which is often the most substantial costs facing data centers in the bigger picture.
Reasons Why Intelligence is Needed in Hardware Design:
There are four main reasons that businesses and data centers rely on hardware intelligence in data center rack design.
The first reason is security. Intelligent hardware design puts the tools for comprehensive security in the hands of data centers. A data center can not only verify the physical security of the equipment, but it can help businesses maintain their security compliances as well, provided they don’t have outdated hardware that impedes modern security best practices..
The second reason can found in cost reduction. As we explored above, by designing better racks that can operate and cool sufficiently, without drawing more power than needed, data centers can lower operating costs and provide competitive costs of services to the businesses that they work with. This allows their clients to focus more on growth than the cost of the services they need.
The third major reason can be found in reliability. Businesses are demanding constant availability which puts a lot of pressure on the data centers that power them. Though forward-thinking hardware design, data centers can improve their facilities to allow for fewer breakdowns and outages, giving their customers the reliability and availability that they are seeking.
The final reason to advocate for hardware intelligence design can be found in the performance and operational efficiency of data centers. Through the use of smart switches and sensors, improved rack design can pave the way for a better performance of the equipment, which will extend its life cycle while reaching ideal efficiency.
