Ten steps towards optimal IT infrastructure

Ten Steps towards an Optimal IT Infrastructure is available to download free of charge here. The Paper guides data centre planners and operators, as well as administrators, through the complete physical infrastructure of a data centre. Most particularly it offers advice to them on how to cope with the dynamic changes which virtualisation and cloud computing are bringing to both the new generation of centres as well as those already in existence.

The paper starts with the fundamentals of an IT rack -the basis of every data centre. This standardised 19” cabinet can act as a server or network cabinet, depending on whether it is used to store servers or switches. It goes on the talk about the power supply components. A Low-Voltage Main Distribution (LVMD) board distributes power to each area and a generator ensures a power supply in case of emergency.

The UPS converts the current from the LVMD and filters out any interruptions.The power is then distributed to the server in the rack via power distribution units. A climate control system ensures that the warm air extracted from the server is removed from the data centre, cooled, and fed-in again.

The paper then explains how measuring data relating to temperatures and humidity is recorded by a monitoring system. This system transmits the data to the infrastructure management software, which triggers an alarm if necessary.

Finally, it compares the logical network architectures and topology concepts for the standards – something that should help improve communication between manufacturers, planners and practitioners. The primary task is the translation of the logical topologies into a structured cabling infrastructure in accordance with TIA-942-A or EN 50600-2-4. Clearly, trends towards virtualisation and cloud computing are highlighting that not only are numerous new systems being built, but existing systems are being retro fitted quickly too. The whitepaper is designed to address very real concerns about the operative success of data centres in this current dynamic period of upheaval.