Data center strategies to extend your facility's life span

When your data center runs out of space, power or cooling -- or all three -- you have some difficult decisions to make. Those deliberations become more challenging if your business is likely to move within the next several years, or if there are discussions about eventually transferring some computing to the cloud or to a hosting site. These decisions are important, and not ones you want to rush. The choices an organization makes, after all, could be costly -- in both capital outlay and operational effectiveness. But while organizations ponder their long-term data center strategies, an IT team still bears short-term burdens: It needs to keep that data center running, and must reliably support users. So, which steps are realistic? Which will provide real benefit for minimal investment? And, just as importantly, which ones will be least disruptive? In short, how can you navigate the short term in the most economic, effective and efficient way possible? When your facility nears its limits, sound data center strategies involve determining what you can clean up, what you can fix up and, lastly, what you can phase up. Click to read more...