Understanding and Evaluating Containerized and Modular Data Centers

It’s clear that the modern data center is significantly different than anything we had just a few years ago. As we integrate more technologies into our infrastructure, administrators are continuously tasked with supporting more applications, data and users.

Through this all – the structure of the data center has been forced to evolve. Density, efficiency and scalability are all critical considerations for the next-generation IT environment. With that in mind, many organization are now thinking outside of the traditional data center design concept.

Many organizations are evaluating how containerized and modular data centers can directly improve their IT and business process. When deciding if a containerized or modular solution is the right option for your data center, you need to consider:

• What technical factors are involved?
• Is it feasible to implement containerized systems into an existing facility?
• Are containerized systems for future data center greenfield designs the best choice?

Even today, many myths and misunderstandings persist about using modular and containerized solu­tions in a data center. Ultimately, the decision is not based solely on facility considerations. The deciding factor is often more a matter of the overall IT architecture and driven by the need for large-scale operational deployment of com­puting capacity. In this Data Center Knowledge Guide, which is sponsored by HP and Intel, we explore the variety of con­tainerized solutions available for different uses. Examples of current container use by well-known organizations will help to illustrate why this solution works so well for specific IT applications.

Throughout the entire planning process – it’s important to take a variety of points into consideration. Download this whitepaper today to learn about:

• Categories of IT-Driven, Purpose-Built Systems
• Considering Pre-Configured as a Strategic IT Asset
• Cost-Saving Aspects of IT-Equipped Containers
• Energy Efficiency of Containers
• High Density Advantages
• Designing the Data Center to Support Containerized or Modular Systems
• Redundancy vs. Energy Efficiency and Initial CapEx
• Capacity, Design Factors, and Redundancy Levels
• And much more!

It is important to remember that a data center facility has but a single purpose — it is a means to an end, designed to house, protect, and support IT hardware so that applications can deliver services key to the organization and their customers. Conse­quently, when considering a containerized or mod­ular system, remember that while such systems may have been originally developed as a stop-gap measure to deal with an older facility’s capacity lim­itation, you need to examine your facility’s current plans and IT architecture to evaluate how well their use may relate to your organization’s long-term business strategy and goals.