Happy 2018, and if you have not heard these terms last year, container, cloud, colocation/MTDC, hybrid, edge, modular, and OCP, applied to data centers enough times — it is time to update your subscription to Mission Critical Magazine. While each has it special flavor and primary purpose, they are all variations on the basic function of a “data center” — a secure facility to provide conditioned uninterrupted power and proper environmental operation conditions for IT equipment.
In my last column, “The Age Of The Megawatt Minute,” I pondered if it was time to consider reducing UPS back-up time requirements, in the age of virtualized computing, multi-site geo-diversity with data duplication, and last but not least, cloud services. Traditionally, the data center is risk adverse and for good reason, especially when it comes to ensuring power availability to the IT equipment.