Cross-Connect Blog

Survey Yields Top Six Issues Facing Data Center Operators Today: Part One - Running Out of Space

September 23, 2011

DCK_BLOG_LOGO_SEPT11.jpgIf you're not familiar with it already, Data Center Knowledge (DCK) is one of the industry's leading online sources for daily news and analysis for everything data center. Just named one of the 50 Must-Read IT Blogs by Biz Tech Magazine, DCK also provides a great platform to measure the pulse of what really excites (and worries) data center managers and staff at large as the industry continues to evolve.

Just recently, DCK published the results of their 2011 Data Center Market Insight Report, a detailed analysis and survey of data center operators on all manner of topics, including growth strategy and pain points.

Throughout the coming days and weeks, Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI) is going to count down the top six issues important to our fellow data center enthusiasts and explore in detail how CPI excels in each. Let's start with the sixth-most important rated issue according to the DCK survey, Running Out of Space.

Space: The Final Frontier or Just Another Obstacle?

These days, it's hard to drive a mile in either direction without seeing a "big-box" storefront. You know the ones, bright colors, larger-than-life logos, and names we all know by heart. And just as you might suspect, the "bigger is better" mantra applies to each - create a space large enough to house nearly everything under the sun, and offer consumers the convenience of a one-stop shopping experience.

Now, apply that logic to the data center and you begin to see some parallels, and some vast differences. For starters, space is a huge commodity. And while the large scale enterprise players can and will afford to create new (large) space as needed, there are just as many hard-working small and mid-level data centers, equipment rooms and premise network environments out there that need to make do with their lot in life… not matter how small that lot may be.

BLOG_PHONE BOOTH_SEPT11.jpgIs your data center or network room bursting at the seams due to lack of space? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For these folks, running out of space is more about when than if. And as new data piles up, archives become digitized and the cloud rolls in, it's not just servers that need more volume, its every last square foot of the room where those servers sit - down to the cabinet footprint, cable management and wall-mount rack space.

Store, Organize and Optimize

TeraFrame Family of CabinetsTo that end, CPI offers a wide variety of cabinet solutions that not only meet industry sizing standards such as EIA-310-E, they adapt easily to specific architectural concerns like access floor height, ceiling height and overall layout challenges. Furthermore, many cabinet solutions pair with thermal management accessories that reduce the need for obtrusive and space-hogging cooling equipment.

Cable Management and PathwayAnother excellent opportunity for maximizing space resides in intelligent cable management and cable pathway. Better organized cables within and surrounding cabinets and racks means less clutter and more room for supporting equipment, while CPI's cable pathway products offer solutions to route cable below raised floor or overhead using tray or ladder-rack style configurations, each making practical use of space far too often underutilized.

EasySwing Wall-Mount RackAnd for those extra small spaces (you know the ones, sharing space with the janitor's closet!), CPI offers a wide range of both open and enclosed wall-mount systems that feature small exterior dimensions to fit nicely in the tightest of spaces while offering easily accessible swing gates for even easier access in close quarters (such as CPI's EasySwing™ Wall-Mount Rack, seen here).

When it comes to running out of space in the data center, CPI products and solutions have room to spare.

Be sure to stay tuned for our recap of the fifth-most important issue according to DCK, Running Out of Power. Jeff Cihocki, eContent Specialist 

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