| Traditionally, the IT world used a component-based | | | | switches-over-IP in data centers for networking as |
| approach to data center management best practices. | | | | they have been found to the most cost effective |
| However, businesses issued it directives to control | | | | while being efficient too. |
| costs while still providing efficient management. This | | | | The best practices management approach to physical |
| helped evolve an overall integrated cost-controlled | | | | and data security of data centers involves keeping |
| data center management best practices approach | | | | their location completely secret in the first place. |
| based on experience. | | | | Secondly it involves minimizing direct access of |
| The use of an integrated best practices approach to | | | | personnel to data centers. This approach also |
| data center management involves efficient | | | | involves the use of all sorts of sensors and |
| management of resources while still minimizing the | | | | intrusion-detection systems to nip in the bud threats |
| costs of all the different interrelated competing | | | | due to hackers, thieves, dust, viruses, and fire. |
| factors that require attention. This approach is also | | | | This approach also means that predominantly |
| consistent with the overall goals of businesses, which | | | | authorized access to data centers for monitoring is |
| is to maximize turnover under tightly-controlled costs | | | | made from remote locations from anywhere in the |
| without defaulting on server uptime. | | | | world using platform-independent web-based |
| Finding the best way out through this approach | | | | software. It therefore becomes important to ensure |
| increases the cost-effective efficiency of all the | | | | fail proof Internet broadband backbone for minimum |
| subsystems in a data center after weighing all the | | | | server downtime. |
| different interrelated considerations. | | | | The best practices approach also involves utilizing the |
| Based on the above considerations, the following | | | | per unit floor area of data centers to minimize cost |
| best practices have been evolved for cost-effective | | | | while using the optimal density of servers thereon. It |
| data center management. | | | | also involves the use of cost-effective but |
| Using the best practices in managing data centers | | | | easily-replaceable and identifiable cable layout. It also |
| involves locating data centers in geographically cold | | | | involves the use of all safety precautions and |
| areas to cut air conditioning energy costs. It also | | | | compliance to government regulations and standards. |
| involves locating them near rivers or lakes to cut | | | | The best practices include planning for future |
| down on server cooling costs. | | | | expandability in all aspects of systems and |
| It involves use of standard 20 foot rack-based | | | | subsystems of data center design. Such capacity |
| server container or blade-server modules using the | | | | planning involves the use of foresight and |
| grid-design and cloud computing approach. It involves | | | | accommodation in design while controlling costs of |
| use of Energy-Star rated green-power equipment | | | | such expansion. |
| having power factor of more than 0.9. It also | | | | One of the most important aspects of the best |
| involves the use of energy-efficient UPSs (uniform | | | | practices is to use server virtualization to effect |
| power supplies). | | | | efficiency and cost saving in server access and |
| It involves the use of energy-efficient cooling | | | | hardware. Data center management best practices |
| equipment to pump and circulate the water for | | | | also include attention to documentation, training, tools, |
| cooling the server racks and environment. It prefers | | | | and maintenance procedures. |
| use of kvm (keyboard voice mouse) | | | | |