Less is more. It's a classic mantra and one that's driven design philosophy for data center technology for years, even decades. New trends like cloud storage and not-so-new techniques like virtualisation owe their development to this principle, as do many other modern approaches to data center design. Today we find ourselves at an enviable juncture, where many of these techniques have evolved to the point where they can be modified, advanced and combined to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, utility and flexibility. A good example of this is the modular data center. Modularisation is essentially the integration of the different infrastructure and equipment components in the data center, which can then be assembled and reassembled to fit different spaces, locations, sizes and configurations. By that description alone it's clear where a technique like virtualisation can benefit from a modular data center approach. Virtualisation increases the relative computing power of a data center by shrinking multiple physical servers into fewer – often singular – servers or blades, as they're better known today. The popularity of virtualisation has largely changed the size and shape of the modern data center, influencing layout, rack arrangement and infrastructure requirements. Similarly the emergence of modular data centers adds a level of flexibility and scalability previously unattainable with traditional data centers. It also vastly reduces the time needed to deploy data centers in remote areas, or for geographically dispersed projects. Even large-scale broadband networks, like New Zealand's Ultra-Fast Broadband Network or Australia's National Broadband Network are cases in point. These networks rely on smaller, purpose-built data center facilities at their traffic distribution nodes, and are typically built to aggressive, government-driven schedules that would be difficult if not impossible to meet using traditional data center design techniques. Whereas virtualisation would allow such projects to be developed using fewer components, modularisation further pushes the envelope by allowing for rapid deployment of 'containerised' data centers purpose-built to provide the necessary computing power at the lowest possible cost and in the shortest space of time. Even accounting for the sheer size and scope of these networks, each can be built up and scaled to meet future demands simply by building and deploying additional containerised data centers. One major benefit of modularisation is that many of the components can be sourced from different facilities – even countries – and then assembled on-site. Another major advantage of modularisation is that the data center can be built off-site and tested in parallel with the actual building of the site. Once the site is ready, the data center can be transported, switched on and is ready to go. The advantages of virtualisation in a modular data center aren't limited to large capital projects. The same concepts are just as attractive in the enterprise, and some would likely filter down to small-and-medium-sized companies as well. Regardless of the size of the deployment, however, the common element to any project that marries virtualisation with modular data center design is management. With so many different combinations of equipment and infrastructure available to the design team, rigorous and accurate management – typically software-based – is required to optimise the initial design, and then expand (or shrink) it to meet the changing demands of the business. It's important to see, for example, what the impact would be of additional blades in a contained space on the supporting infrastructure. Or on the additional load placed on the power and cooling equipment as a result of increasing the processing power of individual blades. The proper management tools are also critical for future planning, providing what-if scenarios that allow designers to replace older equipment with new solutions, further improving efficiency, lowering the heat ceiling, or simply doing away with redundant infrastructure based on actual usage. Technology advances come to us in many different forms. The ability to pack more processing power into ever-smaller components is revolutionising the way we communicate, do business, and advance as a society. Our ability to combine the benefits of these technologies into flexible, pre-packaged and scalable designs is now changing how much utility we can get from them, and reducing the cost and time taken to do more with less.
