In Depth

In Depth

Data centre

• The UK’s problem with power

  Datacentre power buyers say Britain’s deregulated energy market is as complex as trading in derivatives  Continue Reading

• Future job of the senior infrastructure manager

  Hybrid cloud architectures will need IT departments to move from core server skills to managing the capacity to let developers code  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting datacentre management issues

  Gaining better control of the datacentre has to be a high priority to ensure high levels of performance and availability  Continue Reading

• The hidden threats facing your unsupported XP devices

  Exorbitant custom support deal fees may not be the highest costs organisations running Windows XP will face after support ends in April.  Continue Reading

• Get ready for the datacentre storm

  With a wave of innovations rolling ever faster towards the datacentre, analysts say 2014 is the year organisations must plot their course through choppy waters  Continue Reading

• SMB 3.0 brings enterprise-class storage to Hyper-V deployments

  SMB 3.0 is Microsoft’s replacement for the “chatty” CIFS file access storage protocol that offers enterprise-class storage to Hyper-V deployments  Continue Reading

• How the datacentre market has evolved in 12 months

  The increasing interest in co-location, hosting and cloud has led to murmurings around the death of in-house datacentres  Continue Reading

• Optimising application performance with flash storage

  At a Computer Weekly roundtable, IT leaders heard how Cancer Research UK achieved a 30% improvement in application performance  Continue Reading

• Make a high-performance computing and high-availability datacentre

  High performance computing and high availability systems are no longer limited to engineers and scientists. But is your datacentre ready?  Continue Reading

• How Capgemini keeps its Merlin datacentre green and energy-efficient

  Capgemini's Swindon-based Merlin datacentre is one of the most energy-efficient in the world. But what makes it green?  Continue Reading

• How to make your datacentre BYOD-ready

  BYOD is changing how employees interact with corporate data. Datacentre managers should follow these steps to prepare their infrastructure for BYOD  Continue Reading

• VMworld Europe User Awards 2013 open for entries

  The VMworld Europe User Awards 2013 is now open for entries. Read the criteria and find out how to submit here.  Continue Reading

• Best of VMworld Europe User Awards: Entry Criteria

  All the information you need to know for the VMworld Europe User Awards.  Continue Reading

• Public sector IT procurement, G-Cloud and the SMEs

  Is the government's intent to widen public sector IT procurement to include SMEs and its G-Cloud diktat improving SME-government engagement?  Continue Reading

• The battle for the cloud

  Pure cloud providers have changed the game and traditional mega-suppliers must fight to keep up.  Continue Reading

• How to plan and manage datacentre redundancy

  Provisioning of a datacentre to survive a range of failure scenarios has become critical for many businesses. Here's a datacentre redundancy plan  Continue Reading

• By 2020, cloud will be ‘like having a Formula 1 team running IT’

  Commodity, on-demand IT will disrupt the market to create new ways of doing business, continuous innovation and ‘Formula 1 standard’ engineers  Continue Reading

• Look to the cloud to help you offer your products and services on demand

  By using cloud, small firms can take advantage of IT capabilities enjoyed by big companies, and big companies can be more agile  Continue Reading

• How to monitor and improve the health of your datacentre

  Any datacentre manager looking to support the business should take an end-to-end systems management approach to keep the datacentre in shape  Continue Reading

• Best practices in software asset management for a flexible, resilient IT

  Managing software assets is vital in order to maintain a highly flexible and up-to-date IT platform and more importantly remain compliant  Continue Reading

• Looking to the cloud for the future of datacentres

  By 2020, the role of the datacentre – and perhaps even the IT leader who used to be responsible for it – will be very different  Continue Reading

• ‘Owning the datacentre does not make sense for CIOs any more’

  Lance Fisher, CIO of SThree, says the datacentre is a commodity and the problem of making it cost-effective, reliable and scalable is for vendors  Continue Reading

• How to be a front runner in the shift towards datacentre commoditisation

  Companies will need a responsive, flexible datacentre able to deliver greater competitive edge and the IT horsepower to support it  Continue Reading

• Big storage takes two routes in flash array shakedown

  The big storage companies have responded differently to the advent of the flash array. Here we survey the responses so far by the incumbent suppliers to the flash revolution  Continue Reading

• Sweating your datacentre’s IT assets - is it a good idea?

  Amid economic uncertainties, businesses want to get more from existing IT assets. But does it make sense from an IT point of view?  Continue Reading

• VMware storage: SAN configuration basics

  For VMware storage basics start here – the fundamentals of configuring SAN storage for VMware, such as VMFS, VMDKs, connectivity options and VMware storage features  Continue Reading

• What's on an enterprise's checklist when seeking a datacentre provider?

  Is it energy efficiency? Is low cost or low latency the deal maker? Top enterprises disclose their checklists for datacentre providers  Continue Reading

• Cloud gold rush: Is it all just supplier noise?

  IT providers are unveiling cloud services at lightning speed and are launching robust price wars. But are enterprise customers equally gung-ho in adoption?  Continue Reading

• Can hyperscale computing eclipse enterprise storage?

  Pioneered by Facebook and Google, hyperscale computing and storage is built on cheap commodity parts with redundancy at device level  Continue Reading

• The dark side of software-defined datacentres

  As different suppliers have different strategies for software-defined datacentres, is the lack of standards leading to chaos?  Continue Reading

• How to move data and applications in the cloud

  IT must be prepared with a strategy to minimise the impact of the failure of their cloud or datacentre provider  Continue Reading

• 100Gbps Ethernet – is it time to move?

  Do you need 100Gbps Ethernet in your datacentre, or is the technology just going through a hype cycle? Computer Weekly investigates.  Continue Reading

• Sizing VDI storage for I/O performance in flash arrays

  Flash arrays are increasingly being used for VDI storage. But how do customers size flash storage for the I/O requirements of virtual desktops?  Continue Reading

• SDN will change the world of network professionals

  By providing the capability to move a large proportion of a switch’s work to an abstracted software layer, SDN is the way forward.  Continue Reading

• SDN will transform your network – but not just yet

  Software-defined networking (SDN) will revolutionise the router and switch business and wipe millions off costs. So what’s holding it up?  Continue Reading

• Dedicated VM storage emerges to meet virtualisation demands

  Virtual machine (VM) storage built to serve the large and random I/O needs of virtual servers and desktops is a key new trend in storage and a departure from existing SAN and NAS  Continue Reading

• Driving datacentre efficiency to meet future demand

  Changes can wreak havoc in a datacentre that will outlive generations of servers. How can green facilities stay efficient in the face of IT progress?  Continue Reading

• Oh dear, our datacentre provider has gone bust

  Ensure that you enter into a sensible contract with your datacentre provider and factor in all possibilities including them going bust  Continue Reading

• Configure datacentres with green tech to save costs

  The current driver for green technology is to save money through optimising energy use, rather than a desire to be seen to be green.  Continue Reading

• Public sector backup strategy: Easier than ever; harder than ever

  Public sector backup strategy is a complex beast that must operate in large and heterogenous IT environments.  Continue Reading

• Top technologies that can make your datacentre green

  Energy-efficient technologies that can reduce running costs in the datacentre and across the business  Continue Reading

• How to effectively manage datacentre temperature and humidity

  A datacentre is a complex facility with different cooling equipment and power systems. Here's how to monitor its temperature and humidity  Continue Reading

• GE uses big data to power machine services business

  GE, one of the UK's largest manufacturers, is using big data analytics with data generated from machine sensors to predict maintenance needs  Continue Reading

• Six datacentre resolutions IT must make and stick to in 2013

  IT executives must put the datacentre where it needs to be – at the heart of the business – with these new year's resolutions  Continue Reading

• Entry-level SAN products target SME virtualisation projects

  Virtual machines need shared storage. Sometimes that means block access via an entry-level SAN. We survey the entry-level SAN market  Continue Reading

• Amazon: Gold standard of the cloud?

  Amazon Web Services is the benchmark for cloud in the enterprise but can it handle the challenge of federated cloud services?  Continue Reading

• CIOs debate the future of the datacentre

  IT leaders met at a roundtable event hosted by Computer Weekly in association with Oracle to discuss the future of the datacentre  Continue Reading

• How to minimise costs when overhauling a datacentre

  Virtualisation and cloud technologies are pushing IT to take a revolutionary and replacement approach to datacentres. How can it be done efficiently?  Continue Reading

• Software-defined datacentres demystified

  As datacentre managers increasingly rely on software and automation, what can a software-defined datacentre bring to the enterprise?  Continue Reading

• Combining DCIM and BIM tools for effective datacentre management

  If datacentre IT equipment and datacentre building was combined, the building and cooling could be tailored to increase efficiency  Continue Reading

• Manage your assets to cut costs and plan capacity

  Compiling an inventory of the organisation’s IT estate can help CIOs rationalise licensing fees and negotiate services needed in the future.  Continue Reading

• Identifying truths and myths of datacentre efficiency

  There is no one-size-fits-all solution to optimising datacentre efficiency, so CIOs should consider all available options. Archana Venkatraman reports  Continue Reading

• Is wind energy just blowing in the face of datacentre cooling reality?

  Using renewable energy such as wind energy for datacentre cooling may not address issues of carbon emissions as directly as suppliers claim  Continue Reading

• Using fibre channel for storage networking

  Find out why Fibre Channel is still the network of choice in data centres.  Continue Reading

• How IBM researchers hope to change the world

  IBM's Zurich research labs opened its doors to reveal some of the technologies we can expect to be using in 10 to 15 years  Continue Reading

• Tune Raid performance to get the most from your HDDs

  Tune Raid performance at the storage controller to match application I/O demands to optimal hard drive (HDD) performance  Continue Reading

• Is cloud data storage right for your organisation?

  Find out if cloud data storage is a serious option for you with this evaluation of its suitability for primary, nearline, backup and archive data  Continue Reading

• Best of VMworld Europe 2012 Awards: Nomination form

  Enter your products in the Best of VMworld Europe 2012 Users Awards with this nomination form. The deadline is Friday, September 14, 2012.  Continue Reading

• How transforming a datacentre can transform your business

  IT leaders from Domino's Pizza and TheTrainline.com reveal how transforming their datacentres transformed their businesses.  Continue Reading

• Server SSD guide to form factors and implementations

  Server SSD offers immense gains in IOPS and throughput. We look at how it works, form factors available and its advantages and pitfalls, and we survey key vendors in the market.  Continue Reading

• Essar’s virtual desktop infrastructure strategy for optimal security

  The move to virtual desktop infrastructure at Essar enabled robust security and data protection amidst a liberal BYOD policy. Here’s how Essar deployed VDI.  Continue Reading

• 2011's top 10 tips on data centre, cloud and server virtualisation

  A collection of top 10 expert tips on data centres, cloud computing, server virtualisation and VDI for IT professionals to recap the technology highlights and how-tos of 2011.  Continue Reading

• Top five virtualisation case studies of 2011

  Our recap of 2011's most popular case studies shows how other IT users conducted their virtualisation projects and all about their challenges and the efficiencies they achieved.  Continue Reading

• Object-based storage allows users to tame ballooning data stores

  Object-based storage boots out hierarchical file systems for a flat-file layout, tames massive files stores and overcomes RAID’s inadequacies.  Continue Reading

• In-house vs. moving to the cloud: Data centre learning guide

  Moving IT to the cloud can have certain advantages such as scalability and flexibility, but in-house data centres score on security aspects.  Continue Reading

• How Capex vs. Opex affects data centre outsourcing decisions

  Capex vs.Opex comparison reveals that although cloud services help avoid capital expenses on building own data centres, its Opex model can turn costly if IT pros aren’t cautious.  Continue Reading

• Five VDI technology bottlenecks faced by implementers

  Though VDI technology offers benefits, bottlenecks may hamper smooth deployment. We talk to VDI implementers to identify common VDI technology bottlenecks.  Continue Reading

• Bombay Stock Exchange’s server consolidation journey

  BSE recently consolidated its servers and began its cloud computing journey. Find out more about BSE’s server consolidation initiative in this case study.  Continue Reading

• Best of vForum Awards 2011 nomination form: SYDNEY

  Hosted by TechTarget the Best of vForum Awards 2011 will take place during vForum in Sydney, 19-20 October 2011. Enter so your IT project can receive the recognition it deserves.  Continue Reading

• The Best of vForum 2011 Awards: Have you signed up?

  If you are an IT leader who delivers value to your business through innovative use of virtualization, cloud computing and IT as a Service, don’t miss The Best of vForum 2011 Awards. Hosted by TechTarget, the Best of vForum Awards 2011 will take ...  Continue Reading

• The appeal of Citrix licensing: Hypervisors and per-server licenses

  While Citrix chooses to license its XenServer technology on a per-server basis, VMware, its main competitor, opts for the counting-CPU-sockets approach.  Continue Reading

• Virtual Data Centre Europe E-zine

  Whether you’re building a new data centre, managing an existing facility, or considering cloud computing/managed services, our Data Centre Europe e-zine addresses IT pros' everyday challenges.  Continue Reading

• Profile: Ziad Sukkar, CIO of SIRVA

  In this profile, Ziad Sukkar, CIO of SIRVA, explains why he rates virtualisation as the most important enterprise technology today.  Continue Reading

• Future technology: A booming off-the-shelf cloud computing market, MTI predicts

  UK integrator shares its five future technology predictions for 2011, including forecasts for data centres, virtualisation and off-the-shelf cloud computing technology  Continue Reading

• A black day for data centre carbon emissions

  Learn why it is important to reduce your data centre’s carbon emissions and how to improve your energy efficiency, according to our data centre expert.  Continue Reading

• How to choose a colocation data centre: A UK guide

  A UK guide detailing common mistakes to avoid when deciding which colocation data centre provider to work with.  Continue Reading

• The mainframe is dead, long live the mainframe

  An independent UK integrator discusses the mainframe skills shortage and the gentle decline in deployments.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Bustling press room

  The "speed dating"-style press room got people in touch with the right journalists.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Busy exhibition hall

  Delegates, vendors, speakers, press and analysts flooded the exhibition hall.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Toys for the boys

  F5's helicopters proved popular with attendees at SNW Europe 2010.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Welcome packs

  Fujitsu helped contribute exciting welcome packs for attendees.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: The keynotes

  SNW Europe featured several insightful keynotes over the three days.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Quantum mugs

  Quantum's personalised mugs were a hit during the show.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: HP had the biggest racks

  Data centre demos had attendees flocking to HP's booth.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Detailed floor plan

  The show spanned three floors of the Congress Centre, as seen in this floor plan.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: Symantec's data loss protesters

  Symantec's marketers weathered the data loss storm.  Continue Reading

• SNW Europe 2010: The Power of 3

  At SNW Europe 2010, three shows -- Datacentre Technologies, SNW Europe and Virtualisation World -- came together to form 'The Power of 3.'  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010

  This slideshow captures all the different aspects of VMworld Europe 2010, from CA's circus show to Paul Maritz's keynote.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: VCE demo

  VMworld Europe attendees were greeted with a private cloud demo from the Virtual Computing Environment (VCE) coalition.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: CA's flying monkey

  The exotic animals CA brought in to add to its circus-themed night excited and entertained VMworld attendees.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: User Awards sign

  SearchVirtualDataCentre.co.UK's award presentation sign enticed and excited attendees throughout the show.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: Cloud signs

  Clouds are fun decorations at VMware's booth at VMworld Europe 2010.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: Crowds gather for lunch

  Guests were treated to a delicious lunch before the Best of VMworld User Awards.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: CA's stand and circus sign

  CA promotes its circus show to VMworld Europe 2010 attendees.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: VMware's End User Computing strategy

  VMware ensured that experts were connecting with users at VMworld Europe.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: IT loves circuses

  IT attendees at VMworld Europe showed some love for CA's circus show.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: Paul Maritz

  VMworld Europe kicks off with a keynote address from VMware's president and CEO, Paul Maritz.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: VMware genius bar

  Experts were available at VMware's stand to answer attendees' questions at VMworld Europe.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: Goodbye

  An attendee leaves VMworld Europe as the show comes to a close.  Continue Reading

• Scenes from VMworld Europe 2010: CA's circus evening show

  CA Technologies livened up the night at VMworld Europe 2010 by hiring circus performers to entertain attendees.  Continue Reading