Data centre
Deciding where and how to build and operate a datacentre is one of the most important decisions your organisation will make. This section covers how to build a solid datacentre infrastructure, including selecting the right location to build your new facility, best practices for designing a new datacentre, and cooling and air flow techniques. Learn about green IT, data management systems, servers and operating systems.
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News
20 Oct 2025
AWS confirms it is working to 'fully restore' services after major outage
Amazon Web Services (AWS) users have experienced an outage after the public cloud giant's North Virginia datacentre region became beset with technical difficulties Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2025
Nscale founding director exits AI infrastructure provider in wake of $1.1bn investment round
Much-hyped artificial intelligence infrastructure provider Nscale has parted ways with one of its founding directors, Companies House documents confirm Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2012
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
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News
21 Sep 2012
Facebook engineer builds heatmap tool for datacentre troubleshooting
A Facebook engineer has built a server-monitoring tool using heatmaps to assess the status of cache systems and fix datacentre problems Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2012
Next Generation Datacentres: The Cloud
Analysts Clive Longbottom and Bob Tarzey reveal the latest research on the deployment of cloud in the datacentre. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Sep 2012
How centralised storage and server-based computing help IT face BYOD
Study shows that UK and EU IT pros are still scared of BYOD. But IT can overcome these BYOD fears. Here's how. Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2012
Virtualisation, backup and recovery tool helps firm beat data woes
Virtualising IT was only half a battle won for an advertising agency. Selecting an apt data backup and recovery tool to optimise its virtual infrastructure was equally important. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2012
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V: What features get users' thumbs up
Admins who have downloaded Windows Server 2012 RC give thumbs up to the new version of Hyper-V, inclusion of high-end features in free Hyper-V, and shared nothing live migration. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2012
Five things that can make or break your virtual desktop infrastructure
IT pros looking to implement a virtual desktop infrastructure project must have a strategy for storage, application virtualisation and must understand desktop users to succeed. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2012
VMware admins advised to apply patches to ESX, ESXi quickly
IT pros are urged to install security patches that VMware has released to address critical vulnerabilities in virtualisation products such as ESX, ESXi, Fusion and Workstation. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jun 2012
DCIM: what it is and what it does
Data Centre Infrastructure Management holds unquestionable worth, but with the wealth of DCIM tools in the market, IT managers must choose carefully. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jun 2012
Gartner’s fabric computing insights
According to Gartner, fabric computing has evolved over the past two years, and is here to stay. Read further for fabric computing implementation insights. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2012
Microsoft launches support for Linux on Windows Azure
Microsoft’s cloud platform Windows Azure now supports Linux-based operating systems and languages such as Python and PHP. It includes IaaS capabilities to build hybrid cloud. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2012
Is Dell eyeing Quest Software following its Wyse acquisition?
Dell may acquire Quest Software to expand its desktop virtualisation offerings and gain Quest’s customers. Experts wonder if there is too much product overlap for such a deal to make sense. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 May 2012
Data centre design: Using engineered racks, pods and containers
IT pros must adopt a new approach to data centre design and consider using engineered racks, pods and containerised systems for better scalability, capacity and efficiency. Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2012
Microsoft volume licensing costs to increase up to 33.5%
Microsoft will increase its volume licensing prices in the UK between 7.5% and 33.5% starting July 1 to maintain price consistency owing to the sustained currency difference in Europe. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 May 2012
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
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Photo Story
10 May 2012
10 Indian server virtualization implementations you can learn from
Successful server virtualization implementation is more than just an install. Here’s a collection of Indian case studies that highlight best practices. Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2012
Server virtualization architecture case study: Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturing
Auto player Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturing Limited (MVML) reveals how server virtualization architecture helps it battle decentralization and save money. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2012
Free tool measures how 'green' your data centre is: News roundup
A free tool to measure data centre energy efficiency; Citrix’s open cloud strategy with its CloudStack platform and Dell’s acquisition of Wyse are this week’s news highlights. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Mar 2012
Troubleshooting bogus vCenter icons in VMware vSphere 5
The new vCenter icons that VMware introduced in vSphere 5 are buggy and issue false alarms. Here are some workarounds until the vendor issues a fix. Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2012
VKernel vOPS customers gain Quest integration sooner than anticipated
VKernel vOPS now includes Quest vFoglight and vOptimizer, just months after the merger. Is the knee-jerk integration right for tomorrow’s cloud infrastructures? Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2012
KPIT leverages VDI solution’s success
In order to reduce refresh cycle costs of 1200 desktops, KPIT Cummins opted for a VDI solution. We take a look at KPIT’s implementation journey. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Feb 2012
Demystifying VMware Site Recovery Manager and its role in DR
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) simplifies disaster recovery, but managing it is tricky if users don’t know how it handles VMware snapshots and how it affects backup software. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
13 Feb 2012
8 ways to make your software applications more energy efficient
Software Improvement Group and Knowledge Network Green Software have identified ways to deliver quick wins towards energy efficient software applications Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Feb 2012
How IT can convince stakeholders of the value of technology projects
IT professionals must take data centre measures to convince stakeholders of the business value of technology projects. This will help IT emerge as a valuable business resource. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2012
Surrey County Council's data centre efficiency project: Case study
The council will replace its existing primary IT facility this spring with a new energy efficient data centre facility which will help it save around £160,000 every year. Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2011
Virtualisation technologies: hits and misses of 2011
Amid a slew of virtualisation products and management suites that emerged in 2011, some products such as Spring platform impressed users, while others such as VMware MVP didn’t. Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2011
VMware vSphere 5 uptake slow among users
VMware vSphere 5 boasts of cloud-based features and monster VMs, but its uptake is lagging because of user satisfaction with vSphere 4. Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2011
HDFC Bank’s server consolidation move for branch-level competitive edge
Branch-level banking gets a boost with server consolidation at HDFC Bank, which wins for it the Best of vForum 2011 award for Outstanding Business Value. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Nov 2011
3 essential data center network cabling considerations
Data center network cabling requires meticulous planning and design. Use these tips to determine the best data center network cabling setup. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Nov 2011
How to manage transient data and replication
Transient data can be tricky to manage, and best practice tips outlined by vendors may have limitations. But there is an easier way out. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Nov 2011
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
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News
27 Oct 2011
VMware-based server consolidation yields long-term savings
Avis achieved long-term cost savings and efficiencies with a VMware-based server consolidation. Its transformation won the Best Virtualisation and Server Consolidation Project award at VMworld Europe. Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2011
Winner's photo: iPod Shuffle
A member of the audience wins an iPod Shuffle for attending the Best of VMworld User Awards Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Oct 2011
CRAC unit sizing: Dos and don’ts
A CRAC unit can consume a lot of power, but using it correctly can save costs and avoid fatalities. Read more about correctly sizing CRAC units in this tip. Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2011
Best of VMworld Europe 2010 winner adopts Cisco UCS
An Italian bank expands its virtual infrastructure to meet growing needs after winning the “Best virtualisation and server consolidation project” award at VMworld Europe 2010. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2011
Moving from in-house IT to third-party hosting services: Case study
A supplier of civil engineering and building materials moved its IT infrastructure to a third-party data centre to resolve its in-house IT problems, including cooling and flooding issues. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Oct 2011
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
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Tip
28 Sep 2011
8 power usage effectiveness (PUE) best practices for your data center
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a measure of power efficiency in data center IT equipment. Use these best practices to learn how to tweak PUE levels. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Sep 2011
Free-air cooling – using natural cooling in the data centre
If your energy bills are soaring and you want a cost-effective means of maintaining your data centre’s temperature, consider natural cooling or free-air cooling. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2011
Citrix buys RingCube for desktop personalisation: News in brief
Citrix has acquired RingCube, a desktop personalisation software provider, for an undisclosed sum. Citrix will add RingCube’s capabilities to its XenDesktop platform. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Aug 2011
Application migration to the cloud: Selecting the right apps
Migrating applications to the cloud depends on many parameters. This tip helps you prioritize and carry out application migration correctly and effectively. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2011
Water cooling vs. air cooling: The rise of water use in data centres
When comparing water cooling vs. air cooling techniques in data centres, you will find that air cooling is more popular. But water cooling is making its presence felt again. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jul 2011
Building the business case for a server refresh
As IT managers consider a server refresh, they need to create a solid business case for replacing hardware. Here’s how to garner support for the project. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jun 2011
13 LUN management tips for VMware environments
Use these LUN management recommendations to ensure your VMware-based virtualization exercise results in optimal storage utilization and performance. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2011
VDI technology rollout at Sterlite Technologies reaps rich dividends
Sterlite Technologies deployed virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) technology, and was rewarded with cost and energy gains. Here’s how they went about it Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2011
VMware snapshot best practices
Expert insights to help organizations ensure efficient VMware virtual machine snapshot mechanisms. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Apr 2011
Tier 3 data center design: The cooling checklist
Our expert gives insights into data center cooling system considerations that will ensure adherence to tier 3 data center standards. Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2011
Storage is key to getting the most from virtualisation
A Forrester survey shows that the benefits of server virtualisation aren’t fully realised unless the proper storage technology is in place; plus more news in brief. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Mar 2011
Server sizing considerations for virtual environments
Right sizing physical server capacities is the key to a successful server virtualization deployment. An expert lists down key server sizing lookouts. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Mar 2011
Tier 3 data center specifications checklist
Getting a data center tier 3 certified translates to high uptimes. An accredited tier designer shares insights to meet tier 3 data center specifications. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2011
Interxion hits colocation sweet spot and sees market shares soar
Colocation provider Interxion recently made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange and saw its shares soar 18%; plus more news in brief. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2011
NetApp bags Akorri to bolster capacity planning lineup
NetApp has entered into an agreement to buy data centre management software provider Akorri Networks; plus more news in brief. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Feb 2009
Which is cheaper?: Hyper-V or VMware?
Microsoft's Hyper-V costs less on the price list, but sometimes VMware ESXi can be cheaper to implement Continue Reading