DATA CENTRE AND ITS NEW AVATARS

The good old data centre has undergone a dramatic transformation in its speed, purpose and energy consumption. But the market is witnessing a transformation too

- Pratima Harigunani

The way data centres are shrinking in size, metal, hardware, space-needs and power-hunger is nothing short of a delight. It seems a lot like that newspaper party-dance game in which the partners have to keep dancing as the paper gets folded and folded and folded with every next round.

That explains why the monolithic and beastly iron creature of the last decade is seldom visible anymore. In its place is its post-diet cousin – this data centre is more software than hardware; this data centre takes up less space and this data centre is designed around applications. And, do you know the best part? This data centre has been folded into new limits of being lean and thin. It’s surviving on salad; uses less space, less energy, and is more agile. So does that mean the story of the data centre changes from here?

NEW CHARACTERS: WORKLOADS, EDGE AND POWER