Data Center Strategies for the CIO
Check in every month for the best data center advice directly from experts working in a variety of roles across the IT industry. The SearchDataCenter.com Advisory Board includes industry experts that help us focus our coverage and bring you the best tips for managing a data center. You'll gather expert insights on hardware, facilities, management, professional issues, and a wide range of other IT topics and trends affecting your day-to-day operations.
Table of contents:
This month's Advisory Board Q&A
White papers set aside for summer reading
It’s that time of year when IT pros put aside the white papers and emerge from the deep recesses of the data center to add a little color to their complexion. Busy work schedules don't always allow much time for leisurely reads but vacation time is another story. We asked our Advisory Board members what they read when they take off the polo and put on the Hawaiian.
Advisory Board members
Meet the SearchDataCenter.com Advisory Board
Previous Advisory Board Q&As
Addressing data center issues and irritants
From entry-level systems administrators to noted facilities experts, everyone has data center issues or, at the very least, a pet peeve or two with how a facility looks or is operated. Many of these problems are self-inflicted wounds that could be avoided given a modicum of effort. Our advisory board members have weighed in on what ticks them off and how to fix it. What would you change in the data center if you had your druthers? Let us know by dropping a note to Site Editor Tom Walat.
'Big data' and its impact on data centers
What does “big data” mean to you and your company? At its essence, big data is a large amount of unstructured data that is mined to find patterns to aid your business. But when we asked our Advisory Board members to weigh in, each had their own interpretations. Since big data is a fairly recent phenomenon, we wanted to explore its implications now and what effect it may have in the future. Is it just another fad that will burn bright but quickly fade? If big data is here to stay, how will your data center cope with the rising streams of data and its demands on your infrastructure, purchasing decisions and the way you operate?
Strategic outsourcing can lift pressure
Advisory Board roundtable: Strategic outsourcing can lift pressure
For a booming business that is rapidly outgrowing its resources, budget and staff capabilities, an outsourcing provider may offer the relief that’s needed to keep things running smoothly. But what considerations need to be made before offloading some — or all — of your business’s computing needs into the cloud? This month, we’ve asked our Advisory Board members to discuss the data center outsourcing used in their own businesses, the strategic goals in mind for outsourcing, the biggest considerations in opting to outsource and select providers, and the major hurdles they have faced.
IT career paths for 2012
In today’s tough market, keen business sense and strong real-world experience are often more important than formal education or certifications. And, as the industry rapidly shifts toward new technologies, like virtualization and cloud computing, it’s hard to know what skills companies value in a potential employee. In this Q&A, our Advisory Board takes the temperature of the IT job market.
Top data center technologies to watch in 2012
How will the evolution and revolution of technologies affect your data center and IT staff in 2012? To herald in the new year, we asked our Advisory Board to look ahead and discuss the data center technologies that they want under the tree this year.