best practice guide Best practices for the next-generation data centre CS / GLMKDC0019 © Copyright Dimension Data 2015 dimensiondata.com best practice guide Best practices for the next-generation data centre Best practices for the ‘ As the industry embraces the concept of the next-generation data centre next-generation data centre, the role of IT within The promise of a next-generation data centre is alluring. Many IT leaders are the business, and the way it provides services, is enthusiastically pursuing this new model fundamentally changing. which holds potential to transform the data centre into a dynamic and agile asset: one that serves as a business response concerned about not having control It’s not surprising that organisations are centre that will scale to meet the growing of the technologies that prospective looking for help in identifying the correct demands of the business and users. partners might be using. model with which to move forward. ‘Our approach with such clients is one of: ‘Every industry is different, and the needs But bear in mind that this is a journey. of various business within a certain vertical The next-generation data centre isn’t just “Let’s first focus on understanding what you’re trying to achieve as a business, from may also be very specific,’ explains Hulme. another product. It’s not something you ‘You may want to continue delivering simply ‘order in’, or even something you can a strategic standpoint. We can bring the appropriate technologies in afterwards, certain services internally, as they represent physically see. This is a transformation that your key differentiators in the market. takes time; and you may need to change once we know what’s needed to meet your longer-term goals”,’ explains Singh Others might be suitable to hand over to direction several times along the way. a managed services or IT outsourcing In this article, we consider some of the partner, or for a move to the cloud. emerging best practices that organisations Focus on workloads and are adopting to ensure that their journey platforms, not the technology Explore the art of the possible… to the next-generation data centre Effectively dealing with high levels of while attending to ‘business remains on track. complexity also means rethinking the way as usual’ you maintain, operate, and support your Embrace the new role of IT workloads and data. According to Ryan Keeping your journey to a next-generation Levy, Dimension Data’s Principal Consultant data centre on course means making As the industry embraces the concept for Professional Services, Americas, bold yet well thought-out moves, while of the next-generation data centre, the today, it’s no longer just about deploying still ensuring that your business’s day- role of IT within the business, and the technology. ‘You need to first look at your to-day operations aren’t compromised. way it provides services, is fundamentally workloads and then consider what kind of Hulme cites a large UK-based service changing. We’re moving away from the services you can provide to your users – be provider as an example of an organisation idea of IT as an independent function they internal departments or customers,’ that’s successfully striking this balance: running within an organisation; it’s now he explains. ‘Then you need to consider ‘The company was running an ageing IT acknowledged as an enabler that supports how you’re going to support and maintain infrastructure, using in-house resources. the entire business operation. those workloads. The CIO realised that he was at a Edwinder Singh, Dimension Data’s Group crossroads – he could simply refresh the ‘Dimension Data is frequently asked by Director, Professional Services for Data infrastructure, and continue to deliver clients for assistance in formulating workload Centres, explains the implications of this services the way he always had, or he decision criteria and matrices, and identifying shift: ‘The high level of convergence that could “explore the art of the possible.” which platforms are most appropriate for we’ve seen within the data centre in different services – on-premise, off-premise, ‘Our consultants spent a fair amount recent years has proved very effective in or a hybrid model,’ he adds. of time with him, discussing his options. eliminating technology silos and ‘flattening’ We pointed out the importance of architectures… but done little to break Identify the correct continuity and stability and ensuring down operational silos. IT operations that existing operational processes teams are struggling to keep up with rapid organisational model weren’t disrupted during the transition. technology advancements, and the option Peter Hulme Dimension Data’s Business Ultimately we agreed to enter into an of handing certain responsibilities over Technical Lead for Data Centres, United outsourcing arrangement, through which to third-parties, is an appealing option. Kingdom, agrees that finding the right Dimension Data assumed responsibility Increasingly, IT operations are being organisational model for the business for running the existing IT environment. outsourced, and in many organisations, IT is critical. ‘In many cases, the way in This approach freed up the organisation’s leaders are acting as “IT service brokers” which organisations are doing business internal resources to work with us to for the business. is fundamentally changing because of develop a transformation plan that ‘However, some IT leaders are less technology; for example, many businesses are was appropriate for the business. comfortable about “letting go” of tasks moving certain elements to the cloud in order Importantly, it gave them a chance to apply that have traditionally fallen within their to support an increasingly mobile workforce. the insights they’d gained over many years remit. While they see value in eliminating Technology is completely changing the way working in the organisation, to craft the complexity through a managed services organisations are set up and the operational optimal solution.’ or outsourcing arrangement, they’re processes that they’re using.’ CS / GLMKDC0019 © Copyright Dimension Data 2015 dimensiondata.com best practice guide Best practices for the next-generation data centre And finally… be in for the long haul The question many IT leaders ask when considering timeframes, you also need straight line. It’s a transformational exploring a move to a next-generation to bear in mind that your business will journey that will continue to evolve data centre is: ‘How long will it take?’ continue to evolve, as will technology. over time,’ he concludes. According to Levy, most organisations So there’s really no end point. can expect the transformation to take ‘The next-generation data centre isn’t between three and five years. ‘When about moving from “A” to “B” in a CS / GLMKDC0019 © Copyright Dimension Data 2015 dimensiondata.com Middle East & Africa Asia Australia Europe Americas Algeria · Angola China · Hong Kong Australian Capital Territory Austria · Belgium Brazil · Canada · Chile Botswana · Congo · Burundi India · Indonesia · Japan New South Wales · Queensland Czech Republic · France Mexico · United States Democratic Republic of the Congo Korea · Malaysia South Australia · Victoria Germany · Hungary Gabon · Ghana · Kenya New Zealand · Philippines Western Australia Ireland · Italy Malawi · Mauritius · Morocco Singapore · Taiwan Luxembourg · Netherlands Mozambique · Namibia · Nigeria Thailand · Vietnam Poland · Portugal Oman · Rwanda · Saudi Arabia Slovakia · Spain · Switzerland South Africa United Kingdom Tanzania · Uganda United Arab Emirates · Zambia For contact details in your region please visit dimensiondata.com/globalpresence.