Questions to ask before you start your data center optimization

Data center optimization is becoming exceedingly important to IT decision makers as demand for storage capacity and the cost of operations continue to inch upwards. Everyone is looking for ways to tune-up their facility and cut waste from the operation of their data center, but jumping into an optimization plan with a short-sided strategy can lead to bigger problems down the road. That's why it's important to carefully consider long-term vision and potential shortfalls before committing to a haphazard series of upgrades.

Why are you and your IT Team optimizing?
This may seem like an obvious question, but seeking the general benefits of optimization (greater space-effectiveness, reduced energy consumption and better service for clients) are not the equivalent of a detailed vision for optimization. Will optimization efforts create downtime? Should your IT team focus on short-term savings or invest in a long-term cost-reduction strategy? Is this a good time to update components in your data center for upcoming standard changes like IPv6? Taking the time to answer questions like these with your IT staff will give you a better idea of how and where to focus your facility's optimization plan.

Can you optimize without incurring a burden on the budget?
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? A bit of careful planning will allow you and your IT team to implement upgrades a minimal cost, maximizing the savings generated by your optimization strategy. For example, Data Center Knowledge noted that that a company could create savings quickly by replacing one of the more costly sections of the data center (such as backup storage) to a more cost-effective cloud vendor. Likewise, installing a data center management software is a minimal investment that can help your data center run more smoothly.

Will current companies policies create implementation barriers?
Computerworld warned against overlooking potential issues outside the IT department that could slow down the optimization process at a critically inconvenient juncture. Be sure to review company policy regarding IT topics like spending and downtime to ensure that your plan won't suffer interference from the C-suite. In cases where policy barriers arise, a detailed optimization strategy will be an essential tool for communicating the importance of the project to the company's top brass.

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