In the midst of a global energy crisis, unprecedented demand for IT resources, breakneck growth and always-on availability, data center managers are feeling the pressure. The Data Center track looks at all the challenges in the data center and offers practical and effective solutions to help cut costs, reduce power consumption and deliver world class data center facilities.
The data center is at the center of IT innovation with many exciting - but also confusing - developments. The session will provide a unifying vision, and a wealth of information and practical advice for companies seeking to build new data centers, planning for growth in existing data centers and transforming their operational practices. Based on hundreds of in-depth interviews with IT executives, this session provides an unbiased, insightful and unique view of best practices from real data centers around the world.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos is a Senior Vice President and Founding Partner with Nemertes Research, where he develops and manages research projects, conducts strategic seminars and advises key clients. Andreas is a computer scientist, a master of data communications and distributed systems, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a self-professed geek, with an engineering, programming and consulting background. Mr. Antonopoulos honed his speaking skills in front of audiences ranging in size from five executives in a boardroom to hundreds of people in large conferences. With more than three hundred speaking engagements under his belt he is considered a world-class and charismatic public speaker and teacher. Before joining Nemertes, Mr. Antonopoulos was the Security Practice Director at ThruPoint Inc, where he was responsible for a global team of security consultants who deliver solutions to multinational clients. Prior to ThruPoint he was a Security Practice Lead at Greenwich Technology Partners, where he designed the security architecture of a global wire-transfer network interconnecting the world's banks.
The Green Data Center sounds easier than it is. What are the various components of a green data center and how can companies make their existing data centers "greener"? What is the impact of green IT on the bottom line? Green is not just about the production of energy or the use of alternate sources; it is about energy strategies, energy efficiency, energy management and cost reduction. It's about sustainable computing and competitive advantage. It's about the bottom line as well as environmental responsibility and stewardship. How do you model the cost of electricity across all IT equipment? And how can you convert that cost model into a green ROI? Panelists will discuss strategies, technologies, challenges, cost models and case studies to help demystify green IT.
Will Ethernet unify the storage and data networks into one single fabric? Or does storage need its own network to deliver high performance? Will storage be carried over FCoE or iSCSI, or some other protocol? Or will fiber channel continue to grow and evolve? Panelists will discuss these and other issues around next-generation data center networks, take audience questions and present case studies to support their claims.
Build or Buy? This is the most common question related to the data center. Where do you put your IT equipment? Many choices are available today - building a new data center, converting an existing space, co-location, server and virtual server hosting or even "in the cloud." Which of these approaches is best for your business? This panel will discuss the various options and look at the balance between flexibility, cost and control that they offer.
