Interesting Data Center trends for 2018 that bode well for WDC and MU.
1. 2018 is the year of the Edge Data Center. I’m not saying the cloud bubble has burst. And, it’s important to note that the edge is not here to replace the cloud. In the many edge projects we’re working on, edge solutions are designed to complement data center and cloud services. Edge computing serves as the decentralized extension of the campus networks, cellular networks, data center networks, or the cloud. “Organizations that have embarked on a digital business journey have realized that a more decentralized approach is required to address digital business infrastructure requirements,” says Santhosh Rao, principal research analyst at Gartner. “As the volume and velocity of data increases, so too does the inefficiency of streaming all this information to a cloud or data center for processing.” Effectively, organizations are working hard to decentralize compute power and place it closer to the point where data is generated. That is, the edge.
We’re also seeing a lot of use-cases for edge. This involves everything from finance to healthcare. The decentralization of cloud and data center resources has given rise to micro-data centers, branch locations, and smaller hubs to process data. Remember, these aren’t just benign small remote data centers. They’re key parts of your business and need to be planned around. The future is a lot more distributed. As you design your own edge ecosystem, keep an eye on efficiency, resiliency, and how the architecture can positively impact the business. I absolutely believe that edge, WAN, and even SD-WAN solutions will impact how data centers are being deployed in the digital world. “Currently, around 10% of enterprise-generated data is created and processed outside a traditional centralized data center or cloud,” says Rao. “By 2022, Gartner predicts this figure will reach 50%.”
2. All-flash solutions will eliminate a number of design challenges. We are seeing rows and rows of spinning disk being removed to make way for far more efficient all-flash solutions. Gartner recently predicted that by 2021, 50 percent of data centers will use SSAs for high-performance computing and big data workloads -- up from less than 10 percent today. "Advancements in SSD technology and lower price points are driving broader SSD adoption and are making SSDs a ubiquitous storage technology," said Jeff Janukowicz, a research VP at IDC. "SSD adoption in the client PC and in the enterprise data center market continues to increase, which will drive SSD unit shipments to grow."
We need to be very clear: all-flash solutions can have a very positive impact on data center design. We’re seeing this now, as we help many organizations design data center solutions to support evolving business requirements. In a recent report from Forrester (commissioned by Pure Storage), analysts examined the economic impact of removing legacy spinning disk and replacing them with all-flash solutions. Interviewed customers reported significant power and cooling savings when they replaced legacy disk storage with all-flash technologies. Per the report, power and cooling savings totaled $74,231 over three years, assuming cost per kWh for power of $0.14 and cost per kWh for cooling of $0.10.
This level of efficiency has allowed organizations to reduce many racks of spinning disk into just a few units within a rack. All-flash solutions should be in your design considerations if they’re not already.
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