Running a Data Center? What's Your Problem?
Oct. 16, 2006

If your company's data center is at all typical, you're probably experiencing your share of pain.

Working with limited resources, you have to integrate and manage a conglomeration of platforms from numerous vendors, all running a variety of operating environments. You need to keep response times fast and asset utilization rates high. You need to have a proven disaster recovery program ready to go when needed.

In a constantly changing and competitive business climate, companies take it for granted that information systems are up and running around the clock.

And on top of all this, you have to support the growth, business operations and rollout of new products and services that your enterprise needs to compete in the market. It's hard to accomplish all this without a headache or two.

We've introduced the Scale Out Advantage website to help you address these challenges, which we've divided into three categories: Streamlining IT Operations, Driving Business with IT, and Scaling for the Future. We've loaded the site with, and will continue to add, new stories, white papers, case studies, technology briefs and links to news related to today's data center.

As site editor, I'll be writing and moderating this blog forum. As we post new content on this site, I'll use this blog to discuss themes linked to scaling out. I also want to hear from you and welcome your comments and insights about the problems you face and what solutions work for you -- or don't.

So, don't hold back. Check out our stories on virtualization and consolidation. Have you deployed virtualization in your test and development or production environment? Did you find it easy or frustrating? Did you get it done on budget and on time? Have you effectively consolidated hardware platforms or are you still dealing with a hodgepodge of disparate systems?

Then read the articles about how compliance requirements are impacting the data center and how the move to open standards offers real opportunities to IT managers. Hopefully, the ScaleOut Advantage website can help relieve some of your pain.

Send us feedback on your own experiences -- your postings will help make this forum engaging and useful. Thanks!

Posted by Andy Mazer 10.16.06