Ten technologies for changing future data centers

Carl Claunch, vice president of marketing research firm Gartner, has raised a number of 10 technologies that will have a significant impact on the data center. These technologies are not yet mature. However, these technologies will mature over the next 18-36 months and will be widely used.

1. Unified communications for technologies affecting data centres

By 2010, 80% of the unified communications component will be purchased as part of a broader product mix. The unified communications function involves five core markets, each of which is developing in its own way to integration. These five key markets are voice mail, PBX (to be developed for IP PBXs), e-mail and calendars, meetings and collaboration, instant messaging, and online status display. Unified Communications also absorbs some of the features of the accompanying market.

2. Web platform impacting data center technology

The transfer of proprietary protocols to IP is one of the main drivers, while previous analog signals, such as signal transmission or sensor communications from the building's internal security cameras, are turning to digital coding.

3. It operational process automation that impacts data center technology

Automating IT management processes is still a key goal for it officials to reduce the cost and complexity of IT operations. Automation applications will continue to grow in momentum. As the enterprise matures, automation applications will provide more process knowledge to meet these challenges.

4. Server architecture impacting Data center technology

The computational structure (computing fabric) is a development of server design. At the end of this decade, some vendors were asked to provide computing-based structures for servers. Future computing based servers will treat the memory, processor, and IO cards as components, grouped and arranged according to special requirements. The result is increased usage by reducing wasteful resources.

5. Metadata management for technologies affecting data centers

Data Services provide formatting, standardization, publishing, and access to data. Metadata management involves a reference model for metadata optimization, extraction, and semantic consistency to support reuse, consistency, integrity, and sharing. Most organizations will implement metadata management in a phased manner, choosing a step-by-step approach. For example, a customer-centric enterprise might use customer data consolidation solutions to solve customer management problems or to implement specific management requirements.

6. Configuration management database that affects the technology of the data center

Driven by a wide range of influence, the configuration Management database (CMDBs) will continue to play an important role in the enterprise IT operations infrastructure. At present, the Dependency mapping tool has brought a new technical method to the long-term discovery technology. People will continue to develop these tools to help IT operations build, maintain, visualize, and monitor logical applications or service topology management and cross system dependencies.

7. Mashups and hybrid applications that affect the technology of the data center

Mashups mixes content from multiple sources by using the information transmitted by the public API (application programming Interface). For example, an application mixes the information of a real estate site with the map interface of another site to show the location of the sale. Mashing is a presentation layer approach that integrates and blends applications that utilize web technologies in the areas of consumer (browser) and source (Network transport Protocol). End users can create opportunistic applications based on human needs or content.

8. Virtualization that impacts data center technology beyond integration

Virtualization technology can improve the reuse of IT resources and increase flexibility to accommodate changing needs and workloads. Used with automated technology and service-level, policy-based, proactive management, the efficiency of resources will be greatly improved, flexibility will be automatically adjusted as needed, and services will be managed as a whole to ensure high levels of elasticity.

9. Social software that affects the technology of the data center

In addition to public networks, WEB 2.0 companies are now focusing on using targeted applications in the enterprise. In general, social networking technology is now mature and widely used. Social software is easy to use and develop. This software will have a positive impact on business activities.

10. Green It that affects the technology of the data center

IT administrators are doing their best to provide power and cooling methods to handle thousands of watts of power consumed by the server rack. There are many regulatory requirements for power usage and the impact of the enterprise on the environment. This can be explained by the combination of market and customer demand for technology providers. The reaction of the technology vendors is to prioritize power and cooling management.