Data Center Consolidation in Higher Education
Posted on Tue, May 10, 2011 @ 01:20 PM
As technology continues to drive innovation, an increasing number of higher education CIOs are taking IT services off campus and cashing in on the benefits of data center consolidation.
Often a central focus of the overall IT environment, approaching data center consolidation, virtualization and even cloud technology with long-term vision can make higher education CIOs the most valuable force on campus, and can bring agility for the university’s lasting growth and success.
The Evolving IT Landscape
A 2010 technology survey found that reducing energy costs and data center consolidation strategies are top-of-mind for higher education CIOs.
- 74% have or are developing programs to reduce IT energy use and are familiar with the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Rating for Data Centers program, but only 13% track Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) — the core measurement for the EPA ENERGY STAR Rating, which is the ratio of total power into the data center compared to the power used by IT.
- 78% have or are developing specific data center consolidation strategies.
Data consolidation and off-campus service trends continue within The Chronicle’s CIO Leadership Board survey, which examines functions handled off campus. Email and social networks are most often pushed off campus; others include applications, desktop tools, and administrative functions such as grading, registration and admissions.
What Does the Data Center in Higher Education Look Like?
As the central location for all computing resources, the data center is the starting point for a strategically managed IT environment. It includes your servers, networks, technology equipment, applications, software, management tools and IT team.
Consolidation means simplifying the IT environment with increased manageability, which has many benefits, including:
- Reduced IT costs
- Decreased energy consumption
- Strengthened security
- Improved accessibility and business agility
- A framework for expansion into future technology
Overcoming Barriers
Two of the most common barriers higher education CIOs face in efforts to consolidate data centers are decreasing budgets and senior management priorities, which are usually not focused on data center consolidation.
A CIO’s path to data center consolidation includes a foundation that overcomes these challenges and wins internal buy-in for data center consolidation.
- Research. Knowing the data behind data center consolidation (case studies, standards, primary interviews) makes you the expert, and gives your recommendation more weight among decision makers.
- Think holistically. Show that data center consolidation not only benefits IT, but has lasting university advantages and impact (green initiatives and commitments, growing mobility and agility for future students and programs, reduced costs, etc.).
- Do the math. Make the decision into a financial “no-brainer” investment. Evaluate your existing budget, then use results from other universities and relate those to your IT environment.
- Leverage free programs. The EPA and DOE have free tools and programs that can assess data center improvements and validate investments. Measure while planning, throughout the process and after completion.
- Attend workshops. Consolidation can be a daunting task. Available workshops specific to higher education data center consolidation are valuable resources critical for success.
- Do an assessment. Work with a partner to secure third-party support on your plans, develop a strategic design based on your college or university’s data use, storage needs and future objectives.
Making the Grade: Examples of Successful Consolidation
Taking a look at some of the lessons learned by peers and examining higher education IT case studies is one way that CIOs can define considerations about their own IT landscape and consolidation.
Examples of recent successes and thoughts on the topic from university CIOs follow.
Your Thoughts?
Is your school considering data center consolidation? Please share your questions, concerns and lessons below.
MCPc recently worked with Malone University in Canton, Ohio to consolidate its data center. Read the Solution Spotlight or watch a video interview about their experience.
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Perry Szarka is a Solution Consultant at MCPc with expertise in data storage and network infrastructure. He works closely with clients to understand their business objectives and discover solutions to help them achieve their goals.
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