Optimizing Your Infrastructure For Cloud Computing

Optimizing your Infrastructure for Cloud Computing
Best practices for managing a cloud IT environment

By Chris Loeffler Data Center Applications Manager, Distributed Power Solutions Eaton Corporation

Executive Summary
Cloud computing is generating enormous amounts of discussion and excitement in the world of corporate IT. Eager to drive efficiency up and costs down, organizations of everysize and description are rapidly adopting Web-based software, platform and infrastructure solutions. Indeed, analyst firm International Data Corporation expects global spending by enterprises on cloud services to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 26 percent between 2009 and 2013, from $17.4 billion to $44.2 billion. Within a matter of years, experts predict, most businesses will utilize atleast some cloud-based applications and services. Yet for all its capacity to streamline management and boost agility, cloud computing poses unique power, cooling and availability challenges as well. To meet them, businesses must increase the strength and resiliency of both their electrical and mechanical infrastructures. This white paper examines some of the forces behind rising adoption ofcloud-based solutions, explores how cloud architectures impact data centers and discusses a series of concrete practices and technologies that can help companies collect the benefits of cloud computing without compromising uptime or overwhelming their power and cooling systems. Table of Contents Understanding cloudcomputing............................................................................................................... 2 How cloud computing impacts IT infrastructures ................................................................................... 2 Power and cooling .................................................................................................................................... 2Reliability................................................................................................................................................... 3 Strategies for powering and cooling cloud-based infrastructures........................................................ 3 Use modular power and cooling system components .............................................................................. 3 Deploy a passive coolingsystem.............................................................................................................. 4 Construct multiple facility rooms ............................................................................................................... 5 Strategies for improving a cloud infrastructure’s reliability .................................................................. 6 Conduct a power chain audit.................................................................................................................... 6 Add redundancy to your power architecture............................................................................................. 6 Deploy replication software....................................................................................................................... 7 Utilizelive migration software ................................................................................................................... 7 Employ integrated management software ................................................................................................ 7Conclusion................................................................................................................................................... 8 About Eaton ................................................................................................................................................. 8 About the author ......................................................................................................................................... 8

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