Computing at the edge is blurring the boundaries of the traditional data center. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) means more data processing is being done on an ever-increasing range of smart devices in non-traditional locations.
As the network spreads, such critical factors as power management are taking on expanded roles—and even greater importance—in network operations.
In Europe, as we look to 2019 and beyond, we forecast a more holistic approach to data center operations, in which infrastructure, hardware and software are addressed as a unified system.
Will Intelligent Power Get More Traction in 2019?
According to Luca Rozzoni, Chatsworth Products' (CPI) senior product manager for Europe, while rack densities continue to rise in Europe, they are still low compared with some other markets. An average data center deploys 2-4 kilowatts (kW) per rack (in some isolated cases we see that being pushed to 10-15 kW). For that reason, a large portion of power deployments are conditioned by basic meter power distribution units (PDUs) There has been slow adoption of the new generation of intelligent PDU (monitored/switched), with price being the main stumbling block to greater market entry.
This situation should continue to evolve in 2019, because higher-density computing will require ever-more complex power distribution, monitoring and reporting. And even if rack densities do not increase significantly, compute power is increasing.
Further into the future, developments in artificial intelligence (AI) will evolve. When AI takes off, we expect extremely large and sustained loads on the data center that will increase the average workload.
The latest examples of products that can help reduce the complexity of delivering power to equipment includes three-phase PDUs equipped with power monitoring that stretches across the enterprise. Also accessible through and IP connection, they enable an IT team to monitor anything from anywhere—all the way down to the device level. For all these reasons, we expect to see a growing interest in intelligent PDUs in 2019 as customers prepare for the next technology upgrades.
Read the full article to learn more about 2019 data center trends in Europe.
What are the trends in your region? Comment below to let us know.
Brittany Mangan, Digital Content Specialist