Getting to the Next Generation Data Center - A 4-Stage Approach

Overview

Most companies have implemented the necessary first steps to reduce costs, such as server consolidation and standardization, and many are already investigating (if not implementing) virtualization technology as well. But spending reductions associated with these solutions have often been accompanied by increased operating and management costs, as well as pressure for even higher levels of service. With the advent of new technologies around virtualization and automation, IT managers must look beyond their initial first steps toward new stages of data center evolution. This paper describes the four stages that most companies move through toward achieving a more streamlined data center model, with a discussion of the elements, benefits, and limitations of each evolutionary stage.