Google keeps up the pace of Data Center Capacity, spends $2.26 bil

In Google’s earnings statement is a reported $2.26 bil spent to increase data center capacity.

In the fourth quarter of 2013, capital expenditures were $2.26 billion, the majority of which was for production equipment, data-center construction, and real estate purchases.

Here is a nice graph that shows the past spending.

Google’s data center spending down slightly, but still crazy high

by Derrick Harris

21 HOURS AGO

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SUMMARY:

Google spend a little less on infrastructure during the fourth quarter than during the third quarter, but it still spent a lot. Like $2.25 billion a lot.

Facebook is saving Billions being efficient

I am getting busier and I am finding others who are covering the green data center topic well.  GigaOm’s Derrick Harris was at OCP.  I know I saw him there and he writes on Facebook’s efficiency effort saving billions.

With Open Compute, Facebook is saving billions and moving markets

by Derrick Harris

16 MINS AGO

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SUMMARY:

Facebook might have launched the Open Compute Project to force server vendors to build higher-effiency gear, but it’s having a much greater impact than even Facebook anticipated.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jay Parikh mentioned the savings.

During on-stage appearances at this year’s Open Compute Summit, which took place earlier this week in San Jose, both Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and VP of Engineering Jay Parikh highlighted the cost savings: Development of energy-efficient technologies has saved Facebook $1.2 billion over the past three years.

Zuckerberg (hoodie) on stage with Tim O’Reilly.

Go Hawks, Superbowl Fun and rivalry

Super Bowl fever is all over Seattle.  All the kids are ready for spirit day to show their Hawk Gear.

A viral video is popular too.

We have a bit of family rivalry.  My Brother’s family is Denver and my nephews have Seahawks shirts in Denver.  And my son has a Manning Broncos shirt.

Here are my brother’s dogs with their Bronco gear.

Data Center Club "Old Guys Rule!"

I am about to get on a plane going home.  There were a bunch of my data center friends who I was hoping to see this trip, but many were too busy to make time to get to the Open Compute Summit.  Starting the week, I texted one friend who I expected to be NC, but was in the bay area.  Let’s have a beer.  “I am too busy” ok.  Then at Open Compute I heard another data center friend is flying in from Texas.  Send a text  "you here?”  No, but I will be tomorrow.  “let’s have a beer.”  sign me up.  Ping another friend who makes the commute from Seattle to SJC on a regular basis.  “you here?”  I get on a plane today I’ll be there tonight.  Awesome now have 5 of us who haven’t connected.

Next day, think of another friend who might not be traveling.  He can come and he is bringing another friend from Seattle.    Texas friend shows up with a fellow data center guy.

Total we had nine of some of the smartest guys in the data center industry.  People who don’t necessarily get on stage.  The guys who do the work and know what is the B.S. and marketing hype.

What comes to mind is “Old Guys Rule"

A badge of honor.
There comes a time in your life when comfort meets substance. When all your hard work seems to have paid dividends, and the world is at your command. All the things you hoped you could do someday, you're doing. The toils of youth are now your experiences... no longer the student, but the teacher.

To celebrate your accomplishments we offer up "Old Guys Rule" to be worn as a badge of honor for a life well spent, but not nearly over...

These are great words to describe the guys.  People who have worked hard and the dividends are paying off as they rise in responsibility.

Can you think of a data center friend who belongs to the “Old Guys Rule” club? Take the time to try and get together.  Data Center friends who have perspective is invaluable.

Schneider and HP partner to create the One Source of Truth with DCIM

There are dozens of teams working in a data center.  From the facilities group to the hardware deployment to the application operations and in-between there is no shortage of databases with information.  The promise of DCIM is a data center information management solution.  The question I ask is how does this work?

Schneider Electric announced a partnership with HP on DCIM.

Schneider Electric Offers Comprehensive Data Center Infrastructure and IT Management Platform Through Collaboration with HP

WEST KINGSTON, R.I. January 23, 2014 – Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced collaboration with HP to deliver a comprehensive, converged data center and IT management platform.  This platform will provide consistent views for both the facilities and IT professionals within any organization resulting in increased collaboration and efficiency. The joint solution will feature HP Converged Management Consulting Services (CMCS) combined with Schneider Electric’s Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution, StruxureWare™ for Data Centers. Schneider Electric and HP are uniquely positioned to offer customers the ability to link physical infrastructure assets to business processes for improved holistic business impact analysis.

“By collaborating with HP to provide a holistic approach to managing IT business process assets and workloads, we are continuing to bridge the gap between IT and facilities,” says Soeren Jensen, vice president, Enterprise Management and Software, Schneider Electric. “Enabling IT service providers to instantly view the impact of any changes in their data center, as well as the operational costs associated with these changes is an important step towards improving energy efficiency in data centers and IT.”

The how is by using a CMDB as the one source of the truth and the place to reconcile information from the different sources.

Schneider Electric and HP will integrate StruxureWare for Data Centers with HP’s Universal Configuration Management Database (UCMDB) which will enable communication and reconcile asset data between the solutions platforms for DCIM and IT Service Management (ITSM). Also, HP will map the functions and features of StruxureWare for Data Centers into HP’s proprietary Converged Management Consulting Framework. This mapping will allow consultants to make informed recommendations around deployment of the solution into customer’s data centers and determine the best way to integrate the overall ITSM and DCIM systems within the environment.

The approach of using a CMDB as the integration point of DCIM information with ITSM is sound and an option that can work.  When you look at other DCIM solutions ask how will you store and reconcile the information from IT and Facilities?  If they say in the CMDB that would work.  If they say they can store the information in a Big Data environment with a NOSQL key value pair approach that could work as well.  Most would go down the path of a traditional DB.  I would choose ...