A 2010 study conducted by the renowned technology research firm Gartner indicated the Number One data center infrastructure challenge for large enterprises was data growth.

At that point, nearly half those surveyed indicated they planned to address the problem by building additional space to accommodate increasing capacity needs or via an alternative such as mainframe outsourcing. Two-thirds said they planned to archive or retire data, too.

More data begets more complexity, for any size company. But for large organizations, multiple data centers can exponentially exacerbate the situation. Costs and potential problems are magnified, and vastly more people depend on the solutions. Mainframe outsourcing has been seen as a progressive alternative because it can address diverse challenges, including cost reduction.

Let’s look at all three major issues mentioned by Gartner’s international survey respondents.

#1 – Data growth.

Rising data volumes are causing pervasive cost increases, for hardware and software, but also for services, maintenance and management. Related concerns include data security protection from all possible sources, storage consolidation and management tools and data reduction methods.

#2 – System performance and scalability.

Respondents expected challenges relating to data growth to get worse. With the reawakening global economy, companies are shifting from survival mode to implementing new initiatives. Meanwhile data center upgrades -- sidelined for the past few years -- are becoming more urgent, as technology and equipment ages beyond typical refresh cycles.

Managers said they’d be looking for replacement alternatives that offer greater scalability and customization to meet both near- and longer-term IT objectives. Options such as mainframe outsourcing.

#3 – Network congestion and connectivity architecture.

Respondents also noted the newest servers demand much higher input and output, even more if systems are virtualized. That’s pushing old-style LAN switches toward obsolescence, along with WAN, since neither are able to adequately support consolidated IT systems or the effects of an increasingly mobile and remote workforce.

Gartner noted that future-proofed network infrastructure will need to provide integrated, across-the-board solutions instead of being silo-driven, if companies are to eliminate “network clogging” and the resulting delays or downtime. Nearly a third of survey respondents said they would have to improved service levels in order to assure user satisfaction.

Respondents reported system availability and business continuity were the dual goals driving their transformation decision-making, along with ongoing need to control rising IT costs wherever possible.

Solutions?

Data growth requires expanded capacity. More than 80% of those surveyed said they would be adding capacity at existing data centers or building new ones, with two-thirds stating they planned to invest in server virtualization such as mainframe outsourcing.

Things aren’t much different today.

Energy costs continue to rise, putting ever-greater pressure on cost-conscious companies. The search for ways to reduce power consumption means some data center managers now favor more compact servers.

Today’s data center managers also note concerns about guaranteeing sufficient cooling to support increased data center activity and 24/7 operation. They’re concerned about physical as well as data security, causing some to invest in surveillance cameras. And they’re working to implement system-wide visibility, to support more proactive maintenance and overall enterprise agility.

Successfully addressing these data center challenges can literally mean corporate growth or stagnation. Mainframe outsourcing is a proven solution, because it eliminates rising capital and overhead expenses, ensures cost-effective scalability and provides comprehensive disaster recovery and response improvements that address both security and business continuity.

What’s your greatest data center challenge? How could mainframe outsourcing help you address it?

 Photo Credit: NeoSpire on Flickr