< PreviousAmir Hashmi CEO / Founder zsah Document sharing, videoconferencing, CRMs, ERPs, communication and productivity tools – these are all very familiar buzzwords millions of businesses all over the world have increasingly adopted over the last few years. Amir Hashmi, CEO, and founder of zsah managed IT services, looks at how the pandemic will continue to impact the cloud. data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 30 How the pandemic will continue to change the cloud market in 2022 2020 and 2021 indeed were the "years of the cloud”; it’s worth has been proven time and time again. Without the cloud, we would not have Zoom, MS Teams, Google Hangouts, or the ability to work office systems and phones from home. Even those who have resisted cloud technologies or been reliant on legacy systems and office-tied processes have felt the impact. Circumstance forced everyone to undertake a significant digitisation project – and this, in short, has meant that connectivity between businesses and workers could continue. So, given how instrumental cloud technology has been in keeping us all in business over recent months and it's clear it's set to continue for the long term, how will the market and the technology develop through 2022 and beyond? Open source will continue to drive cloud innovation At-scale development, deployment and management of application architectures on cloud services have been driven by open-source technologies. With the world in lockdown, developers and engineers found the value of contributing to open source. In 2022 and beyond, the number of new open-source contributors is almost certainly going to increase which will, in turn, create further innovations for cloud infrastructure and architectures. The majority of businesses will continue to rely on the public cloud It is clear that the abrupt interruption of "business as usual" brought on by Covid-19 is here to stay - and is likely to disrupt operations for the foreseeable future. As organisations struggle with safety for consumers, employees and partners, they are increasingly looking to the public cloud. For many – particularly small to medium-sized organisations – this new outlook has been brought primarily through third-party applications and frameworks designed to quickly enable online business in a shuttered world. Having little or no IT capacity themselves, a broad range of industries and businesses – from farmers to boutique retail shops – have embarked on a digital transformation journey that has taken them to the public cloud via 'Software as a Service' (SaaS). The cloud, particularly the public cloud, will continue to be the backbone of business continuity for most enterprises. However, this may start to create issues. The "cloud rush" caused by past shutdowns amidst the pandemic has, at times, highlighted weaknesses in infrastructure as it struggled to keep up with demand. The distribution of cloud data centres is currently inadequate to support significant longer-term workloads for a distributed workforce and an increasingly dispersed consumer base. That means that public cloud providers will need to carefully assess their current distribution of data centres and potentially expand to support a growing customer base in the future. More companies will go hybrid with their cloud set up The public cloud has been great for companies who found themselves suddenly in need of cloud storage and who require a flexible, pay-as-you-go service. It is hard to imagine this pattern slowing down, as demand is high and the pandemic remains a potential threat to stability. However, as there seems to be no going back, many organisations in 2022 may consider moving onto a private cloud. It offers greater security and cost efficiency and a myriad of compliance and data regulation benefits which makes it ideal for the centralised storage and control of essential company data. However, as mentioned above, the public cloud is the best option when providing the tools a remote workforce needs. The answer is to go hybrid. Instability and the subsequent need for digital transformation is looking much more permanent than it did in 2020 – so investing in private cloud will be seen as a less unnecessary risk and more of a sensible option. Companies who are unsure of how much they will grow yet know they will need at least 'some' cloud storage, which will drive the adoption of the hybrid set-up. There will be a surge in regional cloud ecosystems As centralised systems struggle to carry the load of a workforce not tied to a central office and businesses expand their cloud usage, regional data centres will grow for cloud storage. This is a significant move for regional businesses that would traditionally have had to establish all their PoPs and cloud connections in the capital or the main business hub of the region. As we know, more businesses are ditching that centralised, permanent office in the capital – so this will result in improved efficiency and reduced latency. n data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 31 mic ud Andy Connor, EMEA Channel Director at Subzero Engineering, discusses key areas of focus for the data centre industry as it seeks to meet the ever-increasing expectations of digital consumers, alongside the environmental imperatives highlighted at COP26. Andy Connor EMEA Channel Director Subzero Engineering Meeting the demand for truly high performance sustainable and flexible data centres data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 32, res The data centre industry faces potentially opposing challenges over the next few years. On the one hand, the demands of our digital age show no sign of stopping and, with 5G expected to reach mainstream adoption, one could reasonably argue that the digital infrastructure required to support such applications is going to increase significantly. What’s clear is that it needs to be agile, scalable, quick-to-deploy and, above all, efficient, if it is to meet the users’ expectations. At the same time the data centre industry, as a major power consumer, must become more sustainable and move forward from the easy wins of carbon offsetting to a much more sophisticated programme of carbon reduction and eventual elimination - Net Zero. Set against these twin objectives, optimising data centre performance has never been more important and in order to achieve this at Subzero Engineering, we believe a number of things have to happen: Data drives decision-making Cliché or not, the saying that ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage or improve it’ remains true. For data centre owners and operators, this means understanding how your existing facility performs under varying environmental conditions and identifying ways to improve it. This may mean major modernisation work will need to take place where efficiencies are lacking, or designing a new facility which offers the layout, optimum flexibility and environmental performance to meet the constantly changing requirements of digital customers alongside sustainability targets. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software will play an increasingly important role when it comes to data centre design and construction, retrofit and helping to improve the efficiency and performance of legacy data centres. It allows the simulation of an endless combination of racks, cabinets, cabling and mechanical and engineering (M&E) equipment, with the anticipated IT load, to ensure optimisation. In providing data-driven analysis of the cold and hot air within the data centre, CFD analysis also delivers optimised layout recommendations and highlights how energy costs can be reduced by optimising and maximising cooling usage throughout the data centre. Such an Environmental Impact Evaluation provides valuable information to help operators reduce energy usage and carbon emissions and will play a critical role in meeting Net Zero data centres. Modernisation is critical Armed with the data, it’s time for action. And this is where I believe that data centre containment solutions can play a critical role - especially as data centre owners/ operators look to improve both the IT and environmental performance of new and legacy facilities. The benefits are many and both hot and cold aisle containment solutions optimise the interaction of the cold supply and hot exhaust air within the data centre. This eliminates hot spots and significantly reduces the prospect of equipment failure. It also applies to the M&E and the IT hardware, both of which might otherwise be challenged to cope with extreme, unregulated temperatures. Improved reliability is a prerequisite for today’s digital applications. Once installed, containment solutions provide major environmental benefits including higher cooling supply temperatures, lower CRAC fan speeds, a lower carbon footprint and a lower PUE. Another key containment outcome is significantly reduced energy usage, hence a smaller energy bill. Combined with an energy management and monitoring programme, containment solutions also allow operators to extend the lifecycle of their systems which is a major sustainability win. Greater flexibility at the edge The edge infrastructure market is predicted to surge over the next two years but today is dominated by small- scale micro data centres which are often pre-populated, single rack solutions. This can mean little flexibility in terms of their make-up, size or ability to scale up a single system in a modular manner and that the key needs of our digital age – flexibility, agility, scalability, speed – may not be met. At Subzero, we believe that a new kind of micro data centre will gain momentum in the coming months, one that can be truly vendor agnostic and designed with the user’s choice of data centre components (power, cooling, racks, cabling, safety systems). Such systems can be provided as standardised but highly flexible or fully customised solutions, enabling the user to define their edge based on the business requirements. Furthermore, they can offer a 20-30% cost saving when compared to a fully containerised micro data centre. As we look towards Net Zero, sustainability and performance demands must be met. It requires greater flexibility in our infrastructure and a data driven approach to design and deployment. n data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 33John Morrison SVP of International Markets Extreme Networks 2021 was the year that the online and offline became one. To function in this tumultuous year - one marked by remote work and a growing reliance on technology - enterprises, industries and the economy had to innovate. Much in the same way the space race forced competing nations to become pioneers, the new reality with which we are faced forces us to reflect on our IT infrastructure and the networks that underpin it. Traditionally speaking, enterprises have always viewed their networks through a binary lens: hardware and software. In 2022, organisations will begin to discover the value of viewing their networks holistically and as multi-layered. The increasing shift to online means that networks will need to be more capable than ever before and tomorrow’s networks are only as strong as their layers. Turning more attention to network layers is crucial if firms are to future-proof themselves and become what we call ‘infinite enterprises’ - enterprises which are capable of scaling, meeting users wherever they are and delivering a consumer- centric experience where technology revolves around specific, granular needs. Creating networks that can meet these goals reliably and securely will keep people connected, engaged and productive in the more distributed environment that is coming to shape our reality. To make the most of their networks, enterprises will need to embark on a journey of discovery. The tools - layers - are there. Now it’s up to industries to find, evaluate and implement them. The following are the three layers which will bring businesses closest to becoming infinite enterprises in 2022. Why 2022 is the year of layered networks data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 34year of ks data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 35Recognising the power of WiFi 6 Firstly, businesses should consider the implementation of WiFi 6. After all, it can deliver up to 30x higher speeds over its predecessor and will further improve the already growing spheres of AR/VR, online gaming and video streaming. Aside from increased speeds, WiFi 6 enables bandwidth to be segmented within channels allowing it to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously using the right frequency per device - helping to reduce network strain and safeguard performance. In numbers, WiFi 6, thanks to its bigger data transfers, offers speeds of up to 11Gbps compared to current WiFi capabilities which peak at 1Gbps. These high speeds make working with or on any SaaS a breeze, coupled with smoother, lag-free conference calls and rapid large file transfers. WiFi 6 also avoids suffering Autonomous networks can complete tasks for a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the same errors. data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 36from the same frequency overpopulation issues that we may experience in other wireless standards. Since it has improved Multiple-in, Multiple-out (MIMO) technology, it even allows more devices to stay connected, without throttling devices capable of processing more data when connected. Furthermore, since WiFi 6 is designed to be part of a secure corporate LAN, staff wouldn’t need to tunnel their connection through a VPN to access applications, files and data stored in the corporate intranet. Taking advantage of software-defined networking The second layer organisations can explore is software-defined networking, or SDN, which has gained momentum as a popular approach to achieving a flexible and agile network. SDN has become crucial due to the growth in cloud computing, the increase in mobile usage and the continued desire to reduce business running costs. SDN enables the user to design, build and manage networks, separating the control and forwarding planes, removing the underlying infrastructure for applications and network services and making the control plane directly programmable. Through SDN, IT teams can manage the entire network and its devices consistently, regardless of the complexity of the underlying network technology. Via a properly configured SDN environment, it is easier and more cost-efficient to distribute computing power to remote sites, moving data centre functions to the edge, adopting cloud computing, and supporting the Internet of Things (IoT) environments. SDN even makes possible more granular security and control, and lowers operating costs at the same time as hardware and software are integrated from the ground up. IT teams can also gain more holistic enterprise management as well as centralised network provisioning as SDN brings together all aspects of modern networks under one roof. Finally, SDN can help users save on hardware and capital expenditures, it enables cloud abstraction and ensures guaranteed content delivery. Utilising autonomous, AI-driven networks The third opportunity for firms to survive and thrive in the year ahead is in identifying and taking advantage of the power of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). This is vital as the demand for rapidly deployed networks will begin to outpace the speed at which IT teams can deliver them. By harnessing the capabilities of automation and AI technology, processes can be streamlined, meaning that IT staff can focus on more strategic projects and tasks. Autonomous networks will ultimately transcend basic automation and become entirely self-operating. With machine learning capabilities, a network will learn on its own and identify/exploit gaps and hidden patterns. For instance, an autonomous network could help get a heart transplant where it needs to be in time for surgery, power next-level robotics, and find missing persons with IP cameras on roads and motorways. This is a boon for businesses as it will reduce manual deployment and intervention in the likes of planning, provisioning, service delivery and network operations. Ultimately, autonomous networks can complete tasks for a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the same errors. Looking ahead Our world is one that will be underpinned by our ability to work with technology to create the solutions we need. Much of this is dependent on our networks, which are in turn dependent on the intricate and immensely powerful layers that will come to support them. These layers have been with us for a while. Now, the time has come when enterprises will begin to discover the myriad benefits they yield. In a framework like this, we will begin to see the ‘infinite enterprise’ become a benchmark for future-readiness. Advanced layers will become the foundation of the powerful networks we need in 2022. 2022 will thus become the year of discovering network layers. n data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 37The latest DC Byte research revealed that not only is the data centre market showing signs of continued core expansion but there is also strong growth in new markets outside of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin. The pandemic has heightened demand across the data centre industry, accelerating buying cycles that were already on an upward trajectory, and increased awareness amongst the investor community of the profitability of technical real estate versus more traditional assets. Competition to source and acquire land for data centre development will continue to be fierce next year, as efforts to deliver on existing commitments and to meet demand for increased supply continue. The challenge will not only be identifying new sites at a time when land prices are rising due to the scarcity of supply but also, importantly, the significant lack of power availability in established metros. Strategic site selection away from established locations to areas which offer the ability to draw down on power availability over a longer period is expected, as is the continued rise in ‘power banking’ as operators strive to guarantee access to power in the timeframes and locations needed. DC Byte’s research suggests that: Across the FLAPD region, we expect to see increased self-build activity from the hyperscalers, with further announcements and plans either underway or ready to progress by the end of 2022. Dublin will overtake Amsterdam as the second largest market in terms of live capacity. Both markets are facing power constraints. However, higher demand from public cloud providers in Dublin has encouraged colocation providers to increase their development pipeline. Stockholm will be the market with the third largest capacity scheduled to go live in 2022, after Dublin and London. More major players will have a presence across the Nordic region than in Dublin in 2022. DC Byte’s research indicates that the Nordics will support 470MW for the major hyperscalers. By comparison, Dublin will support 543MW of IT capacity for the major hyperscalers. Investors, developers and business leaders seeking to identify and make time-pressured business decisions about the market, location, efficiency and profitability of their data centre investments will need access to real- time data but will also need to address the pressing issue of recruitment. The skills and experience gap could well jeopardise the potential future of the data centre market if a sufficiently large and skilled workforce of network and mechanical & electrical engineers is not recruited to service and support the sector. n The data centre industry is not alone in its determination to adjust, adapt and thrive following the challenges posed by the pandemic, the energy crisis and the digital skills gap. Will King Managing Director DC Byte data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 38data centre trends of tomorrow www.networkseuropemagazine.com 39 PREDICTIONSNext >