Servers as the engine of digitalization
Performance determines the proceedings – this principle also applies in information technology, whose developments now leave hardly any area of life untouched. Without functioning and powerful servers, little runs nowadays. Maximum reliability, minimal latencies, and as little downtime as possible are crucial. Added to this is the need for secure protective measures for the respective environments. But where is the development heading, for example, in server hardware?
External data centers are becoming more popular
Server operation presents IT managers with several challenges. First, the servers should be located in a place with suitable environmental conditions – here, the keywords humidity and cooling often come up. As hard drive capacity dwindles, performance also decreases. Therefore, hard drive utilization must be constantly monitored. In addition, the RAM must perform well – if it’s no longer sufficient, this leads to a general performance drop. The same applies to the main processor: here too, permanent monitoring is necessary to prevent imminent overloads in time. This also helps avoid system crashes.
Thus, many measures are needed to reliably maintain server performance. Due to these diverse challenges, the trend is more than ever towards IT outsourcing or the use of external data centers. In addition to guaranteed performance, colocation brings a number of other advantages for companies, such as:
- Saving space, resources, and costs for hardware;
- optimal accessibility and network connectivity;
- physical and data-driven protection of IT hardware.
Premium computers instead of server landscape?
Meanwhile, PCs are also reaching ever higher performance spheres and nowadays usually have excellent equipment. Some managers are therefore toying with the idea of whether a fleet of premium computers with the right components might be sufficient. This trend can be observed, as an aging server landscape is a common sight in many companies. This creates the impression that high-performing PCs represent an immense upgrade to existing conditions.
But this is short-sighted: especially in terms of longevity, this solution is clearly inferior. Fans, power supplies, and boards in servers are designed with the principles of massiveness and longevity in mind. Especially with fans, it’s not about noise level, but their actual purpose. And in server rooms or data centers, the noise level doesn’t matter – unlike in open-plan offices. The same applies to components like processors or hard drives, which function quite differently in servers than in PCs. There are also differences in the respective network cards. Therefore, decision-makers should opt for a server landscape – preferably in a high-performance data center.
Future trends in server technology
In the world of servers, stagnation is rare. Also due to the energy crisis, the relationship between power demand and performance is coming more and more to the forefront. At the same time, the amount of data generated is increasing almost by the second, which in turn leads to more consumption. Therefore, a major trend towards edge computing has developed. This goes hand in hand with the increasing importance of Software-as-a-Service and cloud services. The general shift to the cloud is also increasing.
Overall, it can be stated that increasing efficiency in data centers is more than ever coming into focus – here, regulatory requirements such as the Energy Efficiency Act are also drivers. Colocation data centers are emerging as a sensible solution. They also offer a powerful alternative for companies with particularly high data volumes: in the form of dedicated servers, whose capacities are entirely available to only one company.
Future trends at a glance:
- Energy efficiency
- Edge Computing
- Shift to the cloud
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud services
- Colocation data centers as an efficient solution
- Dedicated server for high data volumes
