Harnessing the Giant: Storage Efficiency on an Anemic IT Budget

1. Harnessing the Giant: Storage Efficiency on an Anemic IT Budget Data Center Enhancements Inc.

2. There’s a Storm on the Horizon “Accordingto AFCOM’s Data Center Institute, power failures and limits on power availability will interrupt data center operations at more than 90% of all companies over the next five years.”

3. Challenging the IT Environment • Data center energy consumption continues to grow at a rate of 15% per year. • Corporate storage requirements continue growing at 50% or more per year • 2009 IT budgets are static or have declined, creating a financial squeeze for IT • Understanding the underlying issues behind storage energy consumption will help IT Professional better manage this challenge

4. Current Efficiency Trends Billion BTUs

5. Energy Consumption by State

6. NY State Energy Prices per MM BTU U.S Dept. of Energy

7. Where Does the Energy Go?

8. Storage Power Consumption

9. Anatomy of a Storage System

10. Technology Enhancements • Large Capacity Disks • Multi-Tiered Storage Architecture • Automated, Policy-Based Data Migration Software

11. File Access Over Time

12. Comparing Disk Drive Attributes

13. Disk Drive Power Consumption

14. A Typical Tiered Storage Architecture

15. How Do the Costs Add Up? $33,680

16. Technology Enhancements (cont.) • Thin Provisioning • Data Deduplication • Energy Monitoring and Management

17. Configuration Changes • Storage Consolidation • Storage Virtualization • FC Network Port Consolidation • Performance Optimization • Firmware “Tune-Up” • Disk Spares Assignment • RAID Array Layout

18. Loss from RAID5 Parity and Sparing

19. Configuration Changes (cont.) • New Generation Power Supplies • Eliminate Internal Disks (Boot-from-SAN) • Centralize Storage Management Functions • Reclaim Unused Storage Space

20. Operational Improvements • Retire Legacy Equipment • Shut Down All Inactive Systems • Clean Up File Systems • Preen Data for Unwanted/Illegal Files • Review Schedules and Backup Lists

21. Operational Improvements (cont.) • Implement File Aging and Expiration • Retain Only Data that is Necessary • Increase the Use of Off-Line Storage

22. Backup and Recovery • Limiting Cloning • Control the Number of File Copies • Turn On Data Compression • Use High Capacity Tape Drives

23. Advanced Technologies • 2 1/2 inch Drives • Solid State Disks • Automatic Power Down Disk Drives • Improved Storage Controller Efficiency • DC Power Supply • MAID Technology

24. Improve the Data Center Environment • Replace Missing Floor Tiles • Measure Air Pressure Under Raised Floor • Eliminate Items Blocking Air Flow • Replace Blank Panels in Storage Racks • Evaluate Raising Temperature and Humidity Settings • Implement Cabinet Cooling Technologies • Obtain a Thermal Map of Airflow • Turn off Video Monitors When Not in Use

25. Best Practices • Increase User Awareness • Data Classification • Balancing Performance, Availability, Capacity, and Energy Efficiency Requirements • Change the IT Culture

26. Changing the IT Culture • Not the IT Environment of the ‘80s or ‘90s • Make Energy Efficiency Part of Your Core Culture • Secure Executive Level Commitment • Train, train, and train for results • Make energy conservation a component in every IT employee’s evaluation criteria • Provide incentives and personal recognition for efficiency improvements • Raise the level of visibility and importance of energy efficiency

27. Potential Results EPA Report to Congress

28. Where Do We Start? • “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’ve arrived?” • Begin with an Unbiased Assessment • Provides a clear picture of what you have now • Creates a baseline for measuring change • Allows you to prioritize your approach based on actual operating environment parameters • Will identify “quick hit” opportunities • Identifies scope, duration, gaps, and resource requirements needed for a successful project • Yields core information for strategic planning

29. Assessment Objectives • What Should a Storage Assessment Provide? • Presents the “big picture” to management • Estimates the efficiency level of current storage equipment • Provides a documented operational baseline • Facilitates a gap analysis • Determines project resource requirements • Identifies and prioritizes area of greatest return • May provide ROI, TCO and other financial artifacts for a proposed remediation project

30. ImplementationStrategy • Improvement is a process, not an event • A Storage Optimization Project should include: • A comprehensive transformation strategy • Quantifiable goals and key milestones • Key metrics that can be tracked and evaluated • A prioritized implementation timeline • Master Project Plan with key events identified • Annualized budget requirements • A methodology for staged implementation • Integration points that allow the project to gracefully merge with other IT projects

31. Summary • Power and Cooling Expense will Be a Growing Factor in Future IT Budgets • Many Opportunities Exist for Improvement • Opportunities for Improvement Range from Quick and Simple to Complex and Obscure • Dramatic Cost Savings can be Achieved over Time with a Good Strategy • An Effective Energy Strategy Starts with a Comprehensive Assessment • Energy Efficiency Improvement is a Continuous Process

32. Questions? Randy Cochran - Data Center Enhancements Inc. - Phone: (630) 513-9747 - Web: http://www.dc-ei.com

33. Forty Improvement Steps

34. Low Cost Improvements

35. Low Cost Improvements (Cont.)

36. Low Cost Improvements (Cont.)

37. Low Cost Improvements (Cont.)

38. Modest Cost Improvements

39. Modest Cost Improvements (Cont.)

40. Substantial Investments

41. Substantial Investments (cont.)

42. Substantial Investments (cont.)

43. Re-Architected Solutions

44. Re-Architected Solutions (cont.)