DC Networks

  • Avoid summarisation in leaf-and-spine fabrics.  [ipSpace]
  • Is OSPF or IS-IS good enough for my data centre?  [ipSpace]
  • DC design: installing a modern network.  [Network Computing]
  • DC interconnect and performance.  [Russ White]  [NetCraftsmen]
  • Microsegmentation.  [Russ White]  [Dark Reading]
  • EVPN with MPLS data plane in data centers.  [ipSpace]
  • Planning for high-speed data center migration.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Let’s pretend we run distributed storage over a thick yellow cable.   [ipSpace]
  • Data centers everywhere via fibre.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center networking challenges.  [DC Journal]
  • Cross links in a spine and leaf.  [Russ White]
  • Building DC fabrics with SPB.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Network convergence: how it affects data centers.  [DC Journal]
  • Do we need chassis switches anymore in the DC?  [DC Overlords]
  • Meeting the many needs of data centre interconnect.  [GazettaByte]
  • Spine and leaf fabrics: implicit or explicit compexity?  [ipSpace]
  • Facebook building own fibre network to link data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook's split network backbone.  [Russ White]  [TheNextPlatform]
  • MegaSwitch: an interesting new data center fabric.  [Russ White]  [MegaSwitch PDF]
  • Overlays in DC fabrics.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Why it's a good idea to clear your browser history and cookies.  [Graham Cluley]
  • Why is online surveillance more repressive than ever -- NordVPN.  [Voxy]
  • Why didn't we have leaf-and-spine fabrics decades ago?  [ipSpace]
  • LinkedIn's data center design principles.  [Network Computing]  [Russ White]
  • Leaf-and-spine networks vs fabric extenders.  [ipSpace]
  • Building a Layer-2 DC fabric in 2016.  [ipSpace]
  • Do you have a plan for when your ISP goes down?  [DC Journal]
  • Ingress traffic flow in multi-DC deployments.  [ipSpace]
  • Conducting a DR test.  [DC Journal]
  • Scaling L3-only DC networks.  [ipSpace]
  • Navigating the data center networking landscape.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DC fabric segment routing use case.  [Russ White: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5]
  • Optimise your data center: reduce the number of uplinks.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Building WAN infrastructure for the cloud.  [Network Computing]
  • Nokia’s new case for GPON shrinking data center footprints.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DAC cables and modules at 50Gbps / 200Gbps.  [The Register]
  • Inside Facebook networking.  [EtherealMind]
  • Data center fabrics and SDN.  [ipSpace]
  • 25GE data center deployment scenarios.  [Network Computing]
  • The data center network of networks.  [EtherealMind]
  • Data center interconnect design considerations.  [Network Computing]
  • Using BGP in data center fabrics.  [ipSpace]
  • Facebook shifts switch to 100G.  [EE Times]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Anyone can now build Facbook's data center switch.  [DC Knowledge]
  • All you need are two switches.  [ipSpace, presentation]  [ipSpace, text]
  • Next-gen DC interconnect tech enables explosion of online video and cloud services.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What happens when a data center switch fabric fails?  [ipSpace]
  • Addressing the top five DCI challenges.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Details on Google’s massive cloud infrastructure revealed.  [ExtremeTech]
  • Why firewalls won't matter in a few years.  [EtherealMind]
  • Design considerations for north/south flows in the data center.  [Lost In Transit]
  • Design challenge: multiple data centers connected with slow links.  [ipSpace]
  • How the network now defines the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook launches new Iowa data center with entirely new network architecture.  [DC Knowledge]  [TechCrunch]  [Gizmodo]
    • Facebook's new data center is bad news for Cisco.  [Wired]
    • Photo tour of FB's new Iowa data center.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Facebook's next-gen fabric.  [ipSpace]
  • All you need are two top-of-rack switches.  [ipSpace]
  • The role of internet exchanges in the data center interconnect market.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Evolving the data center network core.  [The Open Fabric]
  • The power of port replication in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cisco Nexus data center -- please help validate my design.  [Reddit]
  • Juniper vs Cisco for DC/Core.  [Reddit]
  • Is the data center "one network" or "connected smaller networks"?  [EtherealMind]
  • Is hyperscale possible in networking?  [Network Computing]
  • Cisco-threatening open switch coming from Facebook, Intel, and Broadcom.  [Ars Technica]
  • Wikipedia's Internet infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data acceleration: a game changer for converged infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • IPv6-only data centers: deployment guidelines.  [ipSpace]  [ipSpace Video]
  • SNAT vs PBR for server load balancing.  [StackExchange]
  • How much data center bandwidth do you really need?  [ipSpace]
  • Design options in dual-stack data centers.  [ipSpace]  [ipSpace MP4]
  • A closer look at data center high availability and service delivery.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The software defined data center meets disaster recovery.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Upgrading from 10GB/s to 40GB/s and beyond.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Secure solutions for data center interconnect.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Optimal solutions for data center connect (DCC).  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center networks are getting flatter and fitter.  [The Register]
  • VM BPDU spoofing attack works quite nicely in HA clusters.  [ipSpace]
  • Intel wants to kill the traditional server rack with 100Gbps links.  [Ars Technica]
  • Consolidation: shrinking our way to Data Center 3.0.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The world's biggest fibre LAN lives at a nuclear weapons research lab.  [Gizmodo]
  • WAN routing in data centers with Layer 2 DCI.  [ipSpace]
  • Making the case for DDoS protection.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Why anti-DDoS services matter in today's business environment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Preventing a botnet attack on your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Merchant silicon evolution, 40GigE arriving in 2015, and impact on data center design.  [EtherealMind]
  • Global strategies: communications and network design considerations.   [DC Knowledge]
  • Intra-spine links in leaf-and-spine fabrics.  [ipSpace]
  • The migration path from 10G to 40G and beyond.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cisco's open networking fabric for data centers and clouds.  [Cisco]
    • Scale your data center.  [Cisco]
  • Long-distance vMotion, stretched HA clusters, and business needs.  [ipSpace]
  • Network virtualisation: a next generation modular platform for the data center virtual network.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • How Google and Facebook will make the leap to lightspeed.  [Wired]
  • Five questions to ask about your 10GE data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Redundant data center Internet connectivity -- problem overview.  [ipSpace]
    • Response: redundant data center Internet connectivity.  [EtherealMind]
    • Redundant data center Internet connectivity -- high-level design.  [ipSpace]  [ipSpace]
  • Extending the data center into the cloud.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to build a zero downtime data center network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Link aggregation with stackable data center top-of-rack switches.  [ipSpace]
  • Building a data center network for 10GBe servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • WAN technologies help data centers grow and evolve.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center modernisation: from smart data centers to enterprise smart grids.  [DC Knowledge]
  • SDN technologies bring data centers closer together.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Prepare your network for hyperconvergence with WAN optimisation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • IBM: nanophotonics will smash data center bottlenecks.  [ReadWriteWeb]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Who needs 16 uplinks?  Welcome to the 10GE world!  [ipSpace]
  • Large leaf-and-spine fabrics with Dell Force10 switches using 10GE uplinks.  [ipSpace]
  • Stackable data center switches?  Do the math!  [ipSpace]
  • Benefits of deploying SFP+ fibre vs 10GBase-T.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Big data for CERN requires a bit network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Basic introduction to leaf/spine data center networking fabric design.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • Skip the transition: build IPv6-only data centers.  [ipSpace]
  • Is layer-3 DCI safe?  [ipSpace]
  • Don't use IPv6 RA on server LANs.  [ipSpace]
  • Making the case for DDoS protection.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Brocade's data center Ethernet strategy.  [EtherealMind]
  • State of IPv6 in data center gear.  [ipSpace]
  • Data center fabric presentations available online.  [ipSpace]
  • QFabric behind the curtain: I was spot-on.  [ipSpace]
  • High velocity trading rendered visceral.  [BoingBoing]  [BBC Podcasts]
  • How to optimise Internet performance.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Virtualisation of data centers: new options in the control and data planes.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Big bandwidth: unlocking a new competitive advantage.  [WSJ ATD]
  • Meeting security challenges in virtualised data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How WAN optimisation can transform disaster recovery.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Rethinking core economics of network growth.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How the QFabric system enables a high-performance, scalable big data infrastructure.  [Juniper]
    • Juniper updates QFabric for mid-sized data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
    • The fastest data center in the west world.  [Juniper]
  • Cisco puts a virtual router in the clouds.  [The Register]  [DC Knowledge]
  • High-speed trading: it's all about the nanoseconds.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Network virtualisation.  [Network Heresy]
  • IPv6-only data center.  [ipSpace]
  • Architecting data center networks in the era of big data and cloud.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • What is a virtual network?  It's not what you think it is.  [Wired]
  • Exercises to keep your data center on its toes.  [The Register]
  • Optical networks and low latency for data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Full mesh is the worst possible fabric architecture.  [ipSpace]
  • Google, Amazon, and Microsoft swarm China for network gear.  [Wired]
  • Using FC, FCoE or iSCSCI when deploying new gear in existing data center.  [ipSpace]
  • Network convergence: challenges and solutions.  [DC Knowledge]
  • MPLS/VPN in the data center?  Maybe not in the hypervisors.  [ipSpace]
  • Super-secret Google builds servers in the dark.  [Wired]  [Gizmodo]
  • Server naming conventions, revisited.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The new data center geography.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 5 best practices for data center migration.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • Microsoft network load balancing behind the scenes.  [ipSpace]
  • The network's role in data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Simplify the future by unifying the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • IP renumbering in disaster avoidance data center designs.  [ipSpace]
  • Is your network WAN optimisation really helping?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Tips for simplifying your cloud network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Defining "fabric" in the era of overlays.  [Network Heresy]
  • VM-aware networking improves IAAS cloud scalability.  [ipSpace]
  • Ethernet reaches for the hyper-scale cloud.  [The Register]
  • What are 10 Gigabit ultra short reach (USR) optics?  [EtherealMind]
  • Data center fabric architectures -- almost there.  [IOS Hints]
  • Hadoop network design challenge.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • You can't sell multi-hop FCoE even though it's a consultant's dream.  [EtherealMind]
  • Busting layer-2 data center interconnect myths.  [IOS Hints]
  • Can network architectures break the speed limit?  [The Register]
  • IPv6 adoption in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Switch fabrics: I/O queues and buffers.  [EtherealMind]
  • FCoE networking elements classification.  [IOS Hints]
  • The battle for the converged data center network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Packet-Optical data center interconnect networks.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Do we really want 100Gig Ethernet?  [The Register]
  • What is the definition of a switch fabric?  [EtherealMind]
  • Cisco's latest 'fabric'.  Really?  [Juniper]
  • Data centers and IPv6: why it matters to you.  [DC Knowledge]
  • High & low: performance and latency matter.  [DC Knowledge]
  • On data center scale, OpenFlow, and SDN.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • How many 10GE ports do you really need?  [EtherealMind]
  • Distributed firewalls: how badly do you want to fail?  [IOS Hints]
  • (V)Cloud architects, ever heard of MPLS?  [IOS Hints]
    • MPLS/VPN in data center interconnect (DCI) designs.  [IOS Hints]
  • When is a fabric not a fabric?  [Juniper]
  • Comparing data center fabrics from Juniper, Brocade and Cisco.  [Etherealmind]
    • Inverse virtualisation for Internet-scale applications.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • Cisco launches two more IPv4-only data center products.  [IOS Hints]
  • How would you use VPLS transport in L2 DCI?  [IOS Hints]
  • FCoE:
    • FCoMPLS -- attack of the zombies.  [IOS Hints]
    • Why would FC/FCoE scale better than iSCSI?  [IOS Hints]
    • FCoE between data centers?  Forget it!  [IOS Hints]
    • FCoE, QCN and frame relay analogies.  [IOS Hints]
    • Is FC switching bridging or routing?  [IOS Hints]
  • So what part of Layer 3 don't they get?  [Juniper]
  • The two roles of the data center network.  [Juniper]
  • Here's now a datacentre network works.  [The Register]
  • Futures review on 40 and 100 gigabit Ethernet.  [Etherealmind]
  • DCI encryption.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The next wave of network convergence.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Ethernet adapts to many data center applications.  [Network World]
  • Routed or switched access layers -- why not both?  [PacketLife]
  • ATAoE for converged DC networks?  No way.  [IOS Hints]
  • Google eyes ‘optical express’ for its network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Google routes around outages.  [DC Knowledge]

Miscellaneous Articles

  • How to mitigate hidden security challenges lurking within data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • New approaches to physical security requires inside-out assessment.  [DC Journal]
  • Finding strength in numbers: the DC clustering effect.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Make DC monitoring more meaningful.  [DC Journal]
  • How to design a data center in a Norwegian fjord.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center physical realities in a software-defined world.  [Network Computing]
  • Be proactive in DC earthquake mitigation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Most DC outages aren't caused by tech failure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Perimeter security: strategies for data center protection.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Massive 6-storey data center in a Norwegian mine comes online.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside the new Facebook DC in Texas.  [DC Knowledge]  [Facebook]
  • Optimise your DC infrastructure:  [ipSpace]
    • Virtualise the servers.  [ipSpace]
    • Ditch the legacy technologies.  [ipSpace]
  • Everything you wanted to know about Google data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside a Google data center.  [Fstoppers]  [YouTube]
  • Top three disaster recovery mistakes.  [Network Computing]
  • Five tips for choosing your DC wisely.  [DC Journal]
  • Data centre locations: In the city or up the country?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Are you getting everything your data center design is meant to deliver?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Everything you wanted to know about Facebook data centers.  [DC Knowledge, DC Knowledge]
  • What Facebook has learnt from regularly shutting down entire data centers.  [DC Knowledge]  [Russ White]
  • One DC standard to rule them all?  [DC Knowledge]
  • DC architecture lessons from Isaac Newton.  [Network Computing]
  • Data center security requires paranoia.  [Network Computing]
  • LinkedIn pushes own data center hardware standard.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Is parcel protocol right for your data transfer needs?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Building a future-proof data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Overcoming the six main obstacles to DC performance.  [DC Journal]
  • Optimise your data center: ditch the legacy technologies.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Unexpected recovery might kill your data center.  [ipSpace]
  • Guide to Facebook’s open source data center hardware.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The 'smarter', software-defined data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Are software-defined data centers really a new idea?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Designing data centers for the future.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Robotic data center switch automates physical connections.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 7 biggest DC migration mistakes -- and how to avoid them.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center design -- which standards to follow?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Can you afford to reformat your data center?  [ipSpace]
  • Karl Brumund: building a small DC.  [EtherealMind]
  • Equinix doubles down in one of the Internet's most important locations.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The modern data center: challenges and innovations.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Designing active-active and DR data centers.  [ipSpace]
  • Six facts in high-availability data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Mega data center design: what DuPont Fabros learned from building its biggest facility yet.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to build a server room: back to basics.  [The Register]
  • Lack of procedure plagues DC industry.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Switch claims Reno site will be world’s largest data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DC consolication checklist.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five data centres you can't live without.  [The Register]
  • Inside the Social Network's data center.  [Russ White]  [UCSD PDF]
  • Data Center 2.0 -- the emerging trend in colocation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why data centers look the way they do.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook sued: Data center designs 'nicked' for Open Compute.  [The Register]
  • Why you need to x-ray your data center.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Four steps to a successful data center migration.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video tour of Google's South Carolina data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [YouTube]
  • Data center design: five key areas of focus.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Security is key: five data center protection questions to keep your data safe.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Facebook is hacking together a better data center.  [Gizmodo]
  • See what’s buried in the Swiss bunkers turned into secretive data centers.  [Wired]
  • Facebook turned off entire data center to test resiliency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The last data center on Earth? The case for ‘As-a-Service’ everywhere.  [Wired]
  • The road to software-defined data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Software-defined data centers: what lies ahead?  [DC Knowledge]
  • The home data center: man cave for the Internet age.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center design: customization vs. personalization.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Redefining system architecture with data at the core.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Four big advantages of multi-tenant data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The data centers of tomorrow will use the same tech our mobile phones do.  [Wired]
  • Google: from 112 servers to a $5B-plus quarterly data center bill.  [DC Knowledge]  [Google+]
  • How to better align your data center’s physical infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Deutsche Telekom touts new data center as ‘Fort Knox’ for German data.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 10 of the strangest data center outages.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Get the humans out of the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • On policy in the data center: the solution space.  [Network Heresy]
  • Building the part of Facebook no one ever sees.  [Gizmodo]
  • Survey: enterprise data centers fail more often than colos.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five reasons modern data centers use environmental sensors.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center migragion -- critical lessons learnt.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Top 9 mistakes in data center planning.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center security lessones from Heartbleed and Target.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why data centers are popping up in Iowa.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • What will the data center of 2025 look like?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Creating next-gen visibility in the modern data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Equipping the next generation of data center professionals.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The software-defined data center: potential game changer.  [Network Computing]
  • 6 considerations in choosing a data colocation provider.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Facebook flipped the data centre hardware market.  [The Register]
  • New data center design drives efficiency gains for DuPont Fabros.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Professional labeling essential to data center security and audit compliance.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook rethinks how it builds data centers: Lego or IKEA?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google's first data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Google+]
  • Disasters and recoveries.  [ipSpace: part 1, part 2]
  • Converging the modern data center layers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five great ways to optimise your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google Glass: a vision for the future of DC maintenance.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Understanding and mitigating risk from DC threats.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Unifying the DC operations with true DCIM.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Tips for preventing data center outages.  [Network Computing]
  • 10 key considerations for a successful DCIM project.  [DC Knowledge]
  • AMS-IX opens Internet exchange in the New York market.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Want a unified data center? Don't forget to defrag the admins.  [The Register]
  • 7 attributes that help counter data center downtime.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DR site selection: factors and approach.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Next-generation data centers require next-generation security.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The importance of designing seismic certified data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The pros and cons of underground data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • A guide to successful data center migration.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five tips to help secure your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Best practices for lifting and handling data center equipment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: inefficient data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • From the ground up: building and efficient data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cut DC costs and complexity by unifying and simplifying DCIM.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Defining the new data center operating system.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Infographic: overcoming data center barriers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DCIM integration: are IT management tools enough?  [DC Knowledge]
  • A storm of servers: how the leap second led Facebook to build DCIM tools.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What the inside of an NSA data center looks like?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five tips to boost your DC IQ.  [DC Knowledge]
  • In DR planning, don't neglect home site restoration.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Intel details new visions for the data center.  [WSJ ATD]  [WSJ]
  • Learn to unlock the full business value of DCIM.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Important geographic and risk mitigation factors in selecting a data center site.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Using DCIM to create a common data center management approach.  [DC Knowledge]
  • LINX housing IT infrastructure in Interxion London.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Understanding the value and scope of data center commissioning.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Debunking the myths and fears of converged infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cisco's data center strategy takes a sharp turn toward applications.  [Cisco]
  • The changing data center landscape.  [Juniper]
  • The modern data center: an integrated world.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Aging infrastructure and evolving threats -- Data Center 2.0 is redefining security.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Modernising vs revolutionising.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Storm-proofing data centers for hurricanes and tornadoes.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Modernising vintage data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside Facebook's new Luleå data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Ars Technica]  [BBC News]  [Engadget]
  • The final phase of construction on a data center facility.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Is building a data center a sign of failure, not success?  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • The hidden beauty of the data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [DC Knowledge]
  • The hidden cost of system sprawl.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The robot-driven data center of tomorrow.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center design for a mobile environment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Understanding data center commissioning and its benefits.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Equinix unveils new crown jewel for Ashburn Campus.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why data centers are shifting towards converged infrastructures.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The Facebook special: how Intel builds custom chips for giants of the web.  [Wired]
  • DCIM: inside the information bubble.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center designs for evolving hardware.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The billion dollar data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to ensure your monitoring meets your needs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DCK executive guide to data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Designing for high availability and system failure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Making robust data center design decisions.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Learn how DCIM can save you 30% in data center operations costs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The importance of networking in data center TCO.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Converging the data center infrastructure: why and how.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The rise of the worker-friendly data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to introduce modern architectures and best practice to the data center.  [The Register]
  • Cisco + Microsoft team to target the data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Cisco]
    • Cisco ports Nexus 1000V virtual switch to Microsoft's Hyper-V.  [The Register]
    • Installing a cloud services router 1000v in VMware ESXi 5.1.  [CCIE Blog]
    • Installing the cloud services router CSR1000v in VMware Fusion.  [CCIE Blog]
  • How can you save up to 30% in data center operation costs?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Managing the data center -- one rack at a time.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five essential keys to success when relocating a data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DCK guide to modular data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Business justifications for a custom data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • An in-depth guide for data center transformation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Timelines and potential pitfalls of a custom data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Colocation communities are a match for cloud.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Are carrier hotels reliable enough?  [DC Knowledge]  [John Savageau]
  • Inside ViaWest's Tier 4 data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Custom data centers: responsibilities of the stakeholders.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Sandy has altered data center disaster planning.  [DC Knowledge]
  • A roadmap for data center transformation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • New eBay metrics help save millions in data center costs.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Video: how Facebook manages data centers at scale.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Understanding IT risks.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft joins Open Data Center Alliance.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 10 considerations in building a global data center strategy.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Whatever happened to High Availability?  [DC Knowledge]
  • A forgotten data center cost: lost capacity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Navigating data center performance challenges with KPIs.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • Is your DR plan ready?  Tips to help you weather the storm.  [DC Knowledge]
  • New approaches to data center consolidation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft's evolving data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft's $1 billion data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Transitioning to your own data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: what lurks beneath your raised floor?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside the Gozi bulletproof hosting facility.  [Krebs]
  • Creating data center strategies with global scale.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Decrease costs and gain a competitive advantage by improving DCIM.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Top five data center issues: DCIM to the rescue.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Disaster recovery is not business continuity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • North Carolina's data center corridor: from fibre to servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Don't let your data center be overtaken.  [The Register]
  • Why data center managers shouldn't feel threatened by colocation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 2013: say goodbye to the traditional data center.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Timelapse of the NCI supercomputer being built.  [HardOCP]  [YouTube]
  • Is the future of data centers small and distributed?  [EtherealMind]
  • Colocation decision checklist and best practices.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside Facebook's NC data center campus.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Video: Facebook's next-generation servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Colocation planning: environmental control and managment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: Level 3's Omaha data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [YouTube]
  • In Phoenix, the birth of a data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Colocation selection: analysing the workload.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Evaluating a colocation facility.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Colt wants to future-proof the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Sandy's lessons about disaster recovery.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center maturity: training to make your data center more efficient.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Four reasons to build data center capacity off-site.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Disaster recovery: boost confidence in your plans.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Where servers meet saunas: a visit to Google's Finland data center.  [Wired]
  • Google's data centers: an inside look.  [Google Blog]  [DC Knowledge]  [NZ Herald]  [ExtremeTech]  [HardOCP]  [Google]  [Wired]  [Stuff]  [THG]
    • Imperial Stormtrooper at Google's data center.  [Gizmodo]
  • Can your data center survive an earthquake?  How to know your risk.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Colocation's changing distance factor.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Early warning systems: data center monitoring.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside the Oak Ridge supercomputing facility.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video tour of an Equinix data center.  [PacketLife]
  • Modern data center classifications: which one is right for you?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Factors that lead to successful data center strategies.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Automating data center asset management: it's about time.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Calculating data center costs in virtual environments.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Goodbye silos -- the benefits of converged data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Decrease your costs by improving DCIM.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Guide to data center colocation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Do you control your data center, or is it controlling you?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Density: more than a metric.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • 10 safety tips on electrocution for the network engineer.  [EtherealMind]
  • An Olympian infrastructure challenge.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center disaster preparedness: 6 assurances you should look for in a data center provider.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Key factors impacting TCO.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Integration of data center services and systems.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Apple's North Carolina data center got built.  [TUAW]  [GigaOM: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4]
  • Still no sign of data ships on the horizon.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Applying DCIM in colocation data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Rapid evacuation of a data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Slashdot]
  • Notes from the road: DCIM simplified.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Enabling data center and cloud service management.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What lies ahead for the future of DCIM?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Courting disaster: denial is NOT an option.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center governance.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Demand design: beyond 'keeping the lights on'.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DCIM yields return on investment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How do I select a DCIM tool to fit my data center?  [DC Knowledge]
  • HP developing 'net-zero' data center concept.  [DC Knowledge]  [Geekzone]  [Wired]
  • The inside scoop on Facebook's data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What functionality is important for DCIM solutions?  [DC Knowledge]
  • The Apple data center FAQ.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center real estate showing maturity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Integrated approach to DCIM yields best results.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why do I need DCIM?  [DC Knowledge]
  • A glimpse inside Google's data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center design models and trends.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • UK data bunker features 12-ton blast door.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Comparing the efficiencies of fixed vs chassis switches.  [Brad Hedlund]
    • Are fixed switches more efficient than chassis ones?  [ipSpace]
  • Why flexibility in DCIM is so imporant.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Open Compute shakes up server supply chain.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Choosing a data center colocation site.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 6 questions for your next data center provider.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Coolest job in tech (literally): running a South Pole data center.  [Ars Technica]
  • The four trends driving the future of data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Inside GoDaddy's Phoenix data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data centers will be manned by engineers sleeping in these pods during the Olympics.  [Gizmodo]  [Wired]
  • Visa shows off data center "moat".  [The Register]
  • Understanding uptime and data center tier levels.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Scalable, virtualised, automated data center.  [ipSpace]
  • What's the true meaning of DCIM?  [DC Knowledge]
  • The build or buy decision is all about risk.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Data center build or buy: factors to consider.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center site selection factors.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Notes from the road: tearing down the silos.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center expansion: build or buy?  [DC Knowledge]
  • The Facebook data center project in Luleå.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Cisco chooses data center locations.  [DC Knowledge]  [Cisco]
  • Looking towards big, bold and broad data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Trends for 2012: data center design and operations.  [DC Knowledge]
  • World's data centers refuse to exit ice age.  [Wired]
  • Infographic: the ever-expanding data center.  [ReadWriteWeb]
    • GIF attached below: IS03103_Data-Center-Info-2011.gif
  • The rise of the local data center.  [ComputerWorld]  [GeekZone]
  • Global colocation: consolidation vs diversification.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Problems with Cat6A cables in data center.  [EtherealMind]
  • Rackspace: 'We want to be your OpenStack maniac'.  [The Register]
  • Lights-out data center?  Why isn't everyone doing it?  [Kip and Gary]
  • Why Gigamon scares the crap out of me.  [Evil Routers]
  • Can open hardware transform the data center?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: Facebook's North Carolina data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook to build massive Arctic data center in Sweden.  [HardOCP]  [Gizmodo]  [THG UK]  [Gizmodo]  [DC Knowledge]  [Coolest Gadgets]
    • Facebook's Swedish data center will be subject to Snoop Law.  [The Register]
  • Video: 60 Hudson and the hidden Internet.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft data center design evolves in Iowa.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center fabric architectures (EuroNOG 2011).  [IOS Hints]
  • Data center design remains a key area of interest.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Discover the key to a more cost-effective data center.  [Alcatel-Lucent]
    • Data center connect solution.  [Alcatel-Lucent]
    • PDF attached below: HP-ALU_Cloud-Ready-Datacenter_EN_StraWhitePaper_RMK0591100801.pdf
    • PDF attached below: HP-ALU_DCNC_solution-brief.pdf
  • Rayburn: Akamai needs to evolve.  [DC Knowledge]  [Streaming Media Blog]
  • Optimising data center design -- 7 best practices.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: Cisco's new Raleigh data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Gmail: greener than your email?  [DC Knowledge]
  • How the Skype deal can pay off for Microsoft.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Building cost-effective data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Just when you thought it was safe to enter the data center.  [The Register]
  • Video tour: Atlanta's 56 Marietta data center hub.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Building a greenfield data center.  [IOS Hints]
  • The 3 layers of data center management.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google: at scale, everything breaks.  [ZDNet]
  • A look inside Amazon's data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Steve Jobs provides a look inside the iDataCenter.  [DC Knowledge]  [The Register]
  • Video: Cisco's new data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: Google's data center best practices.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center fabric architectures.  [IOS Hints]
  • Video: inside Google's newest data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Business Insider]
  • How Facebook brings a new data center online.  [GigaOM]
  • Top 5 data center white papers.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Case Studies on Data Center Virtualization
    • Power Monitoring for Modern Data Centers
    • 2011 US Data Center Market Drivers
    • Guide to Risk Mitigation for Financial Services
    • Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)
  • Video: Google's data center security.  [DC Knowledge]  [WSJ ATD]  [Business Insider]  [The Register]
  • Closer look: HP's Suwanee data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Photo tour of Facebook's new data center.  [Scobleizer]
  • Closer look: Next Generation Data's megasite.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Strategies to cut data center costs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook opens its server, data center designs.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Facebook unveils custom servers, facility design.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Open Compute project.  [James Hamilton]
    • Facebook open sources its servers and data centers.  [GigaOM]
    • Facebook's new data center: smarter, greener and doggone it, people like it.  [WSJ ATD]
    • Closer look: Facebook's Open Compute servers.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Building efficient data centers with the Open Compute project.  [Facebook]  [Facebook]
    • Facebook's Open Compute project.  [marco.org]
    • Video: inside Facebook's server room.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Video: Facebook's 'penthouse' cooling system.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Video tour of Facebook's data center now up.  [Scobleizer]
  • Introduction to data center 3.0.  [Network Janitor]
    • PDF attached below: Introduction to Data Center 3.0.pdf
  • Requirements for building today's data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • To the Death Star: tour of LucasFilm's data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [All Things Digital]
  • How Japan's data centers manage earthquakes.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Criminals, critters cause utility outages.  [DC Knowledge]  [Pingdom]
  • Making data center design more people-friendly.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Fabric computing: Gartner's view for the future data center.  [Juniper]
  • Facebook's expansion: how big, how fast?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Intel's datacentre strategy.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The Swiss "Fort Knox" data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Wired]
  • Inside Cisco's new Texas data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five simple rules for transforming your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to prevent downtime due to human error.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google & Facebook: a tale of two data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Ten unique data center designs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • HP unveils "butterfly" data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Capacity planning at Internet scale.  [DC Knowledge]
  • A day in the life of a Facebook engineer.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google: how we're making the web faster.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video view: Google’s data center technology.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Juniper's "3-2-1" data center architecture.  [Juniper]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Level 3 refines its content delivery network.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook amassing data center space.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The world's largest data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Earthquakes and data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Building mission critical data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Avatar, Hollywood and the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center density hits the wall.  [Computer World]
  • The data-crunching powerhouse behind "Avatar".  [DC Knowledge]

Network Virtualisation

  • How useful is microsegmentation?  [ipSpace]
  • Software-defined data centers: VMware designs.  [Network Computing]
  • Virtualization in the WAN: where it's headed.  [Network Computing]
  • Hyperconvergence in the network.  [Russ White]  [ECI Telecom]
  • Hyperconverged infrastructure: what companies should think.  [DC Journal]
  • What is a hyperconverged infrastructure?  [ipSpace]
  • Three key things to rethink in an era of hyperconverged infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • To YANG or not YANG, that is the question.  [ipSpace]
  • IT automation: what to automate and when?  [DC Knowledge]
  • One third of AT&T's network is now virtualised.  [DC Knowledge]
  • L3 virtualisation and VRFs.  [ipSpace]
  • Deploying network virtualization in the enterprise.  [Network Computing]
  • Running BGP between virtual machine and ToR switch.  [ipSpace]
  • Server virtualisation slides.  [The Next Platform]
  • STP on virtual switches.  [ipSpace]
  • SSL termination on virtual appliances -- another myth busted.  [ipSpace]
  • Do you speak NFV? Time to go back to school and learn.  [The Register]
  • Can virtual routers compete with physical hardware?  [ipSpace]
  • Learning by doing: orphaned DVS uplink.  [Network Inferno]
  • Virtual appliances and shorter lifecycles.  [EtherealMind]
  • Should I use a traditional firewall in a microsegmented environment?  [ipSpace]
  • Do we still need subnets in virtualised networks?  [ipSpace]
  • Open platforms, open networks: the new IP.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • VMs compared.  [The Register]
  • Hardware gateways in overlay virtual networks.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Purge all the firewall rules.  [Network Inferno: part 1, part 2]
  • How do I get started with SDN and virtualisation?  [ipSpace]
  • The pros and cons of Open Compute.  [The Register]
  • Availability zones in overlay virtual networks.  [ipSpace, video]
  • Overlay networking as a method to scale flow networking and handling.  [EtherealMind]
  • Myths that refuse to die: scalability of overlay networking.  [ipSpace]
  • Cisco puts elastic in the fabric.  [The Register]
  • Telco heavyweights pass packets in NFV demo.  [The Register]
  • Why Cisco is warming to non-ACI data center SDN.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Scaling overlay networks: the problem.  [ipSpace, video]
  • OVN brings networking function to OVS.  [Network Inferno]  [Network Heresy]  [Open vSwitch]
  • Implementing a zero-trust security architecture.  [Network Inferno]
  • Overlay virtual networks in software-defined data centers.  [ipSpace]
  • The network iceberg -- virtualisation.  [Network Static]
  • Network programmability:
    • Phase 1: the configured network.  [ipSpace]
    • Phase 2: the provisioned network.  [ipSpace]
  • Connecting virtual routers to the outside world.  [ipSpace]
  • Geneve -- ecosystem support has arrived.  [Network Heresy]
  • Finally: a virtual switch that supports BPDU Guard.  [ipSpace]
  • Physical networks in the virtualized networking world.  [Network Heresy]
  • Virtual switch 101.  [ipSpace]
  • An introduction to Zero Trust virtualization-centric security.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • The DCK guide to the as-a-service revolution.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Complex routing in Hyper-V network virtualisation.  [ipSpace]
  • Is Open vSwitch control plane in-band or out-of-band?  [ipSpace]
  • Overlay virtual networking solutions overview.  [ipSpace]
  • Overlay networking & VXLAN means MPLS in the data center is dead.  [EtherealMind]
  • Death to vMotion.  [DC Overlords]
  • Packet forwarding in Amazon VPC.  [ipSpace]
  • Virtual packet forwarding in Hyper-V network virtualisation.  [ipSpace]
  • An update on using GRE tunnels with Open vSwitch.  [Scott Lowe]
  • Network virtualisation and the end-to-end principle.  [Network Heresy]
  • Can OpenStack be saved from itself?  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Don't leave network virtualisation to server admins.  [Network Computing]
  • OpenStack adds F5 as member.  [The Register]
  • The power of a consumable data center network design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • OpenStack Quantum (Neutron) plug-in: there can only be one.  [ipSpace]
  • What are the benefits of enterprise-level virtualisation?  [Lifehacker]
  • Migrating a cold VM into a foreign subnet.  [ipSpace]
  • Why is network virtualisation so hard?  [ipSpace]
  • Network virtualisation gets physical.  [Network Heresy]
  • Software defined data centers and the blending of cultures.  [Network Janitor]
  • Visibility, debugging, and network virtualisation.  [Network Heresy: part 1, part 2]
  • Smart fabrics vs overlay virtual networks.  [ipSpace]
  • What is a distributed firewall?  [Brad Hedlund]
  • Virtualisation acceleration in the real world.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Selling management on virtualised infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Network virtualisation and spaghetti wall.  [ipSpace]
  • What is the software defined data center, and why is it important?  [WSJ ATD]
  • The secret to OpenStack's success.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Dynamic routing with virtual appliances.  [ipSpace]
  • Introduction to how overlay networking and tunnel fabrics work.  [EtherealMind]
  • Network virtualisation at TOR switches?  Makes as much sense as IP-over-APPN.  [ipSpace]
  • Scale, SDN, and network virtualisation.  [Network Heresy]
  • What is network virtualisation?  [Brad Hedlund]  [ipSpace]
  • Hyper-V 3.0 extensible virtual switch.  [ipSpace]
  • Open Compute will begin building network switches.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Server Guy's guide to virtual networks.  [ipSpace: PDF]
  • Open vSwitch under the hood.  [ipSpace]
  • Virtual firewall presentation from Troopers 13.  [ipSpace]  [ipSpace PDF]
  • Resiliency of VM NIC firewalls.  [ipSpace]
  • OpenStack: control freak is a platform, just like Android and iOS.  [The Register]
  • Virtualisation: the next frontier.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Ericsson readies carrier-grade OpenStack for telcos and SPs.  [The Register]
  • Steps to protect your data center after virtualisation.  [DC Knowledge]
  • OpenStack isn't our saviour from lock-in or support costs.  [EtherealMind]
  • OpenCompute servers and the impact on networking.  [EtherealMind]
  • OpenStack 101: what is OpenStack?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Hyper-V network virtualisation (WNV/NVGRE): simply amazing.  [ipSpace]
  • The truth about virtualisation security.  [Juniper]
  • Virtual firewall taxonomy.  [ipSpace]
    • What exactly are virtual firewalls?  [ipSpace]
  • Monitoring virtual data centers: how to avoid the virtual blind spot.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cisco rolls up its own OpenStack distro.  [The Register]
  • Tunneling for network virtualisation.  [Network Heresy]
  • Free, open-source VirtualBox lags behind VMware and Parallels.  [Ars Technica]
  • OpenStack 1.0 specification available now.  [EtherealMind]  [Open Compute Project]
  • OpenStack rolls out new features with Folsom.  [DC Knowledge]  [The Register]
  • Infrastructure-as-code with OpenStack.  [DC Knowledge]
  • OpenStack gets real.  [GigaOM]
  • Security implications of virtualisation.  [Juniper]
  • First look: Hyper-V 2012 targets VMware's air supply.  [Ars Technica]
  • New ways to disaster recovery using virtualisation.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • OpenStack gains global traction.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Designing scalable web applications.  [ipSpace]  [Scribd]
  • Ex-Akamai man: stop being faithful to your CDN.  [The Register]
  • The great disk drive in the sky: how web giants are storing big -- and we mean big -- data.  [Ars Technica]

Servers and Storage

  • Battle of the Infinibands.  [Russ White]  [TNP]
  • Infiniband quantum leap.  [Russ White]  [TNP]
  • Server performance vs health.  [Network Computing]
  • Routing on hosts deep dive.  [ipSpace, ipSpace MP4]
  • The smart way to move virtual machines.  [DC Journal]
  • Server storage I/O converged / hyper-converged overview.  [DC Journal]
  • Microsoft's open source data center hardware.  [DC Knowledge]
  • FSAN unveils roadmap plans.  [GazettaByte]
  • SAN and NAS basics.  [Russ White]  [FlackBox]
  • Serverless architecture pros and cons.  [Network Computing]
  • Scale-out storage architectures.  [Network Computing]
  • Networking advances that improve storage performance.  [Network Computing]
  • Server virtualisation slides.  [The Next Platform]
  • Fibre channel: what is it good for?  [DC Overlords]
  • 2015: The year storage was rocked to its foundations.  [The Register]
  • VSAN: as always, latency is the real killer.  [ipSpace]
  • Google gives the world a peek at its secret servers.  [Engadget]  [Google Blog]
  • Data centre disk use is spinning down – Wikibon report.  [The Register]
  • At Facebook data centers, new protocol helps add servers faster.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Snowden's NSA leaks have galvanised the storage world.  [The Register]
  • A quick introduction to CoreOS.  [Scott Lowe]
  • IBM demos 154TB tape.  [The Register]
  • Sony nanotechnicians invent magnetic tape that stores 148 Gb per square inch.  [The Register]
  • Connecting legacy servers to overlay virtual networks.  [ipSpace]
  • It's storage's holy grail: VSANs, PSANs and virtual silos.  [The Register]
  • Will micro servers put blade servers out to pasture?  [Network Computing]
  • SSDs: a guide to using flash in the data center.  [Network Computing]
  • FCoE vs FC farce.  [DC Overlords]
  • Redundant server-to-network connectivity.  [ipSpace]
  • Facebook reveals 700TB of tiered RAM and flash power Graph Search.  [The Register]  [GigaOM]
  • How Dropbox stores stuff for 200 million users.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Storage disaggregation in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Paradoxes of big data.  [Schneier]  [SSRN]
  • Google strengthens compute engine with load balancing.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Planning for a cloud-ready distributed storage infrastructure.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook explains how 'TAO' serves social workloads, data requests.  [ZDNet]  [The Register]
  • Presto: Facebook reveals exabyte-scale query engine.  [The Register]
  • Virtual appliance performance is becoming a non-issue.  [ipSpace]
  • Google will track every task on ever data center server.  [The Register]
  • How storage is shaping the cloud data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • As cloud wars heat up, server OEMs bet on OpenStack.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Exposing the six myths of deduplication.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Does dedicated iSCSI infrastructure make sense?  [ipSpace]
  • Behind Blue Waters: assembly of Cray XE6 blades.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 6 tips for selecting HDD and SSD drives.  [DC Knowledge]
  • 7 considerations for big data adoption.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Creating an effective data center warehouse strategy.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Hot and cold VM mobility.  [ipSpace]
  • Facebook reveals plan for new archival data center.  [The Register]
  • Who needs HP and Dell?  Facebook now designs all its own servers.  [Ars Technica]
  • Big data: why it's not always that big, nor even that clever.  [The Register]
  • Debugging Microsoft network load balancing.  [ipSpace]
  • Facebook scales servers with retooled Chef.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Experiencing heavy server load?  Just slow down time.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Truly these are the golden years of storage.  [The Register]
  • Google reveals tape-tastic data center in video.  [The Register]
  • The taxonomy of exascalar.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Hyve brings Facebook's servers to your racks.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Has big data reached its moment of disillusionment?  [WSJ ATD]
  • Video: servers stacked like books on a shelf.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Silicon photonics: the data center at light speed.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook builds exabyte data centers for cold storage.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook shatters the computer server into tiny pieces.  [Wired]  [HardOCP]  [OCP]  [Engadget]  [DC Knowledge]  [ReadWriteWeb]  [The Register]
    • OpenCompute servers and the impact on networking.  [EtherealMind]
  • Solid state storage is taking over the data center -- slowly.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • This custom data center rack has 160 Mac Minis crammed inside of it.  [Gizmodo]
  • What is big data?  [Gizmodo]
  • Video: Facebook's next-generation servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Beyond hardware: software defined storage.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Amazon followed Google into the world of secret servers.  [Wired]
  • Peta, exa, yotta, and beyond: big data reaches cosmic proportions.  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Video: big thinkers on big data.  [DC Knowledge]  [YouTube]
  • The sticking power of tape storage int he age of big data.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Unlock your capacity by unplugging your ghost servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Don't use IPv6 RA on server LANs.  [ipSpace]
  • Why everyone -- not just geeks -- should care about big data.  [Wired]
  • Dell's blade data-center-in-a-box better than HPs.  [The Register]
  • The "appliance" approach to big data and private cloud.  [Brad Hedlund]
  • Big data bites back -- how to handle those unwieldy digits.  [The Register]
  • Sparse Data -- the next big thing is small.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google's Dremel makes big data look small.  [Wired]
  • How big data became so big.  [NYT]
  • Virtualisation of data centers: new options in the control and data planes.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Hypervisor 101: understanding the virtualisation market.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Big data: what do you think it is?  [ReadWriteWeb]
  • VMware vs Microsoft: Ars OpenForum debates who's best at virtualisation.  [Ars Technica]
  • At Amazon, SSD boosts cloud power for database apps.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Meeting security challenges in virtualised data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Where in the world is Google building servers?  [Wired]
  • Google set up 'raw' server service.  [BBC News]
  • Facebook's new server, storage designs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook's new windmill server design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook's storage design prototype.  [DC Knowledge]
  • HP unveils next phase in extreme low-energy server initiative.  [GeekZone]
  • Server efficiency: aligning energy use with workloads.  [DC Knowledge]
  • New DoS tool lets a single PC bring down an Apache server.  [Ars Technica]
  • Storage: a secret weapon to lower TCO in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Study: server failures don't rise along with the heat.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Reducing server power consumption.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook: server management systems 'a big headache'.  [The Register]
  • What will the servers of the future look like?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Blade servers 101.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Server virtualisation is not enough.  [The Register]
  • Surprise -- Cisco's blade servers are number three in the market.  [WSJ ATD]
  • A UNIX comparison -- HP, AIX and Solaris.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Big data meets big storage: an in-depth look at Isilon's scale-out storage solution.  [Ars Technica]
  • SeaMicro servers power launch of Firefox 4.  [DC Knowledge]
  • A visit to Silicon Valley’s hot new hardware company: hyper energy-efficient microserver maker SeaMicro.  [Scobleizer]
  • The value of UNIX for mission-critical workloads.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Digging deeper into Microsoft's server designs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Introduction to Ethernet storage.  [The Register]
  • A look inside a microserver-powered data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Skype: overloaded servers caused ripple effect.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Network ZEN -- storage traffic isn't so important.  [Etherealmind]
  • Should a networking engineer care about servers and storage?  [Etherealmind]

Power / Energy / PUE

  • How Microsoft is keeping its cloud more efficient than your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Know the difference between three-phase and single-phase power.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Energy efficient data centers.  [Russ White]  [DC Journal]
  • Latest Microsoft data center design gets close to unity PUE.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Performance indicator, Green Grid’s new data center metric explained.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why reliable power protection is critical for data center operators.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Large UPS battery considerations.  [DC Journal]
  • Facebook data centers: huge scale at low power density.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Stop making a big stink about data center PUE.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook's new Fort Worth data center will be powered entirely by wind.  [Gizmodo]  [Facebook]
  • How Microsoft got rid of big data center UPS.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why Your high-efficiency data center needs good PDUs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google using machine learning to boost data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]  [Ars Technica]  [Engadget]  [Wired]  [The Register]
  • Safeguarding equipment while reducing power consumption.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Apple, Google, Facebook earn high marks from Greenpeace.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The evolving PUE of containerised data centers.  [Network Computing]
  • Ultra-green Europeans scorn Facebook's data centre blueprint.  [The Register]
  • Taking a truly holistic view of data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • An overlooked problem: dynamic power variations.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Augmenting power monitoring and control at data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Greenpeace to Facebook: 100% renewable is not green enough.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google powering Finnish server farm with Swedish wind farm.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Are you suffering from PUE envy?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Going off the grid: Delaware data center will generate its own power.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Gaining more efficiency from power distribution within data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Design for efficient operational energy management.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft: centralisation is driving energy efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook unveils live dashboard for PUE, water use.  [DC Knowledge]  [Wired]
  • A model-based approach to data center energy management.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Mapping a course to data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Visualising trends in "energy per operation".  [DC Knowledge]
  • Take the heat from data centers' PUE pitch.  [The Register]
  • Video: solving power connector confusion.  [Network Sherpa]  [YouTube]
  • Are low PUE ratings hitting their limit?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center efficiency: the past and the future.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Follow-the-moon scheduling to lower energy costs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Retrofitting on-site power systems.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The truth about dual power feeds.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google answers critics with wind power.  [Wired]  [The Register]
  • Joyent uses Trellis to peer into app power use.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Factors that impact data center energy efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Energy efficiency: measuring a facility's power use.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Power when you need it: parallel generators expand options.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Greenpeace under fire again after regrading of Apple's data center energy plans.  [MacRumors]
  • Energy efficiency in today's data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Debunking data center power myths.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Impact of a data center's energy cost on TCO.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Annals of bad luck: when primary, backup and second packup power fail.  [Ars Technica]
  • Microsoft data plants will tap landfills, sewage for power.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook, eBay among uptime green IT winners.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Greenpeace: Apple falling short of sourcing clean power.  [TUAW]  [MacRumors]  [AppleInsider]  [HardOCP]  [MotherJones]  [Gizmodo]
  • PUE is about efficiency, not performance or cost.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Measuring to improve: comprehensive, real-world data center efficiency numbers.  [Google]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center PUE -- what does it mean?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Power monitoring for modern data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • To contain power costs, look at your servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The network's role in data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The importance of real-time power monitoring.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Energy efficient trends for 2012.  [DC Knowledge]  [DC Knowledge]
  • Going beyond PUE for data center efficiency.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • Circuit breaker guidelines for data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • PUE: where's the beef?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why Google needs to peep at the world's most efficient data center.  [Gizmodo] [The Register]
  • Google's energy story: high efficiency, huge scale.  [DC Knowledge]  [Google]
  • How Google's data centers use renewable energy.  [DC Knowledge]  [HardOCP]  [NYT]
  • DCIM: creating a holistic and efficient data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • PUE 2 -- the sequel.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • Task force updates guidance on measuring PUE.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Taking a bird's eye view of energy.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google: no 'secret sauce' in recipe for efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Uptime Institute: the average PUE is 1.8.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video demo: how a rotary UPS works.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Properly auditing data center power.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Improving energy efficiency in data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Visualised: ring around the world of data center power usage.  [Engadget]
  • Greenpeace seeks data center energy disclosure.  [DC Knowledge]
    • PDF below: dirty-data-report-greenpeace.pdf
    • Greenpeace: Apple's power 'dirty, dangerous'.  [DC Knowledge]
  • JouleX: software for tracking energy use.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data centers gripped by power struggle.  [The Register]
  • PUE: time to start grading the curve?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Power considerations when siting data centers.  [DC Knowledge]

Cooling / Airflow / CRAC

  • Facebook’s new DC cooling design means it can build in more places.  [DC Knowledge]  [The Register]
  • Cooling systems for high-power-density data centers.  [DC Journal]
  • Ten simple ways to fine-tune your data center cooling system.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Impact of cooling and efficiency in modern data center design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to reuse waste heat from data centers intelligently.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why you should never overlook under-rack airflow.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google redesigns data center cooling every 12 to 18 months.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The problem of inefficient cooling in smaller data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Modular cooling system enables on-demand data center capacity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Keeping the airflow going in smaller data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • IBM wants to cool data centers with their own waste heat.  [ExtremeTech]
  • Strategies for evaluating data center aisle containment.  [DC Knowledge: part 1, part 2]
  • Air circulation in data centers: rethinking your design.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Top 5 reasons why environment sensors are in all modern data centers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Amazon using heat from its data centers to warm its new HQ.  [Gizmodo]
  • Safely avoid overcooling your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • NSA exploring use of mineral oil to cool its servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Free cooling concepts for your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The 10 most common cooling mistakes data center operators make.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Water-cooled solutions for high-density rack cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How to save money and safely avoid overcooling your data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Environmental monitoring: you can't manage what you don't monitor.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center optimisation: intelligent hot and cold aisle containment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • NSA will cool its secret servers with waste water.  [DC Knowledge]  [Gizmodo]  [Network Computing]
  • Challenges in using outside air economisers and how to overcome them.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Verizon tries out alternative cooling methods.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Top7 reasons data centers don't raise their thermostats.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Giving attention to data center cold spots.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Using airflow containment to reclaim power capacity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • IBM robot maps data center temperature and humidity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The Azure Cloud, exposed to the azure sky.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Better airflow creates opportunities to improve cooling capacity and reduce operating costs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Keep your servers cool, and your business hot.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Water consciousness continues in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook tests immersion cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Granular fan control lowers cooling energy costs.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Retrofitting cold-aisle cocooning doesn't mean massive disruption.  [DC Knowledge]
  • US DoD to cool servers with hot water.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Three steps to keeping your cool in cold weather months.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center containment provider due diligence.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The evolution of Facebook's data center cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center containment components and considerations.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Benefits of data center containment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook servers get hotter, but run fine in the south.  [DC Knowledge]  [Wired]
  • Approaches to data center containment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Six steps to improve data center cooling efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Reclaim wasted cooling capacity.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Why you don't monitor DC temperature?  [Evil Routers]
  • Ten cooling solutions to support high-density servers.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Halting airflow leaks in data centers with aisle containment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How much containment is enough?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Airflow is important -- terminology is key.  [EtherealMind]  [Network Sherpa]
  • Improving cooling systems efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What are the impacts of server airflow leakage in data centers?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Intel is cooling entire servers by submerging them in oil.  [Gizmodo]  [Hexus]
  • Data center water use moves to the forefront.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Large scale water cooling system chills Europe's fastest supercomputer and warms its operators.  [Gizmodo]
  • Hot water cooling? Three projects making it work.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Study: server failures don't rise along with the heat.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Airflow impedance: the silent enemy of data center cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Power dense data centers seek thermal controls.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google embraces thermal storage in Taiwan.  [DC Knowledge]  [Wired]
  • Smart data center design for more effective cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: Dell's fresh air data center solution.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google flushes heat from data center with toilet water.  [Ars Technica]
  • Preventing IT equipment overheating in winter.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Google's new data center is an abandoned paper mill in Finland.  [Gizmodo]
  • Norway's fjord-cooled data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [Gizmodo]  [Coolest Gadgets]
    • In Norway, fjord keeps financial data cool.  [DC Knowledge]
  • New from Intel: the data center sauna.  [DC Knowledge]  [HardOCP]  [Intel]
  • Focus on fans deliver cost savings on cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Video: cooling a data center with ground water.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The cost of data center cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook: 85 degrees in the 'cold' aisle.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Facebook cools new data center with hot southern air.  [DC Knowledge]  [Engadget]
    • Facebook auto-cools servers with air pressure sensors.  [Wired]
    • Facebook revises its data center cooling system.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Facebook's servers stay warm en route to Arctic Circle.  [DC Knowledge]
    • Facebook will ice backup data in 'sub-zero' building.  [Wired]
    • A rare look inside Facebook's Oregon data center.  [GogaOM]
  • Video: solving big problems with HPC & water cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Chiller-less data center is Google's top performer.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Airflow issues: silent enemy of efficient cooling.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cooling: comfort or precision?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Air cooled data centers are hot!  [The Register]
  • Selecting the right airflow containment solution.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Energy efficiency guide: aisle containment.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Microsoft eliminates server fans despite PUE hit.  [DC Knowledge]
  • DeepGreen: Swiss lake-cooled data center.  [DC Knowledge]  [JH Blog]
  • The data center temperature debate.  [DC Knowledge]

Modular / Container-Based / POD-Based Data Centers

Rack- and Cabling-Related Articles

  • Network cabling.  [ipCisco]
  • Rethink DC cabling to improve energy efficiency.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Five trends in data center cabling.  [DC Journal]
  • Network cabling primer.  [Network Computing]
  • LinkedIn finds friends to join its 'Open19' data centre standards effort.  [The Register]
  • Overcoming data center cabling challenges.  [Russ White]  [DC Journal]
  • Google gives Facebook’s Open Rack a 48V makeover.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Intel releases rack scale design to Open Source.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cable management: tackling tangles.  [Network Computing]
  • The Register guide to cabling.  [The Register]
  • What is the correct way to diagram a Patch Panel?  [StackExchange]
  • Will Cat8 cabling force a topology change in the data center?  [DC Knowledge]
  • Rack best practices?  [Reddit]
  • Rack cabling.  [Reddit]
  • How is rack cable management done in dense POPs?  [Reddit]
  • Patch panel problem.  [StackExchange]
  • Cable pathways: a data center design guide and best practices.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Intel continues to rethink the rack of the future.  [DC Knowledge]
  • What's the difference between these Ethernet cables?  [Lifehacker]
  • Meet the future of data center rack technologies.  [DC Knowledge]
  • The 'Symphony of Cables' at Equinix.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Cable management decisions in the data center.  [DC Knowledge]
  • This custom data center rack has 160 Mac Minis crammed inside of it.  [Gizmodo]
  • Physical security: rack security and protection.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Boost rack densities without racking your brain.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Open rack design guide is released.  [DC Knowledge]
    • PDF attached below: Open_Compute_Project_Open_Rack_Design_Guide_v0-5.pdf
  • Top 20 practical cabling tips for network engineers.  [EtherealMind: part 1, part 2]
  • Size differences -- Cat5 and Cat6 cable bundles.  [EtherealMind]
  • Facebook's open rack revealed.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Data center racks getting taller, wider, deeper.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Facebook unfriends 19-inch data center racks.  [The Register]
  • Video: cabling a rack at SoftLayer.  [DC Knowledge]
  • Rack hygiene.  [DC Knowledge]
  • How Facebook tames high-density racks.  [DC Knowledge]

Applications

  • How much does network latency matter to application performance?  [Packet Pushers]
  • Using Wireshark to identify application signatures.  [Network Computing]  [YouTube]
  • Using the network to diagnose application problems.  [Network Computing]
  • There is no paradigm shift -- good applications were always network-aware.  [ipSpace]
  • What should networks do for applications?  [Network Heresy]
  • Measuring end-to-end application performance.  [DC Knowledge]
© Robert Larsen.  All rights reserved.
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