Do you remember the Robin Williams skit about the invention of golf? In the skit Robin portrays a Scotsman describing golf as "hitting a little ball with a crooked stick into a gopher hole that is hundreds of yards away, with lots of trees, water, sand, and tall grass in the way...each swing will be called a stroke, because you feel like you are going to die...and, oh yeah, you have to do this 18 times!" Robin's version, of course, was considerably more amusing but the message is that in golf, one challenging task is followed by another.

The convergence of voice, data, and IP applications with the challenges of data center management is a bit like Robin's golf skit, only it is the CEO and/or COOs providing the rules:

• Combine separate networks into a single converged network; and,
• Do it for less money; and,
• Connect all data centers to the converged network; and,
• Do it for less money; and,
• Reduce the number of data centers and servers; but
• Increase network throughput; and, oh yeah
• Make sure disaster recovery requirements are fulfilled!

Networking Solutions

There are three options available for data center deployment:

1. Lease raw space and build the center;
2. rent space required in a colocation center; or
3. rent space in a shared data center environment, e.g. a "mini-data center."

The colocation center option has emerged during the past few years. It lets companies avoid major upfront capital costs, reduces or eliminates significant maintenance costs, provides flexibility to grow or reduce the size of the facility, and, since most major carriers have a point of presence (POP) in the colocation facility, management of network suppliers can be simplified. However, access and egress from colocation space may incur some costly fees for cross-connects, cabling, and conduit runs.

The third option, "mini-data centers", is fairly new but very similar to the colocation center option except that a mini-data center provides greater flexibility and lower costs for space and connections to carriers and other tenants in a shared environment. The following chart compares colocation centers and mini-data centers:

Colocation centers and shared mini-data centers provide two major advantages over building a data center facility: 1) significant upfront construction cost savings; and 2) flexible network deployment. This flexibility is achieved by establishing "backbone" network electronics in shared data center facilities that are networked together with OC3 to OC192 SONET ring or wavelength technology. Enterprise buildings are connected to the network with lower speed local loop SONET ring technology. The benefits of this approach are:

1. Eliminating issues associated with real estate; if an enterprise closes or adds new locations, they are simply added or dropped from the backbone network with no service disruption;
2. With multiple carriers co-located at the shared facility there is no need to get locked into long-term contracts with any supplier; and
3. All backbone and local loop requirements can be auctioned with all capable suppliers to ensure the best available price is achieved.

The data center conundrum has been solved. Aside from those firms that want their own real estate, users of virtually any size and complexity now have two viable and cost-effective options - colocation facilities and mini-data centers.

Robert Mercier is SVP Finance, Business Development and Marketing at Last Mile Connections, 646-835-4971 (office), 732-996-4993 (mobile); email: RMercier@lmcusa.net; web: www.lastmileconnections.com.