Backup Anytime

Interview with Dr. Mickey Zandi of SunGard Availability Services.

Introductory information

Name: Mickey S. Zandi, Ph.D.

Company: SunGard Availability Services

Position: Practice Area Managing Partner

Relevant Qualification: Dr. Zandi is an international expert in data center design and architecture, helping clients address key issues such as how to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) in their data centers, how flexible infrastructure impacts data center operations, and why companies should consider new technologies to support their Green initiatives worldwide.

He has more than 14 years experience in data center design and architecture, business continuity, and IT consulting services delivery, managing complex IT Projects worldwide in industries such as communications, distribution & retail, education, banking & financial services, government, health care, IT services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and utilities.

Dr. Zandi is experienced in all phases from discovery of client needs to solution architecture and design through on-going delivery operation and methodologies. At SunGard, he is the national practice managing partner responsible for data center consulting, Green IT, transformation, consolidation and migration services.

Family: Married. Two children and live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hobbies and interests: He enjoys playing Tennis and golf.

Main interview.

Q.1. For many people, green computing may be considered a recent phenomenon. How long have you been involved in this area?

My involvement started in late 2001 when some of my clients became interested in reducing their total cost of ownership while also becoming more environmentally friendly.

Today, data center environments are becoming more and more complex as companies look to new solutions such as virtualization and cloud computing to streamline operations. Enterprises are now leveraging this ever-increasing mix of technology to reduce their total cost of ownership, streamline their overall data center carbon footprint, and support green IT initiatives, while continuing to meet their needs for high availability for mission critical applications and systems.

Q.2. From a data center point of view, one could be forgiven for wondering just how far can this go and still represent a financially and technically sound investment. Specifically, can wind and solar power be used effectively in a data centre environment?

In the past five years, increasing demand for computing resources has lead to significant growth in the number of data center servers. In 2006, the energy use in U.S. servers and data centers was estimated to be more than double the electricity consumed for this purpose in 2000. This staggering statistic reinforces the need for alternative energy solutions.

Wind and solar power present effective alternative energy sources for data center environments, as they consume no fuel for continuing operation and produce no emissions directly related to electricity generation. Organizations should purchase renewable energy (if possible) that has been certified by Green-e – an independent certification and verification program for renewable energy – and strive to reduce their overall gas emission from electrical generation.

Q.3. There is much talk of Google planning wave powered marine based data centers. Do you see this as a realistic option which you would support?

Clearly, there is an increased strain on the existing power grid. The idea behind taking Google’s mobile data center platforms out at sea is focused on bringing the data closer to organizations. Data will arrive at a quicker rate by stacking containers filled with servers, storage systems and networking gear on barges or other platforms.

Google’s approach is a direct and positive answer to the current energy consumption crisis that could nearly double within five years to more than 100 billion KWh. This growth would require construction of additional power plants, significantly increasing emissions and greenhouse gasses from electricity generation. Google’s wave-powered marine based data centers have the potential to provide much needed computing power without tapping the conventional power source from the utility.

Q.4. Do you believe there is a future for small data centers or that the economies of scale gained by large players mean small data centers have a limited future?

In the debate over centralized large data centers versus distributed smaller data centers, the pendulum seems to be swinging back toward consolidation to a large centralized data center. Currently, 70 – 75 percent of organizations are either in the planning or implementation phases of data center consolidation.

Although small data centers can be useful for bringing data closer to users with distributed operations, it is most often more efficient and cost-effective to keep data consolidated and centralized in one large data center.

Q.5. What is the most impressive data center you have been associated with and what makes you chose that one?

The most impressive data center that I have been associated with is the newly designed 16 million dollar Hancock Bank data center in Gulfport, Mississippi. The Tier 3 data center was completed in seven months. The new data center is not only built to withstand hurricane conditions (Cat 5+) but is also self- sufficient, with its own water and sewer systems, dual 900 kW generators and a 25,000-gallon fuel tank. The tank can be filled with diesel or regular gas, and suppliers have been notified they can use it to top off their vehicles when gas shortages occur in a disaster.
For more information on my experiences with Hancock Bank, please visit: http://www.availability.sungard.com/NR/rdonlyres/5BB89A0F-A2CF-4D98-99AD-A0DFA1AA5E15/0/HancockBankCaseStudy.pdf

Q.6. Given the strong ongoing trend towards cloud computing and the increased data center demand associated with this, do you think the demand will be met with the quality expected or that poorly managed or rogue data centers could be a concern?

As companies rush towards cloud computing in the hopes of substantially reducing IT and business costs, the need for strong expertise to help them make informed decisions and understand the nuances in deployment has never been greater. It is crucial for companies to recognize that new technologies create the same challenges and risks as in traditional data centers – but from a different perspective.

My main concerns are with inefficient capacity planning and power and cooling not being managed effectively from the start. These can be extremely disruptive and can create challenges for supporting Internet-scale computing and cloud computing.

Q.7. What impact do you see the current global financial crisis having on the data center industry?

The global financial crisis has significant impact on the financing of any large data center construction project. However, data center providers could see some expanded opportunities due to the federal government’s new regulations in the aftermath of the crisis, and providers specializing in support and compliance with new requirements could get a particular boost in their activity. Also, the increasing number of mergers and acquisitions will increase the market for data center consolidation strategy and execution.

Q.8. What key questions do you believe prospective data center clients should be asking before they make a decision as to the provider they choose?

When selecting a managed hosting provider, companies should ask for a detailed roadmap, outlining a customized plan for their business that demonstrates a commitment to continuous operations, availability and security. Additionally, companies should look for managed hosting provider that has flexible and scalable data center infrastructure, security and architecture.

Partnering with a third party provider is an attractive option for many organizations. Companies can get the scalability, flexibility and lowered risk of operations by out-tasking IT functions. In particular, small- to-medium-sized businesses may find the outsourcing option particularly attractive, as it allows them access to IT infrastructure, computing resources and IT expertise at a much lower cost than developing these capabilities internally.

Q.9. In your opinion, will very large players such as software as a service providers generally continue to service their own data center requirements or do you see the emergence of the super data center being an outsource choice for global players?

I believe we will see large global players – such as SaaS providers – outsourcing their data center space, security, power, cooling and beyond to super data centers, in order to focus on their core business endeavors.
SaaS software providers will elect to host their applications with super data center providers for the added security and expertise they can provide, making their clients feel safe and ensuring secure storage of data by meeting SAS 70 Type II standards, which requires signoff from an independent auditor.

Ed.

Arguably one of the most informative interviews we have conducted. Dr. Zandi answered all questions with a level of authority and straightforwardness which is conducive to being interesting to experts and understandable for the lay person. His qualifications and experience and the company he represents make this look all too easy.  We know it is not but he provides a level of clarity which explains why Sungard is the company of choice for clients who know enough to make the right partner decisions.

Thank you Dr. Zandi and thanks also to Jill Newberry of PorterNovelli.com for making this happen.

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