Data center budget and culture
This data center budget and culture topic area provides thought pieces, practical advice and case studys to help data centers align with business needs. Find ways to save money in your data center. Are you getting ROI on your data center projects? Looking for funding for new data center initiatives? Check out our budgeting advice.
Top Stories
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Tip
19 Jan 2022
Hidden colocation cost drivers to look out for in 2022
These unexpected charges and fees can balloon colocation costs for enterprise IT organizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Sep 2020
COVID-19 puts IT infrastructure spending in flux
As the pandemic continues, research firms state that organizations must realign IT budgets to support projects that maintain operations and put nonessential initiatives on hold. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2020
Make the case for a technology refresh strategy
A good portion of IT budgets are spent maintaining aging hardware. Energy efficiency, failure rates and potential downtime costs are all ways to justify regular hardware updates. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Oct 2019
Tips for obtaining BC/DR plan and resilience funding
Creating a comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plan is no joke, and funding those services can add another hurdle to your company's IT resilience strategy. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2019
Flexible consumption models lower IT overhead, help investments
Flexible consumption lets you track infrastructure usage and decrease tech investment overhead. It may seem similar to the as-a-service model, but there are differences between the two. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jun 2019
How to cultivate the ideal IaaS agreement
As you expand your infrastructure, you might use service providers for certain components. Make sure you get a comprehensive SLA that addresses responsibilities, costs and security. Continue Reading
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Quiz
30 May 2019
Colocation vs. cloud: Quiz yourself on these workload expansion options
Colocation or cloud? Data centers have plenty of expansion options beyond building a new facility. Learn about each option -- and test your knowledge -- with this quiz. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Apr 2019
Build a comprehensive outline for your data center budget
Including all necessary data center expenses during budget planning can be daunting. IT managers can start with costs for software licenses, hardware upgrades and cloud migration. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Feb 2019
Data center budget process should review business goals first
Discover four factors data center managers should evaluate when allocating financial resources and areas to address to ensure funding requests meet execs' business goals. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Nov 2018
How to successfully perform a data center upgrade
When data center hardware becomes outdated, there are a few options. Here are ways that admins can ensure that a migration is efficient and downtime is minimized. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Nov 2018
Hunt down zombie VMs to trim Windows Server licensing costs
Temporary workloads can cause organizations to buy more Windows Server licenses than they need, but admins can track down zombie servers to consolidate workloads and keep costs down. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Feb 2018
IT support and service contracts ripe for savings
If you don't pay close attention to IT support, service and maintenance contracts, start now. Chances are your organization is paying more than it needs to. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jul 2017
IBM Strategic Imperatives mark a transition into software and services
IBM's Strategic Imperatives are slowly morphing the server hardware stalwart into a software and services company. But IBM still needs hardware to complete the transformation. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2017
Five data center certifications admins need to know
Data center certifications, including those from VMware and Cisco, can provide a career boost for admins. Consider taking one of these five exams to expand your knowledge. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jun 2016
Construct a winning data center project plan
Before embarking on new data center projects, such as an upgrade or move to the cloud, clearly define all goals and expectations -- and not just for IT. Continue Reading
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Answer
10 Aug 2015
Can I use Mikrotik vs. Cisco switches in a data center?
I'm purchasing rack-level access switches for an enterprise data center, and weighing Cisco vs. Mikrotik, which is less expensive. Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Mar 2015
How do I size the physical server to host virtual machines?
I want to convert a physical machine to a virtual machine. How can I select and size the right server infrastructure to host VMs? Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Dec 2014
This data center cost calculator keeps you on budget
Calculating every data center expense can be challenging, but with the right spreadsheet -- and formulas -- you will accurately assess the total cost. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Oct 2014
Create a SAN with the Linux LIO iSCSI target
With the LIO iSCSI target service, Linux shops have an affordable SAN option that ranks up there with expensive proprietary storage solutions. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 May 2014
DevOps and Agile IT save mainframe training from skills quagmire
The problem isn't that new hires aren't familiar with the complex, custom daily tasks of mainframe ops. The problem is that you're still doing them. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Apr 2014
Untangle cloud billing knots across multiple providers
Tracking your spending while using multiple cloud accounts can be a budgeting nightmare, but services are available to simplify the process. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Oct 2013
How to write your IT automation wish list
IT automation is great, unless complicated, underperforming products that hog resources, time and money overwhelm IT staff. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2013
Five data center upgrade strategies to modernize your facility
These five data center upgrade strategies can revitalize older data centers and stave off expensive construction projects. Continue Reading
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Answer
12 Apr 2013
Are blade servers obsolete?
Blade servers maximize compute density on racks, but are their days numbered? Continue Reading
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Tip
08 May 2012
How to balance three-phase power to maximize UPS capacity
Apply these techniques to balance the three-phase power load and avoid unnecessarily buying a costly new UPS. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2012
Work from the ground up with a data center raised floor
A raised-floor design is costly, so proper planning and installation is the key to maximize your investment. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Oct 2011
Changing vendors: Avoiding pitfalls, IT vendor contract negotiations
Negotiating IT vendor contract terms is crucial for protecting business continuity, physical property and intellectual assets when contracts end. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Aug 2011
Server refresh options: When to rent a server vs. when to buy
Companies looking to replace old hardware must consider long-term goals and evaluate financing options when deciding whether to buy or rent a server. Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2010
Have data center careers hit the skids?
Has virtualized infrastructure derailed data center careers? IT managers say they now spend too much time troubleshooting environments and not enough time on strategic projects. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Oct 2010
Making the most of server maintenance contracts
When trying to obtain the most value from your servers, watching terms and doing homework on server maintenance contracts can save at the negotiating table. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2010
The IT chargeback system in a virtual data center
Managing chargeback can be a difficult task. Multiple company departments may share server hardware in a virtual data center. Learn how to implement an IT chargeback system that charges departments for resources fairly. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jul 2010
Data center 2010 spending slideshow
In 2010, companies resuscitated data center spending but also prioritized purchases designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency and automation, and handle increased capacity. Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2005
Tiered storage top project for '06
Users at Storage Decisions voted tiered storage their top priority for 2006 but many said that developing a cost model was difficult. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2005
New Windows licensing simplifies server virtualization
In a radical shift that may spur the adoption of emerging virtualization technology, Microsoft is moving away from licensing per instance of Windows on a physical server, at least for its premium server editions. Continue Reading