DCD this year was a very interesting event which is becoming the prime place to attend and to be seen at, which is reflected in the ever increasing list of sponsors of this event which has outgrown its previous venue and now resides at Excel Centre.
The quality of speakers that make up the two days of lectures and workshops are second to none and this is what contributes to making DCD so interesting as they bring a whole variety of experience and knowledge based on actual installations, proven technology and installations, as well as in-depth research which they share with all those we who attend their chosen session.
The event covered a whole range of subject matter including Energy Efficiency, Cloud aspects, Power and Cooling Infrastructure components as well as Data Centre Co-Location providers, but a principle theme this year was DCIM, Data Centre Infrastructure Management.
Data Centre Infrastructure Management
What is interesting is that a lot of people had differing meanings for this and there appears to be no clear definition of what DCIM means within the industry.
There were a number of big players who have started to place their own meanings on this and are marketing software that comprise a variety of management and reporting processes into a common framework. These can be around power and cooling management and the management of IT equipment relative to rack space and power and temperature management within the data hall.
Then there is the increased awareness of the need to be aware of hot spots and cooling air flow within a DC and there are some very good products around this aspect of Computational Fluid Dynamics. There are now designers, consultants and construction experts with display stands at DCD.
Technology Park
In addition to the lectures there is a technology park that has all the latest equipment on show. A prime theme this year was the Container based products be they whole DCs or pods for UPS Generators or data halls or combined multiple units, all were on view for inspection with their suppliers on hand to answer all your questions.
In general a great event which you always come away from with some new knowledge that makes you think further and that you can apply to your own situations.
