With the changeover to ever smarter production, ever greater volumes of data are being generated that need to be rationally managed and processed. Yet, where is the best place to store critical data? In our “heise meets...” podcast, our expert Ian-Hendrik Hannemann, Global Portfolio Manager for IT Projects discussed the weak points of a purely cloud-based solution and the advantages of the RiMatrix Micro Data Center. When do “in-house” Micro Data Centers make sense, and how does the future look regarding data management? The interview in brief.
In principle, a Micro Data Center is nothing more than a small data centre where servers, storage and IT technology can be monitored, cooled and safeguarded.
A Micro Data Center saves space and can be used flexibly. This means that the planning costs are low and implementation is straightforward. What’s more, it is a modular system that can be expanded at any time with a rack or which serves as an extension of a large data centre if a company has multiple locations, for example. Besides that, a Micro Data Center can help to reduce carbon output and energy usage.
That’s a good question! When performing real-time analyses, for instance in the context of a future smart factory, the increasing amounts of data involved are becoming a critical factor. This data first has to be transferred to the providers’ large servers. Precious time is lost in this process. One advantage of Micro Data Centers over a pure cloud solution is the short latency times. Companies also need to ask themselves: Which data do I want to put in a cloud, and which should remain within my network?
Data is the gold of the 21st century. Many American corporations make lots of money by selling sensitive data. So, it’s essential to return at least part of the data to your network and have full control over it.
First and foremost, a Micro Data Center offers protection against unwanted physical access or environmental impacts, though not against cyber-attacks. But, of course, it can also help in rebuilding an IT infrastructure after an attack: The solution is quickly scalable and modular; delivery times are short. This means that operations can be resumed quickly.
In the future, as processes become increasingly digitalised, many companies will rely on a combination of cloud edge solutions: With a cloud, you can benefit from the large range of storage options and analysis tools, while edge solutions help to reduce latency and regain sovereignty over sensitive data. For instance, in the education sector or at a public authority, a small Micro Data Center can provide the necessary computing capacity on-site, and there will not be any risk of the sensitive student or master data leaking out. However, just about any industry can benefit from such solutions: a supermarket chain with multiple branches and small companies that want to digitalise their production.