Vivek Shah

Prior to the pandemic, data center demands were relatively predictable. Not anymore.

With the remote worker locations constantly shifting and the further proliferation of connected devices, network management has become a major challenge. And it’s not just about provisioning enough routers and switches to keep the data flowing. Ensuring uptime, reliability, and security is far more complex in this highly-distributed environment.

Taking a step back to look at data centers holistically, and not just from the standpoint of the ‘tech’ involved, is vital to understanding how and why connectivity is essential. The big picture perspective also spotlights the need for connectivity to play into the design considerations from the point of data center design inception. With the expectations for reliable, consistent delivery of rapid speed and high performance for the largest hyperscalers in the world, it’s more critical than ever to explore the role connectivity plays as the road by which all connections are made and power travels.

Developments in cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and the proliferation of mobile devices in everyday technology have all made innovative, highly efficient data centers more necessary than ever. Ensuring that today's increasingly complex data centers are agile, adaptable, distributed, efficient and intelligent is a challenge for the ages. However, to achieve and maintain the highest levels of accuracy and performance in these almost futuristic structures running at high temperatures and high speeds, it is essential to carefully consider the often underappreciated but critical world of testing.