Data Center Overview

Questions and Answers

What percentage of IT operational costs can be reduced by utilizing online services according to Ingo Elfering?

30% (correct)

25%

20%

35%

Which of the following best describes a single-site cloud?

A series of independent cloud services

A single server connected to the internet

A large network of personal computers

A group of compute nodes within a datacenter (correct)

What is the primary benefit of Sybase’s private cloud of virtual servers?

Enhanced security protocols

Sharing computing power and storage resources (correct)

Increased data redundancy

Reducing software licensing costs

Which of the following components is NOT typically part of a single-site cloud architecture?

Individual user machines Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a geographically distributed cloud from a single-site cloud?

It has multiple sites possibly with different structures and services. Signup and view all the answers

What is PUE, and why is a low value considered good?

PUE is the total facility power divided by IT equipment power; a low value indicates efficiency. Signup and view all the answers

Which service model allows users to access flexible computing and storage infrastructure?

IaaS Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of using HaaS (Hardware as a Service)?

Control over barebone hardware for customized solutions. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes SaaS (Software as a Service)?

Gives access to software services as needed. Signup and view all the answers

What does WUE stand for and what does a low value indicate?

Water Usage Efficiency; lower values are preferred for sustainability. Signup and view all the answers

In a multi-carrier data center like 350 E Cermak, what is a key function?

Shared space for multiple service providers. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of PaaS (Platform as a Service)?

Google’s AppEngine Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the cooling system described?

Water is a key component in the cooling process. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key features of modern cloud computing related to access?

Pay-as-you-go, no upfront commitment Signup and view all the answers

What amount of data refers to the data-intensive nature of cloud computing?

Petabytes and Exabytes Signup and view all the answers

Which programming paradigms are noteworthy in today’s cloud computing ecosystem?

MapReduce, NoSQL, and Cassandra Signup and view all the answers

What does the massive scale feature in modern cloud computing indicate?

Ability to deploy across multiple geographic locations Signup and view all the answers

What was the significant growth in the number of machines reported for Microsoft Cosmos by 2013?

110K machines across 4 sites Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated total cost of EC2 when considering both storage and CPU expenses?

$136 K Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following costs are included in the monthly own costs for the system?

7.5 K for administrative costs Signup and view all the answers

How is storage preferable in a breakeven analysis compared to owning?

If owned storage costs are less than $62 K Signup and view all the answers

What does Emulab allow its users to specify for their cluster?

A network topology Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a virtual division of nodes in PlanetLab?

Sliver Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason startups prefer cloud resources?

Reduced costs related to hardware ownership Signup and view all the answers

Who founded PlanetLab?

Prof. Larry Peterson Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is significant in computing the breakeven point for overall costs?

Total monthly operating expenses Signup and view all the answers

Which company had the largest market share in the timesharing industry in 1975?

Honeywell Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary data link speed in the United States in 1985?

56Kbps Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following computing systems was used as a large datacenter in the 1940s?

ENIAC Signup and view all the answers

What does the doubling period for CPU compute capacity refer to?

Every 18 months Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant characteristic of the storage growth trends mentioned?

Storage capacity doubled every 12 months. Signup and view all the answers

Which project is associated with the development of supercomputers in the 1960s?

Berkeley NOW Project Signup and view all the answers

In what period did P2P systems become widely used?

90s-00s Signup and view all the answers

Which industry experienced a market growth from $70 million in 1968 to $3.15 billion in 1978?

Data Processing Industry Signup and view all the answers

What did Fernando Corbató envision in 1965 related to computer facilities?

Computers operating like a power or water company. Signup and view all the answers

Which data processing advancement occurred after the use of vacuum tubes and mechanical relays?

Supercomputers Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Location: 350 East Cermak, Chicago
Size: 1.1 million square feet
Significance: Essential for Chicago Mercantile Exchange; utilized by multiple carriers

Server Architecture

Structure: Divided into front and back ends with a focus on security for sensitive data
Power Access: Combination of on-site and off-site power sources

Power and Efficiency Metrics

WUE: Water Usage Effectiveness; lower values indicate better efficiency (l/kWh)
PUE: Power Usage Effectiveness; a lower ratio signifies a more energy-efficient facility (e.g., Google around 1.1)

Cooling Systems

Method: Air intake from the top, coupled with water spraying for cooling; operates 15 motors per server bank

On-Demand Access Services (aaS)

Types:
- HaaS: Hardware as a Service, providing bare metal access with potential security risks
- IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service; flexible computing infrastructure (e.g., AWS EC2, Google Cloud)
- PaaS: Platform as a Service; access to computing infrastructure with integrated software (e.g., Google App Engine)
- SaaS: Software as a Service; on-demand software access (e.g., Google Docs)

Financial Impact of Cloud Services

Operational Cost Reduction: Online services can cut IT costs by approximately 30%.
Resource Sharing: Private cloud solutions lead to significant savings; e.g., Sybase reported nearly $2 million saved annually.

Cloud Computing Definition

Encompasses a combination of storage, processing power, and network resources.

Cloud Architecture

Components: Includes compute nodes, switches, network topology, and storage nodes; follows a three-tier architecture
Geographical Distribution: Multisite clouds with varied structures and services.

Historical Progression of Data Centers

Timeline: Notable transitions from vacuum tube systems (1940s) to modern cloud architectures. The first large data centers and supercomputers emerged in the mid-1900s.

Storage and Bandwidth Trends

Doubling Periods: Storage doubles approximately every 12 months, bandwidth every 9 months, and CPU capacity every 18 months.
Bandwidth Evolution: Increased from primarily 56Kbps (1985) to widespread Tbps links by 2015.

Users in Cloud Computing

Changing Needs: From simple simulations in the 1990s to massive data analysis and high-performance computing today (e.g., CERN's Large Hadron Collider).

Modern Cloud Features

Massive scale, on-demand access, data-intensive nature, and new programming paradigms (e.g., MapReduce, NoSQL).

Cloud Scale Examples

Facebook: Grew from 30K machines to 180K in three years (2012).
Microsoft Cosmos: Reported usage of 110K machines by 2013.

Outsourcing vs. Ownership Analysis

Breakeven analysis suggests that ownership becomes preferable after certain month thresholds regarding costs.

Academic Cloud Resource: Emulab

Purpose: Provides a cluster with ~500 servers for research; users can emulate specific network topologies and gain root access.

Community Cloud Resource: PlanetLab

Composition: ~1077 nodes across 500 global sites, allows users to conduct worldwide experiments via a federated model.

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Description

Explore the critical features of the 350 East Cermak data center in Chicago, which spans 1.1 million square feet and supports multiple carriers. Learn about its significance to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the security measures in place for sensitive data.

Data Center Overview - 350 East Cermak