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10 Infrastructure Principles for Building the Essential Grid of the Future

Andy Ingram, VP of Marketing, Scalable Systems Group, outlines the 10 principles to moving your data center into the future

Sun believes in unleashing the true power of the network. Sun also understands the importance of the overall IT infrastructure and the role of the data center as the driving force behind it. Sun's 10-point guide shows how businesses and organizations can attain the next-generation IT Infrastructure; the fascinating, real-world factoids that complement this list demonstrate the applicability of the infrastructure to every-day life.

Click on each of the 10 principles to learn more!

Top 10 "Did You Knows?"

1. Build SOA (Services Oriented Architecture) compliant applications
   Your company can recycle more than soda cans and paper. One of the key features of Sun's Services Oriented Architecture is the notion that application integration allows for the sharing and recycling of software components in order to avoid redundant computing. Data libraries contribute to the efficiency of the data center to make it an IT investment that is guaranteed to drive significant reductions in cost, gains in efficiency and acceleration in Time to Market.
   
   
2. Insist on an open and extensible infrastructure
   We work for ourselves. Sun's Managed Services expertise is vital to maintaining an affordable, open and extensible infrastructure, so why would we use anything else? When Sun's Managed Services expertise was applied to its own IT infrastructure, the results were a savings of $11M annually in IT costs, providing world-class service levels at 42% less than the industry-average cost.
   (Source: "Sun Applies Managed Services Expertise to Achieve Significant IT Cost Savings")
   
   
3. Provide secure access to services, anywhere, anytime
   You'll probably never win the lottery. But you are likely to find yourself a victim of a computer security breech. The chances of falling prey to a computer virus, malicious hack attempt or other cyber security dangers is up to 70%, according to statistics gathered for the E-Crime Watch Survey. Sun's Solaris 10 software is a standard part of any next-generation data center and can help keep you safe from the security hazards of next-generation computing. It won't, however, increase your chances of winning the lottery.
   
   
4. Manage data as a shared service
   A next-generation data center feeds the next generation. This holiday season, the Sun Microsystems Foundation partnered with Aidmatrix, a nonprofit group that provides Internet-based solutions for the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid around the world. Using a Java technology-enabled portal running on a Sun Enterprise 4500 server, Aidmatrix has helped deliver 600 million pounds of food since 2001. That's 480 million meals for hunger relief in the U.S. alone.
   
   
5. Act now to simplify and consolidate your current IT infrastructure
   You can fit a whole lot of spam in your hand. While data centers will double their storage needs every 18 to 24 months, that increase is not reflected in the physical size of the next-generation data center. In fact, a Java-enabled handset has as much computing power as a bedroom-sized mainframe did in 1970.
   
   
6. Optimize for workloads to be more cost effective
   It cost one dollar to write this list. At $1/hour/CPU, Sun's utility computing pay-as-you-go serivce avoids overspending. Sun also caters to optimizing content without sacrificing speed. Approximately 750,000 gallons of water travel over Niagara Falls every second. With 32 high-performance threads on a single piece of silicon, it is no coincidence that Sun's one-of-a-kind upcoming Niagara chip shares this Northern natural wonder's name.
   
   
7. Architect security everywhere
   There are no holes in the pockets of a Sun data center user. 81% of executives polled said they considered the stored information on their PDAs somewhat or extremely valuable. A Sun engineered next-generation data center works to provide you with a high level of security wherever you are.
   
   
8. Plan for the unexpected
   If it ain't there, they won't buy it. 42% of adults in the US who shopped this past holiday season said they would visit another online retailer or store if they couldn't find what they wanted. Only 5% would contact customer service as an alternative; a mere 35% would try the site again later. Sun combats any potential mishaps by offering business continuity solutions, including those addressing lead time optimization and supply chain management.
   
   
9. Build what is unique, standardize what you run, use 3rd parties when you can
   The age of "If you want something done well, do it yourself," is OVER. Sun's Managed Infrastructure Service Packs deliver a flexible, simple, and cost-effective way to rapidly outsource all or a portion of your IT operations without giving up strategic control of your IT staff or assets.
   
   
10. Implement governance models that provide transparency, accountability and manageability
    Sun compliance solutions may keep you out of jail. In a survey done by PricewaterhouseCoopers late last year, 51% of firms were considering investing in new technologies over the next 12 months in order to comply with the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These firms realize that according to the government, an outdated infrastructure is no excuse for failing to comply with the law; especially considering the penalties for non-compliance are fines and/or possible incarceration for up to 10 years. Sun solutions can help your firm comply to government standards in a timely and efficient manner so your CEO can rest at night.

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