Business Continuity Planning for Data Centers and Systems: A Strategic Implementation Guide

Chapter 11. Unique Challenges of Cooling

The historic growth that data centers are undergoing began with a pent-up demand for processing and storage that grew out of the economic rebound of 2002 to 2004.

Following the overdesigned, overvendored solution of Y2K and the overreaction of the overselling and overfiring of 2002 and 2003, the U.S. economy found itself on a steady pace of growth across the board. Financial companies, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, real estate, retail, and most service industries experienced growth with accelerated loss largely due to two things:

1. Most companies were not directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. They used the events and the atmosphere (postbubble) to lay off 10 to 20% of staff and cut other nonessential operating expenses because of retreating price/earnings ratios on publicly traded companies. One way to avoid human resource issues with a mass layoff or reduction in force in the face of such a trememdous event was to blame it on the bad guys. Traditionally, at any given time, the lower 10% of a company's workforce could be cut. Cash was king (again). Companies were not paying vendors or for noncritical cash flow items (information technology [IT] included). Contracts or agreements were being signed, but cash flow from assignments were prenegotiated for 12 to 18 months out following the execution and deliverables.

   The point here is that the economy had slowed to a stop, legacy kit of Y2K and the bubble was not antiquated ...