Data Center Handbook, 2nd Edition

FOREWORD (3)

The data center industry changes faster than any publication can keep up with. So why the “Data Center Handbook”? There are many reasons, but three stand out. First, fundamentals have not changed. Computing equipment may have dramatically transformed in processing power and form factor since the first mainframes appeared, but it is still housed in secure rooms, it still uses electricity, it still produces heat, it must still be cooled, it must still be protected from fire, it must still be connected to its users, and it must still be managed by humans who possess an unusual range of knowledge and an incredible ability to adapt to fast changing requirements and conditions. Second, new people are constantly entering what, to them, is this brave new world. They benefit from having grown up with a computer (i.e., “smart phone”) in their hands, but are missing the contextual background behind how it came to be and what is needed to keep it working. Whether they are engineers designing their first enterprise, edge computing, hyperscale or liquid cooled facility, or IT professionals given their first facility or system management assignment within it, or are students trying to grasp the enormity of this industry, having a single reference book is far more efficient than plowing through the hundreds of articles published in multiple places every month. Third, and perhaps even more valuable in an industry that changes so rapidly, is having a volume that also directs you ...