The following is a list of some of the factors tha

t have contributed to the growth of digital data:

* Increase in data processing capabilities
* Lower cost of digital storage
* Affordable and faster communication tech
* Proliferation of applications and smart devices
( New devices such as smart phones, etc)
Inexpensive and easier ways to collect and store a
ll types of data, coupled with increasing individu
al and business needs, have lef to accelerated gro
wth termed as data explosion.
TYPES OF DATA
Data can be classified as Structured and Unstructu
red based on how it is stored and managed. Former
is organized in rows and columns in a rigidly defi
ned format so that applications can retrieve and p
rocess it effeciently. Usually stored in DBMS. Dat
a is unstructured if its elements cannot be stored
in rows and columns, which makes it difficult to
query and retrieve by applications.
BIG DATA
It is a new and evolving concept which refers to d
ata sets whose sizes are beyond the capability of
commonly used software tools to capture, store, ma
nage, and process within acceptable time limits. I
t include both structured and unstructured data ge
nerated by variety of sources, including business
application transactions, web pages, videos, image
s, e-mails, social media and so on. The big data e
cosystem consists of the following :
1. Device that collect data from multiple location
s and also generate new data about this data
2. Data collectors who gather data from devices and
users.
3. Data aggregators that compile the collected data
to extract meaningful information.
4. Data users and buyers who benefit from the info

rmation collected and aggregated by others in the

data value chain.
1.3.1 Core Elements of a Data Center
Five core elements are essential for the functional
ity of a data center:
Application: A computer program that provides the
logic for computing operations
Database management system (DBMS): Provides a st
ructured way to store data in logically organized
tables that are interrelated
Host or compute: A computing platform (hardware,
firmware, and software) that runs applications an
d databases
Network: A data path that facilitates communicati
on among various networked devices
Storage: A device that stores data persistently f
or subsequent use
These core elements are typically viewed and manag
ed as separate entities, but all the elements must
work together to address data-processing requirem
ents.
1.3.2 Key Characteristics of a Data Center
Uninterrupted operation of data centers is critica
l to the survival and success of a business. Organ
izations must have a reliable infrastructure that
ensures that data is accessible at all times.
Availability: A data center should ensure the av
ailability of information when required. Unavailab
ility of information could cost millions of dollar
s per hour to businesses, such as financial servic
es, telecommunications, and e-commerce.
Security: Data centers must establish policies,
procedures, and corn clement integration to preven
t unauthorized access to information.
Scalability: Business growth often requires depl
oying more servers, new applications, and addition

al databases. Data center resources should scale b

ased on requirements, without interrupting busines
s operations.
Performance: All the elements of the data center
should provide optimal performance based on the r
equired service levels.
Data Integrity: Data integrity refers to mechani
sms, such as error correction codes or parity bits
, which ensure that data is stored and retrieved e
xactly as it was received.
Capacity: Data center operations require adequat
e resources to store and process large amounts of
data, efficiently. When capacity requirements incr
ease, the data center must provide additional capa
city without interrupting availability or with min
imal disruption. Capacity may be managed by reallo
cating the existing resources or by adding new res
ources.
Manageability: A data center should provide easy
and integrated management of all its elements. Ma
nageability can be achieved through automation and
reduction of human (manual) intervention in commo
n tasks.
1.3.3 Managing a Data Center Managing a data cente
r involves many tasks. The key management activiti
es include the following:
Monitoring: It is a continuous process of gather
ing information on various elements and services r
unning in a data center. The aspects of a data cen
ter that are monitored include security, performan
ce, availability, and capacity.
Reporting: It is done periodically on resource p
erformance, capacity, and utilization. Reporting t
asks help to establish business justifications and
chargeback of costs associated with data center o
perations.
Provisioning: It is a process of providing the h
ardware, software, and other resources required to
run a data center. Provisioning activities primar
ily include resources management to meet capacity,

availability, performance, and security requireme

nts.
Visualization and cloud computing have dramaticall
y changed the way data center infrastructure resou
rces are provisioned and managed. Organizations ar
e rapidly deploying virtualization on various elem
ents of data centers to optimize their utilization
. Further, continuous cost pressure on IT and on-d
emand data processing requirements have resulted i
n the adoption of cloud computing.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
NEW CHAPTER : DATA CENTERED