COLUMN DATA CENTERS two means that data centers, as the physical embodiment of hardware, need to be designed to match the dynamic flexibility that software demands. Software is very sensitive to changes in needs with a really fast feedback loop. In addition to new releases or versions providing new or improved functionality, consider how often software patches are created and deployed as a part of a continuous and ongoing optimization effort. An approach that can be considered is creation of a virtualized hardware configuration that decouples the actual hardware configuration from what the software "sees." This makes the solution somewhat hardware agnostic with hardware resources being aggregated or pooled as a whole and parsed as needed by software applications. An alternate approach is to have a dynamic deployment strategy that includes a facility plant/infrastructure and a process/logistical operation that can react with little to no delay to the changes that are necessary in order to support the fluid software demands. This approach can involve parallel provisioning and planning for multiple scenarios and an effortless implementation of any of them while still maintaining current and creating new downstream options following each implementation. If both of the approaches sound complex, it is because they are! The main conclusion or takeaway is that the SDDC provides a glimpse of the future regarding how the physical data center will be viewed and the resulting changes in how it is designed, constructed, and operated. Closing Comments Society is rapidly transitioning from a physical/geographical operating system (one with an importance on physically being present at a specific geographic location with brick and mortar) to a virtual operating system (one that provides complete independence from your physical location). The "Internet of Things," as discussed in the February 2013 Data Centers column, has served as a catalyst for this transformative migration of services. The hub or platform for this new world centers on a virtual ecosystem with software defined data centers as the nodes. www.info.hotims.com/49801-29 60 ashraE JourNal ashrae.org FEBRUARY 2014