Who, exactly, is managing all these data centers?

This question hit me as I read article after article about the expansion of data centers in response to organizations' growing reliance on Internet computing. Data centers use vast amounts of energy to run the servers they house. But they also use energy to keep servers cool and operating.

While some were designed with energy efficiency in mind, many others are converted schools, warehouses and office buildings and feature reconfigured HVAC systems. Either way, given the rising cost of energy, energy efficiency in data centers has quickly become even more critical.

So in data centers more than many other types of facilities, the person responsible for the reliable, energy-efficient operation of HVAC and electrical-distribution systems is among the most important people in the organization.

Where are these managers coming from, and are there enough to meet the demand for their skills? It's not as though maintenance and engineering departments have too many skilled technicians these days. In fact, it's the opposite. Managers generally have problems finding enough qualified technicians to monitor, test, and maintain the advanced HVAC and electrical-distribution systems in today's facilities.

More often, they find people interested in learning about maintenance and engineering, then train them once they're hired. So I have to imagine it's tough to find a manager with the experience and skills to properly oversee these complex facilities. And it's only going to get harder as more data centers come on line.

For organizations building a new data center or expanding an existing center, the most important question now might not be about capacity or location. It might be, "Who's going to manage this thing?"

More information on data centers is available from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.