The future is here. Virtual reality is a reality. The prospect of a totally immersive world you can slip into at a moment’s notice is enticing to the consumer world. Video games, movies, virtual travel, and countless creative opportunities are on the horizon. VR is even being tested by pilots and the military for training new troops. With all of these complicated, stunningly detailed worlds being created, one question comes to mind. Who’s going to store it all?
The Data Age
The world is living through a rapid transformation from filing cabinets to data on a solid-state drive. This has been working well so far, but VR presents a real problem for data center designers. The files are too big.
Files can generate up to a terabyte per hour, far outpacing any our current data center storage capacities. Doubly difficult is the fact that VR requires constant retrieval of different graphical aspects from the cloud. This makes the current model of cloud services more or less incompatible with VR.
Over time, file sizes will continue to shrink, and VR will get traction in many different markets. This is due to the fast-paced nature of data centers. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has data that shows data centers upgrading to new IT Equipment every three to five years. This is a monumentally fast cycle time for technological adoption.
How Could VR Work in The Future?
The most likely candidate so far is a two-tiered storage system that uses network attached storage on the front end and tape on the back. This allows snapshots to be saved securely while regular updates occur, effectively cutting costs. The proverbial wheels are already in motion and managed infrastructure services are working quickly for a solution. VR is not far off at all.
The future is exciting, especially since it is happening right now. VR is just the beginning of our data driven era. If you are looking for a managed infrastructure service that’s on the cutting edge of the data center management tools, please contact us today.