The transition to cloud-based IT solutions is an industry wide trend that continues unabated. These external services are hosted and maintained off-site by the vendor, reducing both the operational and infrastructure burden on UConn and allowing us to leverage their ongoing investment. ITS pursues the transition to cloud solutions when they make sense financially and operationally for the University. However, on-prem infrastructure is an important option that must be available for services, such as HPC, that require more flexibility and control or that do not otherwise make good business sense to migrate to available cloud alternatives. Our hybrid cloud/on-prem approach allows us to make the best, practical choices for UConn as we evolve systems, services, and capabilities in alignment with institutional priorities.

ITS houses much of the University’s hardware for on-prem delivered services in a centrally operated data center. Newer IT systems are more compact and energy efficient, but continued demand for data center supported services means that space, power, and cooling remain challenging. ITS is working closely with University Planning, Design, and Construction (UPDC) to double power and cooling in the data center. We have installed two new uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and distribution systems. To better thermal load, we have installed more computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units, which are connected to the central utility plant’s chilled water system for greater efficiency. These investments in the university data center are strategic and are fundamental to preserving available options.

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