back to article Uncle Sam drags feet on govt data center cull

US government agencies are falling behind on their plans to consolidate data center facilities to cut IT costs. This according to a report [PDF] from the US Government Accountability Office, which found that just three agencies have made up the bulk of data center closures as part of the Data Center Optimization Initiative. …

  1. Bronek Kozicki
    Thumb Up

    oh these cables ...

    Not really related to topic, but can we please have more of techno-pr0n like this?

  2. Joe Gurman

    Or maybe, just maybe....

    The reporting will be honest, and report where more money was spent on a stupid, top-down initiative that doesn't include the costs of relocation, disruption of services, and in some cases, completely changing the way the services are operated and delivered. Nothing like presupposing what the answer will be.

    1. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Re: Or maybe, just maybe....

      Given that two of the agencies are DoD and DHS which are geared to execute initiatives of this nature just because they are told to come hell or high water, I am not surprised they are on the list of those which implemented first. I wonder how State is going to handle this mandate with the broad range of bureaus and subordinate agencies under its umbrella. My guess is that it entails ignoring the push as much as possible in hopes that whoever is pushing this becomes distracted and goes away.

      1. Graybyrd
        Windows

        Re: Or maybe, just maybe....

        I wonder how State is going to handle this mandate with the broad range of bureaus and subordinate agencies under its umbrella.

        Not to worry. When the Great Trumpeter has finished with his "Make 'Murca Grate Again" down-sizing plans for State, their IT needs will have diminished to a PC running XP and a 56K modem. We should be grateful that State's not likely to share the 'zero-funding' fate planned for CPB/PBS, purveyors of Liberal Pap & Deep-State Plots to the Dissident Masses.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Because...

    Every bit is sacred, every bit is great

    If a bit is wasted, Trump gets quite irate

    Let the heathens spill theirs, on the dusty ground

    The NSA will charge you, for each bit that can't be found

  4. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    It's 2017. There's high bandwidth FO cable all over the US & virtualisation but...

    Every agency still needs multiple data centres to do it's business.

    including it's own personnel, payroll and purchasing?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Unhappy

      Re: It's 2017. There's high bandwidth FO cable all over the US & virtualisation but...

      Plus the nature of these agencies is that 99% of their operations are in the U.S., so you don't need a global datacenter and network footprint to facilitate global operations.

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Unhappy

        " the nature of these agencies is that 99% of their operations are in the U.S"

        My point exactly.

        Of course you can bet it will get tricky due to investment in the local community. "Fairness" would suggest one center per state for each agency (yes, I know that's barking mad).

        More sensible options would be

        1)Roughly the geometric centre of the US (about where the US telephone network has it's time standard) to give (in theory) equal delays in all directions

        2) Most seismically stable area for backup data center.

        3) Coldest state to lower electricity bills.

        4) Cheapest electricity state for raw input.

        Least sensible option.

        5) Washington DC. Because it's the seat (as in posterior) of government.

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