This free workshop, held at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in Illinois, U.S., will involve discussion of many of the challenges facing high-performance computing, networking and data storage facilities. Image © 2007 JupiterImages Corporation

Registrations are open for a free workshop entitled “Building the Data Center of the Future: Effective Energy-Efficient Design,” to be held 12-13 February 2008, at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S.

The workshop is part of the Blue Waters project and will bring together experts from research centers, the IT industry, and engineering, consulting, and architecture firms to explore the challenges involved in planning, designing, engineering, constructing, monitoring, and maintaining the data center of the future.

The workshop addresses the unique questions facing facilities dedicated to high-performance computing, networking and data storage: How will these facilities evolve to meet the need for greater capacity while mitigating environmental impact? What innovative solutions will ensure that these environments are fault-tolerant, energy-efficient, flexible, scalable, maintainable and cost-effective? What strategies will maximize productivity and minimize downtime? What are some of the best practices for developing a realistic facility program, budget, schedule and migration plan?