Lee Smith, from Dee Smith and Associates, believes that reading, asking questions, listening and sharing are essential for remaining at the cutting edge of a constantly evolving industry.
Smith is passionate about his area of expertise as he aims to provide a better understanding about the practical design challenges, implications and other related aspects of data centres.
How it all started
He started as a data centre operator in 1989, loading big tape reels and also printer paper. Over the years he spent time in mainframe software engineering, mid-range platforms, Internet services and held a couple of managerial positions. In 2007 Smith was offered the opportunity to join the core team that would be responsible for the design and building of the Standard Bank Samrand Data Centre. He describes this as a career-defining moment. Since that day he has loved every minute of his profession.
One of the key deliverables at Standard bank was to obtain Uptime Institute Tier-IV Facility Certification. During this time he also applied the design principles of the TIA-942 Standard, learnt about what is needed to design and build a mission-critical data centre environment, and became the first Certified Data Centre Specialist in Africa.
On finalising the project, instead of continuing in a position with Standard Bank, he took the consulting route so that he could share the knowledge and experience he gained with the market. Alongside his consulting business he introduced various data centre design and management training courses into South Africa and began training on these principles.
Why data centre?
"Think about it," Smith says, "everything you do in life will, in some way, require data that is accessed electronically. For each of these activities information is either stored, accessed or processed in a data centre somewhere in the world. It doesn't matter whether this is a three-rack server room in a small enterprise or a massive multi-megawatt data centre, I get to be a part of this each and every day of my professional life."
Smith says that what drives him is that "it is never the same", "the possibilities are as diverse as they are endless" and "there is never a dull moment". Each client, each data centre and each situation is unique. Each one has its own set of challenges, opportunities, solutions and innovations. And he gets to share this knowledge and learn from the best data centre minds around the world.
Staying abreast of the industry
To stay at the cutting edge of a constantly evolving industry Smith highlights the need for reading, asking questions, listening and "sharing what you have learnt".
Fortunately for him he is a prolific reader of material related to the data centre environment. He also loves to ask questions and is fortunate to have access to a global and diverse network of professionals and companies. Smith says: 'If you foster relationships for mutual benefit then everybody wins. I am a strong proponent of collaboration at all levels'. That isn't all though, you then need to apply this knowledge in a manner that is suitable for the situation or project at hand.
Secondly, during training courses, he learns from delegates, as they do from him. He continues to do extensive research and lastly through data centre assessments, solving problems for clients and providing advice, he is able to educate, learn and grow.
Learning the hard way
Smith has learnt over the scope of his professional career that the most important thing is to avoid assumption. There were times when he made certain assumptions and it came back to bite him. He believes it is important to deal with facts as much as possible and exclude any emotional drivers in the decision-making process.
Downtime
When he gives himself downtime he is a keen mountain biker who participates in at least one race a month. He is currently preparing for the Berg and Bush three-day race in October. Smith says riding is a great escape mechanism.
A super hero and his super hero in life?
We asked Smith if he was a super hero, who he would be and why. He says: "I asked some of my friends this question and I shouldn't have. Most of them came back and said that I remind them of the Incredible Hulk. Needless to say that I am not happy with their response. They said that I have two sides; the one is like normal Bruce Banner - the guy who can be quite reserved and accommodating, but only up to a point. When somebody crosses that line with me then I become the other side of Banner - the big green thing that does not like what is happening".
About his own personal super hero, Smith says: "I have the greatest admiration for my wife, Dee Smith. She is the definition of can-do. Nothing stops her or slows her down. She is highly respected, both professionally and personal. " He also points to others that have blazed a trail to improve data centre design and operations such as: Joe Kava (Google), Chris Crosby (Compass Data Centers), Edward van Leent (EPI) and Julian Kudritzky (Uptime Institute).
His parting message: "If you ask me for a name of somebody outside of my profession that I admire then it's Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. He is a person who I would love to sit down and talk to because he has a consistent message, he never wavers, and you have to admire that."
Lee Smith will present at the ITWeb Data Centre Summit 2016: From Legacy to Next Generation, on Wednesday 20 July 2016, The Forum Bryanston on data centres and certification - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
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