What are data centers & How they work

A data center is a physical installation that businesses use to host business-critical applications and information. So, as they evolve, it is important to think long term about how to maintain their reliability and security.

What is a data center?

Data centers are often called something unique, but they are actually made up of a number of technical elements, such as routers, switches, security devices, storage systems, servers, application distribution controllers, etc. These are the components that IT needs to store and manage the most critical systems that are vital to an organization's ongoing operations. For this reason, the reliability, efficiency, security and constant evolution of a data center are often a priority.

In addition to technical equipment, a data center also requires a significant amount of infrastructure to run hardware and software. This includes power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), ventilation and cooling systems, back-up generators and cables to connect to external network operators.

Data center architecture

Any large company is likely to have multiple data centers, possibly in multiple regions. This gives the organization flexibility to back up its information and protect itself against natural and man-made disasters, such as floods, storms, and terrorist threats. The data center architecture may require some of the difficult decisions, because the options are almost limitless. Some of the main considerations are:

Does the business need mirrored data centers?

How much geographic diversity is needed?

How long does it take to recover in the event of an interruption?

How much space is needed for expansion?

Should I read a private data center or use a shared or managed service?

What are the bandwidth and power requirements?

Is there a preferred carrier?

What type of physical security is needed?

The answers to these questions can help determine how many data centers to build and where. For example, a financial services company in Manhattan will likely need ongoing operations, as any disruption can cost millions. The company is likely to decide to build two nearby data centers, such as New Jersey and Connecticut, which are mirror sites of each other. An entire data center can be shut down without losing operations, as the entire enterprise can maintain only one.

However, a small professional services company may not need instant access to information and may have a primary data center in their offices and back up information elsewhere across the country every night. In the event of a malfunction, it would initiate an information retrieval process, but it would not have the same urgency as a company that relies on real-time data to gain a competitive advantage.

Although data centers are often associated with large-scale Web companies and cloud providers, any company can have a data center. For some SMEs, the data center may be a room located in their office space.

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