Data Center
A data center is a specialized facility that provides an infrastructure for shared access to multiple applications and data
Updated: November 30, 2023
A data center is a specialized facility that provides an infrastructure for shared access to multiple applications and data. It contain interconnected computers, storage systems, and computing infrastructure. Organizations can gather, store, process, and distribute vast data volumes by using a data center.
Provisions for securing and safeguarding cloud computing resources along with the traditional in-house, on-site resources are included in enterprise data centers. Data center networking solutions are leveraged by many organizations to manage information flowing between data centers and other infrastructural assets.
On-premises data centers are now transformed into hybrid models, using which networks, applications, and workloads are allowed to be virtualized across private and public clouds. Enterprise data centers, Colocation (colo) data centers, Managed service data centers and Cloud data centers are types of data centers available on the market.
Nearly all the computational processes, storage, network infrastructure, and business applications of an enterprise can be supported by data centers. It offers enhanced security, heightened reliability, increased productivity and expanded storage capacity.
Various crucial components, including routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, servers, and application delivery controllers are incorporated in data center design. These components together provides network infrastructure, computing resources and data center infrastructure standards.
Measuring power usage effectiveness (PUE), managing airflow, adjusting the thermostat, using free cooling and optimizing power distribution are some of the best practices to streamline data center operations.
Types of data centers
- Enterprise Data Centers
- Internet Data Centers (IDCs)
- Colocation Data Centers
- Cloud Data Centers
- Managed Services Data Centers
- Enterprise Modular Data Centers
- Containerized Data Centers
- Hyperscale Data Centers
- Edge Data Centers
- Disaster Recovery Data Centers
- High-Performance Computing (HPC) Data Centers
- Green Data Centers
- Tiered Data Centers
- Research and Academic Data Centers