You’ve probably heard the term data center, but may not completely understand what it means. Data centers are often referred to as computer centers, and are large facilities that are built as home to computer systems and any other associated parts needed to run these systems for several businesses. Most data centers also house power supplies for backup, communications connections, appliances to control the environment and keep it at an optimum climate, and security devices for the computers housed within. There are also five key elements that every data center should have before it can be expected to function at highest capacity and efficiency.
A Steady Power Supply
In most data centers, overhead energy is used almost as much as energy used to power the servers. For example, non-computing energy uses like cooling and power conversion are used as extensively throughout the data center to keep the building at optimum temperature for the supplies being housed there. Because of the unique needs of a data center, it’s essential that an uninterruptible power supply be used to keep the power flowing steadily through the building and all equipment. Without a steady source of power, information can be lost, systems will quickly shut down, and companies will be left explaining to their customers why their products are not functioning.
An uninterrupted power supply is often used in the case of data centers that will pick up maintaining the electricity the second there is a problem with the regular power supply. A UPS is different from an emergency power system or generator because the protection it provides from power interruptions is almost immediate. The UPS can provide this service with the use of batteries or a flywheel.
An interrupted power supply can disrupt computers, telecommunications equipment, and all other appliances within the data center. A steady power supply is necessary to prevent fatalities, injuries, data loss, or a serious disruption to everyday business.
Proper Temperature Control Throughout The Building
Maintaining the proper temperature throughout a data center is one of the most critical factors that should be considered in design and construction. Keeping air moving through the center and keeping the air cool has become increasingly hard as processors get faster, server form factors get smaller, and server rack densities get higher. While all these things may make the equipment function better and information travel more quickly, it does present a unique problem in maintaining temperature control within the data center.
Not only is temperature control important, but also maintaining the right level of humidity is essential to keep all equipment running at full capacity. Environmental control concerns should be high on the list of important issues to be discussed when designing a data center.
A Comprehensive Security System Custom Designed For Each Center
Data centers hold many key pieces of equipment and information that are absolutely critical to the success of a business. In order to protect the integrity of a data center and protect the interest of any business housing network information there, it’s essential to have a security system that increases the resilience and security level of the data center. A comprehensive security system also keeps the center running at a higher level of productivity, protects your profits, and helps to establish a good reputation. If your data center had a major power outage or a major security breach, the reputation and credibility of your services would be greatly lowered. These problems can cause disruptions in customer service and operations for any number of companies that you service. Rather than waiting for a problem to happen, equip your data center with the best security system to protect your interests and the interests of those you serve.
Some factors involved in data center security that should be analyzed and discussed in great detail before deciding on a particular system are listed below.
- Data Protection: find the balance between keeping the information available and keeping it secure.
- Compliance Assurance: meet objectives from both internal and external sources to keep risk levels low and stay within budget for the center.
- Application and Threat Security: manage threats to your data center, especially application level vulnerabilities, one of the biggest security issues today.
- Administration And Access: provide access to the correct users and keep information available in a timely way.
Raised Flooring Options For Larger Centers
You may be scratching your head wondering why your data center would need a raised floor. In order for your center to run at optimal capacity, you’ve got to be able to run large numbers of data cables, handle a high heat load, and have a flooring system that has a high static load and rolling capacity. Raised floors also allow you to respond more quickly to client changes and any technological problems that must be addressed sooner rather than later.
With new technologies being adapted in the world of the data center, the task of keeping the center cooled has become even more difficult. Using raised floors has long been a way to help control the temperature in the data center and keep the area cool. Air flow is delivered by air-conditioning units under a raised floor and is distributed evenly through airflow panels placed in front of important equipment. Recent research shows that over 90% of data centers use the raised flooring to help keep the center cool, proving that this is an effective tool.
High End Network Solutions
Because so many things are always changing in the industries you help to support, it’s important to offer your clients the most high end network solutions when they store their equipment with you. Because their business relies on the Internet and equipment that is constantly being upgraded, your data center must also be up to date with the newest technologies to offer to your clients.
When businesses choose your data center to host their equipment and run their networks, they expect reliability, security, and credibility to keep their business running at maximum capacity. When your business operates intermittently, they are the ones who suffer. The best thing you can offer to your clients is a steady power supply, temperature control for all equipment, a strong security system to protect their equipment and information, raised flooring for more efficient problem solving, and network solutions that are updated regularly.
