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A Data Center is a network of systems used by organizations and companies to organize, process, and store data. A business is specifically dependent on applications, services, and data in the DC, and uses the data center as a focal point for its daily operations.
The data center is not just a place. A DC is a place where a variety of IT equipment is located, including servers, network switches, storage systems, firewalls, routers, racks, and anything used to organize and connect IT equipment. A DC has the right infrastructure such as proper electrification and complementary power support systems such as power switches, permanent power supplies, support generators and ventilation systems such as air conditioners. All of these require a place with adequate and safe space for equipment.
DCs can be divided into the following categories according to their size and function:
- Private WANs
- Service Providers (SP)
- Extranet DCs
- Internet DCs (IDC)
- Local DCs (Intranet)
- Organizational, Commercial or Academic Networks (Campus)
Integration of data centers
Today, companies and organizations that keep their businesses modern and up-to-date use two or more databases in several separate physical locations for greater flexibility and security. In this way, they can also reduce latency by connecting users to the nearest DC. Conversely, a multi-database business may reduce the number of datacenters in order to minimize costs. The number of datacenters used depends entirely on the type of business of the companies.
Colocation is a great option for organizations that want to avoid high costs and maintain their data center. Today, colocation DCs are expanding their services and providing managed services such as connecting customers to the public cloud space.
Server hosting or colocation service is a service in which the user, instead of renting a server from a server, puts his server hardware to the center. In this case, the ownership of the server will be completely with the user and the cost of maintaining the server is much lower than the rental mode. In the meantime, licenses need to be provided for network equipment, which can be reduced by using collocations.
Data Center design and architecture
Many companies mistakenly think that any location can be used for a data center, but the fact is that choosing a DC requires a lot of research in various aspects. Regardless of financial issues, DCs are selected based on criteria such as the geographical location of the site, the access of the data center to the main roads, the temperature and weather conditions of the area, the availability of energy and the condition of telecommunication lines.
Given that there are different types of DCs and each of these DCs has its own design and architecture, you should note that the design of a DC must be done in accordance with the standards.
Necessary procedures for designing and setting up a DC:
- Initial design and preparation of technical drawings
- Obtaining the necessary permits
What are the applications of data centers?
DCs are used to provide services such as the following:
- Bases for providing online gaming services
- Application service databases (ERP, CRM, etc.)
- Ability to use colocation and Dedicated Servers
- A DC to provide email services for organizations
- A database for providing a web hosting service including common items such as web servers, databases, FTP, Email, DNS and so on.
Types of data centers
There are several types of data centers. Their classification depends on various factors, such as whether they belong to one or more organizations. What is the position of DCs in the network topology? What technologies have been used for computing and storage? And even what is the level of energy efficiency in them?
There are generally four main categories of DCs:
Enterprise Data Center
These types of data centers are set up by the customers themselves. These types of DCs are completely owned by customers and are managed by them. These types of DCs are optimized according to the needs of the users of these companies and most of the time they are hosted inside the customer companies.
Managed Service Data Center
These types of DCs are managed by a third party (or DC service provider). In fact, instead of buying equipment and infrastructure, customers rent it from DC service companies.
Colocation Data Center
In colocation DCs, the customer rents space in a DC owned by the colocation provider. Datacenter is responsible for hosting and maintaining infrastructure such as buildings, cooling systems, bandwidth, security, as well as providing facilities such as servers, hardware, equipment, space, and bandwidth. Of course, the client can also manage items such as servers, HP Storage space and firewalls.
Cloud Data Center
In this type of data center, data and applications are hosted by a cloud service provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft (Azure), or IBM Cloud or other public cloud service providers.