• What is a data center?
• How are data centers managed?
• What is a green data center?
• What are some top stakeholder concerns about data centers?
• What options are available when I'm running out of power, space or cooling?
• What are some data center measurements and benchmarks and where can I find them?
• Is the federal government involved in data centers?
• What should I consider when moving my data center?
• What data center technologies should I be aware of?

What is a data center?

Known as the server farm or the computer room, the data center is where the majority of an enterprise servers and storage are located, operated and managed. There are four primary components to a data center:

White space: This typically refers to the usable raised floor environment measured in square feet (anywhere from a few hundred to a hundred thousand square feet). For data centers that dont use a raised floor environment, the term "white space" may still be used to show usable square footage.

Support infrastructure: This refers to the additional space and equipment required to support data center operations — including power transformers, your uninterruptible power source (UPS), generators, computer room air conditioners (CRACs), remote transmission units (RTUs), chillers, air distribution systems, etc. In a high-density, Tier 3 class data center (i.e. a concurrently maintainable facility), this support infrastructure can consume 4-6 times more space than the white space and must be accounted for in data center planning.

IT equipment: This includes the racks, cabling, servers, storage, management systems and network gear required to deliver computing services to the organization.

Operations: The operations staff assures that the systems (both IT and infrastructure) are properly operated, maintained, upgraded and repaired when necessary. In most companies, there is a division of responsibility between the Technical Operations group in IT and the staff responsible for the facilities support systems.

How are data centers managed?

Operating a data center at peak efficiency and reliability requires the combined efforts of facilities and IT.

IT systems: Servers, storage and network devices must be properly maintained and upgraded. This includes things like operating systems, security patches, applications and system resources (memory, storage and CPU).

Facilities infrastructure: All the supporting systems in a data center face heavy loads and must be properly maintained to continue operating satisfactorily. These systems include cooling, humidification, air handling, power distribution, backup power generation and much more.

Monitoring: When a device, connection or application fails, it can take down mission critical operations. Sometimes, one system's failure will cascade to applications on other systems that rely on the data or services from the failed unit. For example, multiple systems, such as inventory control, credit card processing, accounting and much more will be involved in a complex process such as eCommerce checkout. A failure in one will compromise all the others. Additionally, modern applications typically have a high degree of device and connection interdependence. Ensuring maximum uptime requires 24/7 monitoring of the applications, systems and key connections involved in all of an enterprises various workflows.

Building Management System: For larger data centers, the building management system (BMS) will allow for constant and centralized monitoring of the facility, including temperature, humidity, power and cooling.