A data center is a centralized facility where large amounts of data and IT equipment are stored, managed and processed. It includes a robust building with power supply, cooling system and security measures to ensure that the equipment works optimally and that the data is protected.
Data centers are also hubs for network infrastructure where servers and storage devices enable the management of data for various purposes, while often also providing space for customers who rent equipment and space.
How a Data Center is Structured
- The building: The foundation of a data center is the building in which it is located. It can be anything from a small room in a basement to a huge facility of several thousand square meters. The building often also contains office space and space for technicians to work. It is important that data centers are located in places with good access to power and internet connection.
Power supply and cooling system
- Power supply: To keep a data center running, a reliable power supply is needed. This means having backup units and UPS units to ensure that there is power even in the event of a power outage.
- Cooling system: Since servers and other equipment in a data center generate a lot of heat, it is critical to maintain a stable temperature within the facility. The right temperature is crucial for the equipment to feel good and avoid premature failure, as high temperatures can put extra wear and tear on many components.
Therefore, efficient cooling systems are of the utmost importance to prevent overheating and ensure that the equipment functions properly.
Network Infrastructure and Security
- Network infrastructure: Within a data center, a robust network infrastructure is needed to enable communication between servers and other devices. This includes routers, switches and cabling that create a reliable and fast network connection.
- Security: Security is of the utmost importance for a data center. It includes firewalls, monitoring systems and access control to protect against unauthorized access and potential threats to data center infrastructure and data.
Computer components and Storage systems
- Servers, routers and telecom equipment: The active IT equipment is the heart of a data center and handles all the processing and storage of data within the facility, which is also the reason the facility is needed. Here, equipment often comes in from customers who rent space in the data center.
- Storage system: To store data, different types of storage devices are needed, such as hard drives and SSD drives. These systems can be integrated directly into servers or completely separate storage clusters whose sole focus is data storage.
FAQ data center
The difference between a data center and a server room is mainly in size and capacity. A server room is usually a smaller, localized place where servers and other IT equipment are stored, while a data center is a larger and more advanced facility that can handle much larger amounts of data and servers, as well as offering more advanced features such as redundancy, cooling systems and security measures.
The cooling systems in a data center are designed to keep the equipment within an optimal temperature range to prevent overheating and damage. Common technologies used in Sweden include chillers and heat exchangers, which use the cold outside to get rid of the heat in the data center.
In addition, there are solutions that reuse the generated excess heat by connecting the data center's cooling system to nearby district heating systems, making it possible to efficiently utilize and recover heat energy.
Some of the security measures available in data centers are firewalls, IT and video surveillance systems, alarm systems with guard calls, access control to different parts of the data center, segmentation of customers and customer equipment.
In addition to that, there are often several fiber paths for traffic to get in and out. Power is backed up with UPS power and emergency generators that can produce electricity.
Geographical location of a data center affects performance and availability in several ways, but also the price for the customer as different parts of the world have different climates and different electricity prices.
A strategically located facility can reduce response times and improve user experience by being closer to users.
In addition, geographic diversity can reduce the risk of outages and disasters for critical applications.
Almost every industry and business has some form of service running in a data center. If the company itself is not a customer of a data center, one of the company's suppliers usually is.
Companies that are direct customers of data centers are often technology-heavy companies, such as IT consultants, telecom companies, e-tailers, game publishers, SaaS companies and more.
