What is a data center?
A data center refers to a physical facility used to store, calculate, and transmit user computer system data and programs. A data center provides basic services such as information storage, recovery, backup, information management, and network transmission.
How does a data center work?
A data center consists of real or virtual servers connected internally and externally by network devices to store, transmit and access data. Each server is basically the same as an ordinary computer, containing a CPU, storage space and memory, but data centers are more powerful. Data centers cluster servers and distribute workloads among them.
Features of data centers:
- High availability
The availability of a data center refers to the components that ensure the stable operation of the data center, and regular maintenance of the system ensures the smooth operation of the data center in the future.
- Network Operation Center
The network operation center is used to monitor, manage and maintain the computer resources of the data center, and can also provide all information about the data center and update data in real time.
- Cooling system
The cooling system is also important in the data center. Servers need adequate cooling to prevent overheating and ensure their continuous operation.
- Power system
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and generators are both components of the power backup system. During a power outage, the generator can be configured to start automatically to ensure that the server remains operational during the power outage.
Types of data centers
- Enterprise-level data centers
Enterprise-level data centers are private data centers built for enterprise customers. They can be built inside or outside the enterprise to provide services for the data processing processes and basic applications of a single enterprise. Enterprises can isolate operational activities from data center operations to reduce the probability of data loss or damage.
- Edge computing data centers
Edge computing data centers can meet the needs for instant connectivity, the Internet of Things, robots, and artificial intelligence technologies that can process real data sources. Edge data centers solve network latency problems by being closer to the edge of the network and the data source, improving the customer experience.
- Cloud data centers
Cloud data centers are operated by third parties or public cloud providers (such as Mobile Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and Baidu Cloud) to provide infrastructure services. Users can quickly establish virtual data centers by renting cloud servers.
Data center application considerations
- Reserve upgrade space
When building a data center, it is crucial to reserve space for data center expansion. In order to save costs, data center designers may try to limit data capacity to current needs; however, in the long run, our data storage space needs may increase over time, so it is crucial to provide reserved expansion space for new equipment, which can reduce subsequent maintenance
- Monitor energy utilization efficiency
By monitoring the energy consumption of the data center, we can understand the system operation efficiency of the data center. Based on the energy consumption data, we can use it to reduce non-server operation energy use, such as cooling and power transmission energy consumption, which plays a key role in reducing the overall energy consumption of the data center.
- Operation and maintenance
Complete various inspections and maintenance of the data center regularly to prevent failures of data center components and systems. Regular maintenance can effectively reduce the failure rate of the data center, ensure the security of user data, and avoid losses caused by failures.
- Establish redundant backup systems
For data centers, providing backup for data in the event of a failure is a huge challenge. These redundant backup systems allow staff to maintain and back up data without interfering with server operation, and can transition to the backup system when the main system fails, which can greatly reduce the risk of system failures.