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What is data center?
A data center (sometimes spelled datacenter) is a centralized repository, either physical or virtual, for the storage, management, and dissemination of data and information organized around a particular body of knowledge or pertaining to a particular business. In that sense, data center may be synonymous with network operations center (NOC), a restricted access area containing automated systems that constantly monitor server activity, Web traffic, and network performance. The purpose of a data center is to allow storing huge amounts of equipments connected to communications, computers and electronics. Normally, every type of ______ has a method of data center, which is managed by organizations, to control the main information services, such as the Internet connectivity, intranets, LANS, WANS and extranets. The most fundamental data center have a computer network, contains backup power supplies, air conditioning, security procedures, which include a very large amount of data stored in many computers. Practically, if a ______ it is bigger then requires a larger data center(s). Biggest ______ can store their own data centers, but the smaller ______ can outsource their I.T. infrastructure or they can merge their computer dates to a data center, being capable to store confidential, difficult systems and business dates. Having access to a data center it’s very relevant for a _____, this represents the location where will be stored all the main equipments that are important for their operations. A ______ without a data center, it is like a human body without brain, can’t function without it. Business operating holds the computer and communication elements, beside many other indispensable components. Internet Servers and Network Infrastructure Analyzing much detailed the data centers we can discover a lot of kind of Internet servers in it. Data centers are created and secured in a physical and also in a logistical way, to ensure the security of the stored data and equipment. The security represents the most important factor for the data centers. Data centers are like a safely environment in a town. Their target is to manage and run different applications in a way that the business for which they are working to access data files efficiently. In data centers the network infrastructure communications are established on networks running the IP protocol suite. The traffic between the outside world and the servers is transported by routers and switches that are elements of the data centers. The elementary Internet and intranet services runs by some servers from the data center, they are necessary for internal users within the organization, like the email, proxy and DNS servers (Domain Name System (or Service); with this are translated the domain names into IP addresses). Usually there are installed network security elements, like the firewalls, VPN (virtual private network- this gives the possibility to be used of the public telecommunication infrastructure). Security Data centers store a lot of types of information. Like example the information that has to store for a financial institution are the followings: important, critical, confidential accounts of the clients, secret numbers and names, and business projects. Banks data centers usually have another type of networks to store their information and data. In case of a university the data centers would store the employee and student’s information, data about the university’s physical holdings like the buildings, data related to the construction projects, intellectual history. Government institutions and those ______ that have many centers, television, mobile phone ______ and other services of this type, are choosing larger data centers to store critical information. The security and the technical support are the essential functions of the data centers. This is due to the fact that data centers represent the most vulnerable element of a computer system. Video camera and the security guarding are permanently working in case that the data center store large and special information. In case that a data center needs a physical security then they choose a few individuals who have personal access. Beside to this normal type of securities, since data centers store the information, it’s hard for a _______ operation, should prevent the losses and thefts also in other ways. Data centers must ensure a very strong security supporting and also must include backup systems which work with battery power; this is indispensable when an interruption of electrical power happens. Web Hosting Referring to the web hosting, data centers are used to store servers (housing shared accounts, dedicated servers, or colocated servers) and also other application types. The physical plan of a data center can include from a single room from a building, more floors or even up to a whole building. Usually the form of the equipment is of 1U type servers, which is situated in 19 inch rack cabinets, in most cases they are situated in a single row, between them there are some to make easier the access. In some cases as large are the racks, there are placed alongside of them the mainframe computers, storage devices and other types of equipment (such as cooling units, fire suppression, uninterruptible power supplies). 40 Ways to Make Your Data Center More Efficient 10 Questions to Ask Your Data Center 1.) How physically secure are you? IT security can be explored from two primary angles – virtual and physical. With data centers, since they will be the actual location of your servers, start out by considering the physical component. _________ advises that data centers be housed in “a standalone building with at least a 20-foot, fenced perimeter and a secure, cool core of servers.” She recommends that the location not be directly adjacent to your office. It should also contain standard measures such as surveillance cameras and security guards. There should be two points of entry. Access should be granted by photo ID. Employees at the data center should all be trained for emergency situations (rather than being reliant on managers or specialists). Emergency protocol should include the usage of back-up generators and immediate, crucial data back-up to another location. There should also be servers available at a different data center that can be made available if disaster strikes (such as a hot-air balloon crash or an organized infiltration by thousands of Romanian cyber-sparrows). The data center should receive electrical power from two different sources so that uptime is maintained in the event of a blackout or brownout. 2.) What parts of the data center are concurrently maintained and fault tolerant? In the event of a number of problems occurring at the same time, make sure you are protected, at least beyond a single redundancy (bare minimum, 2N or N+2). ________ writes, “Your critical IT infrastructure operates in a world where utility outages or equipment failures happen.” Make sure that you have multiple layers of protection. 3.) How are you optimizing energy efficiency? Having the most up-to-date hardware can cut down on power costs as well. Newer, more energy-efficient models can reduce cost as much as 40%. 4.) What are the data center’s average and maximum power densities? In the early stages of the data center industry, facilities were not built with as high of power densities as they are now. These centers put more room between cabinets to allow for increases in density as needed. Data centers typically allow between 100 W and 175 W per square foot. Newly designed data centers tend to be built for a range of 225 W to 400 W per square foot. That covers the square footage power capacities. The power density of an individual cabinet must be examined as well. A decade ago, as ______ points out, cabinets could have a 2 kW limit. Now, you want your rack to allow for 8 kW to 10 kW. Furthermore, this increase in density maximum is still on the rise. ______ advises, “Expect your required power density to climb and make sure your data center has the infrastructure to grow with you.” 5.) How does your cooling system operate? The core temperature of any room in which servers are placed should be between 68 and 75°F. Typically, about 50% of the overhead of running a data center is the cost of cooling it, per ______ assessment. Even though it is so outrageously expensive to cool, many data centers overdo it, pushing the temperature below the minimum threshold of 68° (with the added bonus that the room can then also be used to refrigerate their groceries). Many data centers now operate the climate control of their facilities through a control panel, with monitors and gauges throughout the buildings to ensure temperature is ideal and power bills are minimized. 6.) How are you protected against the common regional natural disasters? Wherever your data center is located, it can be a victim of a natural disaster – including hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfires. ______ lists one possible devastating scenario: “the data center survives a massive earthquake, but utility power is still out with no estimated repair timeline.” You want to know, under such circumstances, the length of time that the facility can continue to supply power via its generators with the fuel it has on-site. Furthermore, does the data center have a number of different suppliers available to bring in extra fuel during an emergency? Make sure that you fully comprehend the most likely types of emergencies that might befall the facility. Based on that information, develop emergency plans to mitigate risk. 7.) What skills and training do the remote hands and eyes team have? Servicing of your hardware will need to occur at regular intervals. There are two ways to perform this maintenance, says ______: visiting the data center yourself or taking advantage of the data center’s remote hands and eyes technicians. You probably do not want a security guard performing this task, as sometimes occurs. The remote hands and eyes team should consist of individuals with IT credentials. You want to know what the requirements are for attaining that role. Speak with the person in charge of daytime and nighttime support. If a remote team is credible, your physical closeness to the data center’s location becomes less of a concern (if not, always be within a 400-meter radius of the facility, and wear your binoculars). 8.) What is the Data Center’s virtual to physical machine ratio? How virtual is the facility? Virtualization is a good way to reduce your expenses. ______ points out that a ratio of four-to-one allows server expenses to break even. However, the majority of servers can support as many as a dozen virtual private servers (VPSs). Maximizing virtual possibilities means higher efficiency regarding hardware, power, and rack space – so its cost-effectiveness is manifold. 9.) How frequently are generators load tested? Load testing of generators is expensive – both because the equipment for testing is costly and the high amount of fuel used, says _______. Data centers sometimes use a power outage itself – which is obviously not a test situation – to check if there generators can handle loads or not (which is also not a good time to load test a clown car). This routine maintenance is essential so that generator issues are discovered prior to emergency situations. You want your facility to give each generator an extended load test every quarter at the minimum. 10.) How is the data center certified, and is it audited each year? Certifications are a simple, standardized way for a data center to provide you with credentials. As ______ states, “This information is invaluable because it represents an independent analysis of the facility’s quality, reliability and security.” If your website takes payments, for instance, you want your data center to be PCI-DSS compliant. Financial firms require SSAE 16. If your business is green-friendly, the LEED Gold and Energy Star certifications are crucial. Verify your data center is legitimate by asking for documentation of any certifications they claim to have. |