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¿What is Data Center? The Different Types of Data Centers

A data center is a large facility, building or building where numerous electronic equipment such as servers, fans, connections and other necessary resources used to maintain a network or computer system, information, connections and data of one or more companies are housed and maintained.

Much of the data that exists today is generated from phones, tablets, computers, appliances, smart watches and other devices connected to the Internet and is stored in a Data Center.

Globally, the amount of data created, captured, copied and consumed is expected to increase from about 59 zettabytes (ZB) in 2020 to 149 ZB in 2024, according to the Statista portal.

These facilities need to have enough energy to operate the entire system, as well as adequate ventilation for optimal operation and advanced security systems to prevent data leaks or other risks.

It also offers hosting to companies, helps them compile, store and protect all their digital information, as well as interconnect with some providers to ensure the continuity of their operations.

Although a company can have its own Data Center, it is best that the company in charge of having said data center and safeguarding that large amount of information, is a company dedicated to this area; this way it will be able to maintain the security and continuity of the business. Likewise, it is important to have an IT support service to help solve any incident that may arise.

The specialized companies that are dedicated to providing these services must have the equipment and sufficient storage space to be able to better protect the immense amounts of data that they may receive.

Classification of a Data Center.

According to the American National Standards Institute, Data Centers have a best practices standard called ANSI/TIA 942, its objective is to certify the availability of the components that these properties have. Size, response time and redundancy levels are some examples of the aspects considered in this certification.

In addition to this classification, there are several levels called “Tiers”. The concept of Tier indicates the level of reliability of a data center associated with four defined availability levels. The larger the number or class of Tier, the greater the availability of the service, and therefore, the higher the associated costs in its construction and the longer it takes to do so. Currently, four types of Tier have been defined.

Tier 1 is the basic Data Center: it is designed for small and medium-sized companies. The service may suffer planned or unplanned interruptions. A disadvantage of this level is that if maintenance is required, it will be necessary to stop its activity completely, so business continuity may be interrupted on several occasions.

Tier 2 is a redundant Data Center and is less susceptible to interruptions, whether planned or not. It has a connection to a single electrical and cooling distribution line. Like the previous level, in case of maintenance, service interruption is also required here.

Tier 3 is a Concurrently Maintainable Data Center. It is focused on companies that provide a 24/7 service, that is, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A Data Center with these characteristics is connected to multiple power and cooling distribution lines, although with only one active. This helps to maintain the continuity of operations.

The remarkable thing about this level and an advantage over the previous two is that for its maintenance it is not necessary to stop the system, since its capacity is totally ideal to deliver the service through other lines.

Tier 4 or Fault-tolerant Data Center: it is focused on companies with a global presence, such as banks, multinationals, among others. Something extremely remarkable is its tolerance to faults, because it is connected to several power and cooling distribution lines. This level allows business functions to continue during maintenance without affecting service, especially in companies with critical operations, and is capable of dealing with unplanned events.

In reality, the only way it could fail is if a power outage and two or more electrical factors on each of the supply lines were to fail at the same time.

This Data Center has the highest availability of the four types, at 99.995%.

Types of Data Centers.

Due to the great variety and flexibility offered by Data Centers, it is the responsibility of the IT department of a business to find the ideal type or combination that best suits its needs, taking into account availability, human and technical resources allocated to maintain the correct operations of the data center and, of course, the investment that is intended to be allocated for it.

If the Data Center is located in the company or business's own facilities, the user(s) must have experts in the different types of applications that are executed and have maintenance contracts for server and telecommunications hardware, in addition to specialization for maintenance of its infrastructure. The advantages of having a Data Center in your own office is that you have total freedom to do and operate with it at any time and whatever is needed, it is available.

Since the hardware is on-site, your company's specialized personnel can access the space as many times as they want to make the necessary corrections. Security and uptime are also the full responsibility of IT personnel.

However, having your own Data Center also has some disadvantages. Responsibilities for all aspects of provisioning and infrastructure and the administration of the Data Center fall entirely on people from the company itself, this can cause a problem when, for example, there is an emergency in the middle of the night or a holiday and no one can cover it.

Another disadvantage is the construction costs, which the company assumes in their entirety. In addition, internal operating expenses are usually much higher than opting for “housing” or an external data center.

If you decide to opt for housing, you would basically house your servers in an external Data Center. Among the services provided by the provider are: the space to install the servers and business equipment, the electrical power required, the cooling for optimal performance, communication links within the Data Center and specialized personnel to attend to any requirement.

The main benefits of hiring an external Data Center are:

1. Cost reduction: a Data Center provider offers various technological components that complement the infrastructure that a data center requires, Therefore, your business could save costs in the acquisition of various elements to have its Data Center running.

2. Greater security: just as a data center has all the necessary physical and technological infrastructure components, these are located in strategic places to prevent any disaster from affecting its operations. Likewise, they have fire protection systems, adequate electrical installations, uninterrupted power supply, biometric readers and restricted access to protect as much as possible all the assets they manage.

3. Better connectivity: Data Centers have the possibility of connecting directly to the main telecommunications providers, thanks to that, the connection they offer is good and in most cases, it is guaranteed.

4. Flexibility in service management: having a data center contracted to a third party gives you the possibility of having a quick response to the needs of your business processes when it grows. When you choose an external Data Center provider, verify that it can offer you network services, cloud services, assistance and everything your company requires when it comes to expanding its operations.

It is worth noting that a highly recommended option today is a virtual Data Center, also known as cloud storage. This alternative prevents companies from dealing with the complexities that may arise when implementing their own physical data center.

There is also the option of mobile Data Centers, which are a cost-effective and self-sufficient solution, as they are designed to house critical and necessary network equipment, as well as providing the infrastructure of a conventional server installation, in a portable, autonomous and robust infrastructure.

Mobile data centers have the advantage of being able to eliminate the need for a server room. It is the ideal solution when dealing with limited office space or for use in isolated or remote locations, where a secure, modular and fully portable installation is important or necessary.

Security in the Data Center.

Another important aspect to consider is security, which serves the function of limiting access to the physical facilities and virtual platforms of a Data Center in order to protect the information contained in the event of any eventuality.

Physical security of Data Centers involves protecting critical infrastructure from external threats or intrusions that threaten a company's activities, as well as high-value and extremely important elements, such as servers.

This type of security includes video surveillance through cameras, access control and perimeter security. According to Gartner Inc., a company specializing in IT consulting, these are the most important security measures regarding the location and construction of a Data Center:

• Physical location of the site: numerous evaluations must be made in the event of possible natural and man-made disasters, taking into account the specific aspects of the infrastructure necessary for its service.

• Perimeter of the site: security must be provided in the perimeter of the Data Center's location area, through surveillance cameras, planning of the building's construction design and consideration of access and evacuation points.

• Control centers: control and constant surveillance must be carried out in access to rooms, in addition to having environmental security in terms of temperature, humidity, and fire prevention.

• Building equipment and maintenance: cooling and heating systems, electrical connections and data backup systems on physical media are required in a radical case.

Finally, as in any organization, operators and workers within a data center have a list of policies and procedures to which they must adhere to ensure efficient management and use as well as maintenance of the facilities.

Energy efficiency in the Data Center

It is estimated that 3% of the energy generated by humans is consumed by data centers in the world. Because of this, data centers have to meet certain characteristics regarding electrical consumption, so it is necessary to take action in this regard for the economic and efficiency benefits that these practices generate.

According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), a 1 megawatt (MW) data center consumes around 177 million kilowatts per hour in a 10-year life cycle. While the 1 MW system continuously wastes the equivalent of the carbon emissions of 1,000 cars, due to an incorrect infrastructure project. That is why it is important to have appropriate energy efficiency.

One of the solutions to this problem, and also an efficient practice to save energy, is to use an air management system, a technology that has been widely used in small data centers. This system allows cooling machines to start acting in standby mode and then turn back on when needed.

Other ways to have an energy-efficient Data Center and save energy is to have it with equipment that consumes less electricity when working and to provide the maximum cooling need to the equipment.

The importance of cooling in the Data Center.

Nowadays, due to the large amount of processes, data and energy stored in a Data Center, cooling is extremely important because it represents a significant opportunity to improve and achieve energy savings in the data center.

In many cases, relatively simple and inexpensive changes, such as improving the sealing of the Data Center or optimizing the air flow, can provide great immediate benefits.

In addition, new technologies such as variable capacity air conditioners with sophisticated control systems, should be considered for their impact on efficiency.

According to IDC, a company specialized in intelligence and data analysis, an efficient design in terms of cooling in the Data Center must have at least one of the following components.

• Hot and cold aisles: this design allows the cold air produced by the Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC) to lower the air temperature in an open space to regulate the temperature of the servers and equipment contained in the racks.

• Confined aisles: this type of infrastructure isolates the air flow throughout the computer room, allowing the efficiency of CRAC equipment to increase, since the mixing of cold and hot air is avoided as it happens in an open one.

• Freecooling: a platform that regulates the construction of data centers. It focuses on the efficient use of external temperature and aims to improve the efficiency and electricity consumption of air conditioning equipment.

In the Elsevier study, Cooling systems in data centers: state of art and emerging technologies, it is stated that practically all the electrical energy required in a data center is converted into heat and must be eliminated by an adequate cooling system.

“The most suitable cooling solution must be designed to achieve high energy efficiency, low cost and reliability. Cooling should be made to cover the worst case scenario, although most servers operate at a much lower capacity than 100%. Controlling and predicting the temperature increase during a power outage is an important aspect for cooling system design.”

It also states that air cooling represents the backbone of the data center and is directed towards localized cooling units and physical separation of the air flow within, to support the increase in power density.

“On ​​the other hand, liquid cooling is being a promising solution. Today, IT equipment is reaching power densities, which in some cases, justify liquid-cooled solutions.”

Whether your company is small, medium or large, a Data Center will help you scale your business, as it helps you give it continuity. Analyze the options that exist and the needs of your company so that you can choose what best suits your company.