Data center design definition
Data center design is the practice of providing the necessary facilities, equipment, power, and staff for a large computing environment. Data center design covers the layout of the building, the electrical and mechanical systems, the network infrastructure, server racks, storage hardware, and employee facilities.
See also: data backup, data breach, data center rack, cold data, database replication, data vaulting, shared storage
Real data center design principles
- Power: Servers, networking equipment, and other devices in data centers require a constant supply of power — any breaks may result in critical failures and lost data. Often, data center design incorporates redundant power supplies and backup generators to avoid breaks in operations during emergencies.
- Cooling: Servers and other pieces of data center equipment generate a lot of heat. The cooling system must be able to remove excess heat from the data center to prevent the equipment from overheating and shutting down.
- Connectivity: Data centers need high-speed network connectivity to give users working access to stored data and applications. Connectivity may be improved by hiring multiple internet service providers (ISPs), installing redundant network connections, and using high-bandwidth switches or routers.
- Physical security: Access to the facilities housing critical equipment must be restricted to prevent theft and espionage. Physical security measures include access controls, biometric authentication, video surveillance, and intrusion detection systems.
- Redundancy: Redundancy in data center design involves duplicating critical components (such as power supplies, network switches, and storage devices) to prevent one failure from stalling all operations.
