What is a Data Center?
As we spend more of our lives online and in the digital age, the exchange of information is becoming increasingly important to keep businesses running. Digital exchanges require massive computer and networking equipment, which is located in an centralized physical location, known as the datacenter.
A data center is an specialized computer room which is home to the storage and computing equipment needed by a company. The main elements of a Data Center include servers, which house the processing power needed to transform raw data into usable information and storage devices that store this data on hard-disk drives or robotic tape. Data centers also rely on communication and networking equipment like routers, cables and switches to facilitate the flow of data between servers.
In the 1990s, when IT operations increased and companies began to adopt low-cost networking equipment to house their networking hardware in an central location, the term “data center’ was first used. Today, businesses have the option to create What is a data center their own data centers on their own premises or work with third-party service providers that offer colocation, managed and cloud services. Third-party options are often more efficient in terms of energy and cost. They are also a cheaper alternative to on-premises facilities.
Many of these third-party options also provide more flexibility when it comes to the management of policies. A data center, for example can provide multiple policies in a single location. This allows IT to limit data workload by establishing distinct policies that meet the requirements of compliance across all geographies and companies. This can greatly reduce security risks and improve overall information governance.