What Every Data Center Needs To Be Successful
Life in our modern times is centered around data collection and storage. Data centers are integral to the IT industry, and demand for their use is growing yearly.
If you’re interested in getting into the data center business or just want to learn more about this fascinating industry, we’ve put together a brief explainer of what every data center needs to succeed.
Environmental Cooling
Computers, whether for large data centers or our laptops, can overheat without proper cooling procedures. For our small laptops, it doesn’t take much anymore, but the large servers of data centers require more than a small fan.
Data centers use many environmental cooling methods, but one of the most popular is the hot aisle/cold aisle strategy. Data centers use this method to reduce energy consumption and efficiently use physical space.
EMI Shielding
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is something that we all have to deal with, even if we don’t realize it. EMI can disrupt electronic devices due to the strong relationship between electricity and magnetism.
Left unprotected, EMI can wreak havoc on electronic devices close to each other, so you can see why EMI shielding is essential to data centers. EMI shielding ensures that the electronic devices within a data center don’t disrupt one another or allow outside EMI to cause malfunctions or failures.
Thorough Documentation
Thorough documentation is crucial in almost any business, not just data centers. The best-run data centers are the ones that are meticulous and comprehensive in their documentation, from training methods to activity monitoring.
Having as much information and operations history is crucial when working in IT to ensure personnel can solve problems efficiently. It may be tedious, but proper paperwork means better communication, training, and collaboration amongst data center employees.
High-Level Security
In some ways, a data center is like a vault of information that many people want and are willing to go to illegal means to attain. Data centers aren’t inherently dangerous, but high-level security is a necessity.
Some of the proper safety protocols and technologies a data center should utilize include:
Perimeter protection
Caged and locked cabinets
Biometrics
Keycards
24/7 video surveillance
Hopefully, these security measures are just deterrents and never have to be used, but you can never be too careful when securing a data center.
Those are a few common traits of every successful data center and what they need. It’s a growing industry, and if you adopt the right techniques and strategies, it could be lucrative for you as well.