Learn about the different types of Data Centers and their main characteristics
Data is at the center of corporate decisions, and this requires leaders to be knowledgeable about the types of Data Centers available. After all, the market is evolving and the infrastructure used must be able to meet the demands of the business.
In the past, file location determined where the work was to be done. Today, this reality has shifted and the existence of several teams operating remotely and at the same time makes it clear that data must always be available and accessible.
The good news is that the Data Center is no longer constrained to the perimeters of your company. More flexible, cost-effective, and highly efficient models already exist – for all sizes, demands, and types of business. Would you like to learn more? Just keep on reading!
The role of the Data Center in the evolution of companies
A Data Center is designed to handle a large volume of data. In an increasingly competitive and strategic market, it becomes clear how vital and decisive it is for business development.
Thanks to this structure, your business can operate efficiently and collaboratively, regardless of where employees are located. After all, fast and secure data traffic supports decision making and various digital capabilities that depend on this information.
Therefore, the Data Center is not only useful, it is an essential element in the daily routine of companies in the Digital Age, performing different functions, such as:
- Hosting software and applications, such as CRM and ERP;
- Leveraging Big Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence;
- Securing high-volume e-commerce transactions;
- Ensuring secure and efficient data storage;
- Running backup routines;
- Ensuring easy connectivity to the main carriers and internet exchanges in the market.
That said, it is no exaggeration to say that practically all sectors, in one way or another, depend on the resources provided by Data Centers.
Data Center architecture: what do you find there?
When we talk about the architecture of a Data Center, we focus on how this environment is organized and on the elements that comprise it. It is a curious subject, since many people are actually unaware of how it all works.
In practice, a Data Center gathers everything needed to store and process data with security, agility and high availability, such as:
- Physical servers;
- Hard drives;
- Network and connection equipment;
- Expert staff; and
- Complex power supply and cooling systems.
In addition to all this, companies have access to modern backup systems, which ensures that stored data is secure and readily available. After all, that is where valuable information for organizations is stored.
Therefore, the environment needs to be monitored 24/7. Because in the end, if it stops, so do the businesses.
This scenario shows that maintaining a Data Center infrastructure is not a simple task. And this is exactly the reason that many businesses are opting for decentralized models provided by specialized companies.
Learn about the 5 types of Data Centers and their characteristics
A survey conducted by Dell’Oro Group predicts that global Data Center spending will grow 10% over the next 5 years, totaling USD 350 billion. Given the exponential growth in demand, it is normal for new technologies to be implemented and others to be improved.
To make a smart investment, you need to know more about the different types of Data Centers available on the market. We have highlighted 5 of them for you here. Check it out!
1. Enterprise
The Enterprise model is one of the most common on the market. Its main characteristic is that the entire Data Center infrastructure is located within company premises, making it exclusive.
Although it involves high assembly and maintenance costs, several organizations opt for this format. This is because it allows greater control over security-related operations and processes.
2. Colocation
Colocation, unlike Enterprise, is based on decentralized management. In this format, the physical infrastructure is not inside the company, but in an external environment that is run by a provider.
Therefore, the business can contract space, hardware, bandwidth, and various Data Center solutions, according to its demand. This means that even without a large budget for your own infrastructure, you can enjoy all the advantages of having a data center.
You pay for what you use, and the vendor is responsible for keeping your data secure and accessible at all times. And the best part is: if the company grows, you just expand the storage space, simply and economically.
3. Internet
This type of data center is cloud-based and classified as virtual. This also means that there is no need to build your own infrastructure, since the information will be hosted and processed on a provider’s servers.
It is an interesting model, especially due to its flexibility and scalability. In addition, it democratizes access to computing resources remotely, as a service.
It is important to understand that the infrastructure is owned by the provider and will be shared with different companies. Thus, the information is accessed over the Internet.
4. Hyperscale
Hyperscale is a type of Data Center designed to serve large-scale operations. As such, it relies on a robust infrastructure, capable of supporting activities that demand large storage volumes and high processing power.
Because it is vital for important activities, the model needs to have reinforced mechanisms to ensure the continuity of operations. In other words, it has a state-of-the-art infrastructure with redundancy, backup, and complex communication and power supply networks.
5. Edge
Among the different types of Data Centers, the Edge model has become more and more common in the market. It is geared toward operations that demand faster communication between users and servers, solving the issue of latency.
The name itself explains how this model works. In this format, the Data Centers are smaller and more numerous in order to cover a larger area of territory and be as close as possible to the end users of the services.
It is worth noting that this is the format used by major streaming providers such as Netflix and YouTube. This is because it offers a more agile, low-latency connection, ideal for delivering media and services in real time.
Your Data Center is no longer constrained to the perimeter of your company!
As we have seen, the Data Center is no longer constrained to the perimeter of your company. Advances in technology and data storage are driving new models, ensuring more flexibility, security, and agility for business management.
In this context, businesses of all sizes can fully exploit the power of data and invest in the digitalization of their operations. There are Data Center types for all needs – and now you know a little about them.
To help you on this journey and in choosing the ideal model, we would like to suggest reading another post on our blog: Understand why your company should not maintain an Internal Data Center!
