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| 01 | 2007 |
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| A Virtual Data Center Tour |
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It wasn’t so long ago that filing cabinets lined office walls and outdated files were boxed up and sent off to storage. Companies were once mystified at how all the files in those cabinets could be condensed into one compact package known as the computer. Well, those days are back. The container may be different, but the data remains the same. Files have been replaced by bytes, and file cabinets replaced by server rooms. So, what happens when the server room is filled to capacity? It’s time to move your files to a data center.
A data center, quite simply put, is a technology utopia. Most are setup in prime locations next to telecommunication hubs, reducing the cost of internet connectivity. These centers may occupy one room in a building or multiple floors with thousands of square feet of space. The technology usually begins on the outside, with state-of-the-art surveillance and secure entrances. Larger facilities may even employ 24/7 security guards to offer additional protection and monitor surveillance cameras.
Once you step inside, you’ll still be under strict surveillance. And, although you may not notice it at first glance, you may be standing on a floor that is actually raised up to 2 feet with removable (and in some cases, anti-static) tiles. This not only enables additional air circulation, but also provides the perfect place to run cables. Special heat and fire detection and extinguishing features are standard. Monitoring heat levels aids in fire prevention, and because water can do as much damage as fire, alternative extinguishing techniques are utilized.
With the exception of larger mainframe computers, servers are typically mounted on racks, lined in rows with data cables running overhead. Due to the enormous amount of heat generated by servers and other equipment, and the need to maintain a cool, dry climate, data centers consume large amounts of energy regulating temperature and humidity. According to a recent edition of Enterprise Networks and Servers, “The demands on data centers have never been greater. Data volumes are doubling every year…” More data equates to more servers, and therefore additional costs and concerns about the amount of energy generated into order to maintain them. In the world of technology though, solutions are never far behind. Varieties of efficient climate control systems are already in the works, including liquid cooling, raising floors even higher to circulate additional cooling from underneath, adding cooling systems between racks and even attaching smaller versions to the racks themselves.
With the vast increases in data each year, the conundrum becomes where to set up the next rack of servers while still allowing enough room to keep sufficient air circulation. Two solutions have hit the market – blade servers and virtualization technologies. Blades are powerful, high-density servers containing only the most necessary components. As a result, they require far less cabling, take up very little space, and therefore consume less energy. Another increasingly popular method is virtualization, which can be applied to storage, servers or the network. Similar to partitioning your hard drive to create two virtual drives, virtualization pools all the available storage, server or network resources and then divides them into separate manageable parts, with storage virtualization typically controlled by a central console. The result is a far more efficient system that reduces the need to add servers as rapidly while vastly increasing the scalability and mobility of the existing resources.
Data centers and the resources they offer are the next phase in data storage and condensing. It can be an expensive proposition to establish your own center, so many offer colocation facilities where companies can rent space within the data center to host their servers and take advantage of the advanced technology tools available. For more information on colocation in a data center, click here to read “IT Gets Its Own Address.”
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About The Brookfield Group
The Brookfield Group has become a leader in IT, ISP, ASP and web solutions by providing next level technology solutions managed by experts who give you peace of mind without the tech-talk. The company's services are customized to fit any enterprise-size businesses and include: IT project management; hosting solutions and maintenance; systems security and patches; telecommunications services, server and desktop setup, repair and applications; network infrastructure design; audio visual products; surveillance and security solutions; as well as a variety of other software, hardware, services and accessories. Located in Carmel, Indiana, more information about The Brookfield Group products and services is available at www.thebrookfieldgroup.com or by calling 317.524.6000.
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