Data has been a critical component for organizations and businesses. Many want to keep, store and share their data securely on the internet. Data centers have hence become very crucial in helping people manage their data.
However, many have found creating a data center very daunting. Hosting data is critical, hence the need to know and address challenges that may come along quickly. Here are some of the challenges of opening a data center and data center solutions.
What is a Data Center?
A data center is a structure where data is processed, handled, stored, and distributed. They are highly secured and have alternative power supply and environmental controls. The data center number millions across the world.
Data Center Variant
There are three main types of data center variants. They include:
Collocation Data Centers
This data center serves many businesses that rent out space for their equipment. One can rent out as many spaces as they can, considering the number of equipment they have.
Exclusive Data
Centers: these are data centers that are privately owned and managed by a single business to address their data-specific needs.
Managed Hosting Providers
Managed hosting providers are data centers where users only rent IT equipment in them. The whole system and infrastructure is owned and managed by a third party.
The Availability Problem
There could be challenges in data services from data centers. Businesses must opt for data centers with a strong infrastructure that efficiently avails uptime. The system should have mirrored sites, disaster contingency, and redundancy facilities to be efficient for the users. Users could opt for different data centers to guarantee 24/7 uptime if there is a failure at the primary center. Businesses should put in place effective data risk management strategies for efficient delivery, availability, and security of data.
Getting LEED Certified
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating was created by the United States Green Building Council to promote environmentally sustainable buildings. Data centers are required to get a high certification level since they consume much water and electricity. The advancing green technology has come in handy in cutting the cost of operation, making them environmentally friendly.
Challenges When Opening or Choosing a Data Center
There are several challenges that businesses might face while opening a data center. Identifying the challenges and offering data center solutions is vital for IT success. Here are some common data center challenges to prepare for and address before they hurt your operations.
Weather and Geographical Stability
The location could expose the data center to some environmental risks. The risk could be related to the weather or seismic activities. Data center construction should hence consider a favorable location to ensure service efficiency. The balance between cost and risk should be considered to overcome this.
Climate Patterns
Data centers operate within a specific temperature; hence, a location’s climate could pose a challenge to the data center. Areas with high or cold temperatures will require businesses to regulate the temperature to the desired range. This will lead to more costs incurred that could potentially hurt the business financially.
Power Supply
Data centers need an uninterrupted supply of power for their efficiency. Keeping power running will require backup generators or private power grids. It is very expensive to keep power running throughout. These alternative means of power cost a lot of money, which poses a big challenge to businesses.
Distance to Businesses and Customers
The data center’s proximity to the users determines the effectiveness and quality of data services. Businesses must hence try to build the data centers closer to them.
Overcoming Data Center Challenges
Opening a data center could be risky, but knowing and addressing the challenges could make efficient delivery of uninterrupted data easier. Modern data center solutions reduce risk and costs for new and existing data centers. The advancement in technology will further reduce data center challenges to a greater extent
