Spain is one of the countries with most fiber connections in the world, and has some of the most advanced and modern Data Centers in Europe. However, little is know about how these infrastructures work and, specially, which elements they contain.
A Data Center is a physical infrastructure that houses the necessary equipment and informatic systems for Data processing and management. These buildings are equipped with all types of security systems and cooling for the IT rooms where the server racks are hosted. Cooling is one of the most important elements, as it is necessary to keep a constant temperature to avoid the overheating of the servers and guaranteeing their optimal functioning.
These infrastructures contain a large number of electronic components that allow the Data processing, being the main concerns the following: physical security, access to energy and efficiency in its usage and guaranteeing the privacy and security of the Data hosted.
¿What elements does a Data Center need?
1. Interconnection
Network infrastructure is an essential piece to guarantee the communication between servers and with external devices, such as cellphones, tablets, etc… It is a fundamental part of a Data Center: to have uninterrupted access to telecommunications networks guarantees the continuous service for the users.
2. Cooling Systems
Through a system exchanging air/liquid, in addition to fans, air is introduced in the IT rooms to keep a specific temperature range in each of them. These systems are composed by machinery placed outside of the building and in the surroundings of the IT rooms. It is another pillar of the infrastructure, as it guarantees an optimal temperature for the operation of the servers.
3. Energy Management and Backup systems
Data Centers must always have energy supply. This is why they have energy backup systems, to guarantee the business continuity of the clients. These systems are based on batteries and Gen-Sets. In addition, the utilization of the energy is done with a high operative efficiency, which is why it is important to count with Management Systems, to optimize consumption and reduce costs. The Energy Management System of a Data Center is designed to supervise the consumption made by every component, such as servers, cooling systems, lighting and so on, to identify opportunities in energy saving.
4. IT Rooms
The rooms where the servers are hosted. These spaces are structured in rows of racks and are ready to have a controlled cooling. Inside the rooms we can find the racks of servers, the tenants of every Data Center. This equipment have the Data processing resources, and ultimately, they execute the apps and services stored in them.
The racks are distributed in rows, forming aisles, where the servers are oriented depending on their cool or hot side. In occasions, these spaces are encapsulated with different temperature requirements, depending on the needs of each client.
5. O&M personnel
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) personnel is essential to keep a Data Center working without incidences. These profiles can include engineers, network managers, hardware technicians and other type of IT professionals. This personnel works in shifts to guarantee 7×24 dedication and they use Building Management Systems (BMS), of which they extract the necessary information.
6. Physical Security
It refers to the protection of all the elements listed above from damage or theft. Everything works with closed circuits, security cameras, alarms, security agents… all in order to guarantee the integrity of the systems hosted in a Data Center.
Data Centers are, thus, complex infrastructures, composed by multiple elements working in synchrony, guaranteeing an uninterrupted connection of the services offered to clients. These facilities count with several backup systems for disaster recovery, which are used to ensure the Data and applications are protected and are recoverable in the worst case scenario. Nabiax is focused in scalability, offering the possibility of hosting new clients and expanding its infrastructures, improving in efficiency and sustainability with each new development.