As we spend more of our lives online the exchange of digital information becomes increasingly necessary to keep businesses up and running. Digital exchanges require massive computing and networking equipment that are housed in an centralized physical location, known as a datacenter.
A data center is an specialist computer room that houses the computing and storage equipment used by a company. The core components of a data center include servers, which contain the processing power needed to transform raw data into useful information, and storage devices that store this data on hard-disk drives or robotic tape. Furthermore, a data centre relies on networking and communication equipment like routers, switches and endless miles cables to facilitate the flow of data between servers.
The term “data center” began to be employed in the early 1990s, as IT operations grew and cheap networking equipment made it possible for companies to house all their networking hardware within an centralized space. Businesses can either construct their own data center on their premises or contract with a third-party provider of data center services that offer colocation and managed services. Third-party solutions are typically an energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative to on-premises facilities.
Many of these third party options also offer greater flexibility in terms of the management of policies. A data center, for instance, can offer multiple policy environments in one location. This allows IT to limit the data workloads by defining distinct policies that satisfy compliance requirements data center across geographies and organizations. This could reduce security risks and enhance information governance.