As we live more and more of our lives online, the exchange of digital information is becoming increasingly important to keep businesses running. Digital exchange requires huge computing and networking equipment which are located in the center of physical space, which is known as the datacenter.
A data center is an specially designed computer room that houses the storage and computing equipment of a business. The primary elements of a Data Center include servers, which contain the processing power that transforms raw data into usable information, and storage devices that hold this data on hard-disk drives or robotic tape. A data center also relies on communication and networking equipment like routers, cables and switches to aid in the flow of information between servers.
The term “data center” was first employed in the early 1990s, as IT operations expanded and inexpensive networking equipment allowed companies to house all their networking equipment within one central space. Today, businesses can choose to build their own data centers on their premises or partner with third-party service providers which offer cloud, managed and colocation services. Third-party options usually offer an energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative to data centers that are on-premises.
Many of these options from third parties also offer greater flexibility in the management of policies. For instance the data center may offer multiple policy environments in one location, allowing IT to limit the workload of data by having distinct policies that satisfy requirements for compliance across geographical regions and business units. This will reduce security risks and enhance the governance of information.