Industries increasingly rely on internet-connected services and devices, producing and accumulating enormous amounts of data along the way. With so many companies undergoing digital transformations, there is a greater demand for data centers to help manage, save and control that information, turning the market into a $21.9 billion industry. The time is right to build a data center you can rely on.
Experts are estimating an additional 20.6 zettabytes of global cloud data center traffic to accumulate each year. Therefore, now is the time to establish yourself as a leader in management by building a secure, effective facility.
Many businesses lack the space, resources or employees to create and maintain an on-site data center. Off-site facilities are the ideal solution. You can simplify your operations and focus resources on other areas while offering a facility with around-the-clock data security and expert guidance.
Building an effective data center starts with intentional design and preplanning to optimize equipment performance, minimize environmental impact, and implement virtual and physical security measures.
Here’s what you should know when it’s time to build a data center.
Know the Essential Components
Every data center should be reliable, scalable, sustainable and suitable, regardless of location or facility size. Ensuring these factors will result in an operation that works at peak efficiency.
- Reliable: Companies rely on data centers for some of their most critical and sensitive information, making reliability essential. Your clients need to trust that their data is secure at your facility and that you’ve got more than one backup plan in case of an emergency or natural disaster.
- Scalable: Your operations must adapt without downtime as your business grows and technology evolves. Implement scalable practices, policies and digital solutions from your initial launch date.
- Sustainable: Most of today’s data center teams report increasing their use of renewable energy with active or soon-to-be-activated environmental initiatives. Sustainability doesn’t end with your facility’s construction and physical components — you should also take steps to minimize digital waste, such as reminding customers to perform regular data audits.
- Suitable: Consider your unique data center’s needs, like your core mission or target industry niche. When planning construction location and materials, account for local environmental concerns, like operating in an area prone to hurricanes or wildfires.
Consider how these essential components factor into your initial and ongoing budget, including frequency of upgrades, security enhancements and green building initiatives.
Invest in Quality Hardware and Equipment
Quality equipment and hardware are essential for a reliable, scalable data center. Your facility will have unique needs based on your location, business goals, budget and size, but expect to invest in the following at a minimum:
- Power supply: Your data center can connect to a local grid or its own, depending on area regulations and how much resources you can invest. You’ll also want to secure an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, such as a backup generator.
- Main distribution board (MDB): The MDB includes fuses, circuit boards, breakers and other electrical components that deliver critical power across the center.
- Transformer: Transformer failure is a common cause of costly downtime. Low-quality transformers are more prone to overheating, resulting in potentially disastrous power outages and security vulnerabilities.
- Cooling: Cooling is critical for maintaining a consistent temperature at your facility, keeping utility costs low and protecting electrical equipment and data from heat-related damage. Some options include HVAC units, chilled water systems, and hot and cold aisle containment. Promote better cooling during design by encouraging airflow with ventilation or raised floors.
- IT infrastructure: IT infrastructure includes everything from networking gear to intricate hardware. An infrastructure management platform can help you oversee data security and overall system health.
- Layout design: Employees won’t need to access every part of the facility each day, but poorly designed layouts can lead to workplace accidents, equipment malfunctions and other disasters. Consider equipment dimensions, interior and exterior environment, lighting and noise levels to develop a safe, easy-to-navigate facility. Things like cable management and server racks can help maintain organization.
Implement Robust Security
Data faces a near-endless number of threats in today’s world, ranging from careless employees to malicious cybercrimes. According to the 2021 State of the Data Center Report, center managers are most concerned about human threats and ransomware.
A data center is only as good as its security measures, including plans for prevention and remediation of all cyber, facility and environmental threats. It’s vital to keep information safe, which will build your reputation in the community.
Ransomware isn’t the only digital threat your facility will face. Distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS), phishing schemes, and gaps in software or application security are other risks. Anti-malware, threat isolation plans, comprehensive threat prevention, detection and management software, and regular employee training can help keep your data center secure.
Data attacks can also come from inside the facility itself, whether intentional or unintentional. Keep unauthorized users away from high-security areas with video surveillance, access keys or badges, sign-in protocols or on-site security staff.
Some threats come from the data center’s interior and exterior environments, especially if you’re building one in an area prone to natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires. Install fire suppression systems and moisture detectors to minimize fire- and flood-related damage. Avoid building in a flood zone and tailor construction designs to accommodate site-specific threats.
Have a Plan for Ongoing Maintenance
Building your data center is just the beginning of an ongoing commitment to creating a secure, effective, competitive solution for companies in your community.
Implement ongoing maintenance strategies to stay current on emerging cyberthreats, legal guidelines for data management and evolving technologies.
Have a daily management task list that includes cleaning, security checks, and equipment inspection to avoid malfunctions and overloads. Hold regular training sessions to keep your team informed of your data center’s policies and protocols for troubleshooting, threat escalation and critical inspection areas.
Build a Data Center You Can Rely On
As long as businesses generate information, there will always be a need for a well-conceived data center to help manage and store it. Careful planning will allow you to build a data center they feel confident relying on and investing in.
