Data centers are the hidden heroes of the Internet. How does a data center keep your IT environment online 24/7? An inside look into the secret world of the data center.
We take it for granted that IT environments are available 24/7. There is much more to this than meets the eye. A hosting provider does everything possible to keep their own, as well as your servers online day and night.
Data centers are hardly, if ever, talked about. That’s actually a shame, because data centers keep your IT environment straight. Always wanted to know how a data center really works? Wesley Hof, CTO at Combell, takes us behind the scenes of the data center.
Redundancy
“A good data center is designed to withstand natural disasters, fire, lightning strikes and unexpected power outages,” says Hof. “To cope with any possible setback, everything is present in duplicate, or redundant. If something does go wrong, the system immediately switches to a backup version.”
Redundancy is built into a data center in every possible way. Hof: “This means that all essential facilities are also duplicated for maximum reliability. So in the event of any component failure, the spare part takes over immediately, without a breakdown.”
Under lock and key
If you’ve never seen a data center on the inside, it’s no accident. “You don’t just get inside a data center: everything is under lock and key. Persons with bad intentions are kept at a far distance with very heavily secured access controls and security cameras. You must first authorize yourself at security and only then can you pass through the one-man lock. It is impossible for anyone to slip in unnoticed,” Hof explains.
Security is not just on the outside. “The high level of security continues in the data center itself,” Hof continues. “A great example of this is the physical aspect, which already starts with multiple rooms or areas in the data center.”
“In there, we have several cages, and inside those cages are separate server racks, which are cabinets where the servers are locked in. Those are also completely locked with separate locks. Everything to make sure that only the right people can get to the right people.”
Water and fire
Data centers must be prepared against the elements of nature. “Just to talk about that redundancy again: nothing is left to chance,” Hof picks up further. “For example, power is always guaranteed. Suppose there were to be a power outage anyway, active UPS batteries catch the outage for a while until the diesel generators kick in.”
Another important aspect in data centers is cooling. Hof explains: “Servers or electrical equipment can hardly stand the heat. Therefore, cooled air is blown in from the tiles between the servers. This passes through the server and is expelled through the back via a closed corridor to use the air as efficiently as possible.”
“Even a fire is impossible,” Hof reassures. A reliable data center does not extinguish with water, but uses special inert gas that extracts the oxygen from the air. In this way, the servers are not damaged if any extinguishing should take place. Fire therefore does not stand a chance”.
Fortunately, because servers aren’t fond of water either. Hof explains how servers in data centers stay dry. “Water in IT infrastructure are obviously not the best of friends. That’s why the ‘double roof’ principle is used. Another roof is built under the roof so that a water leak can never reach the servers. It is only in this way that a provider can offer you the highest guarantee,” he concludes.
This is a commercial contribution in collaboration with Combell. Look here for more information about the company’s solutions.