Nowadays, data is at the centre of most businesses. Whether it’s used to support internal operations and customer interaction, or is key to providing a company’s products and services – data is vital.
But, it’s also part of a system that must be managed properly. Otherwise, IT equipment can break down, which can have adverse effects on a business. That’s why data centre design and architecture are critical to ensuring the data is managed, stored, and protected correctly.
If you’re looking into the services of a data centre, but want to understand more about its design and architecture, check out our blog below. We’ll discuss what data centre design and architecture entail, the standards that must be complied with, and the different types you might encounter.
Are you interested in finding out more about M247’s data centre and colocation hosting solutions, we’ll be happy to help – just make your enquiry here.
What does data centre design mean?
Data centre design refers to the overarching structure needed to provide a physical facility that houses an abundance of infrastructure – which is related to a company’s critical data and applications.
To ensure the design of the data centre is optimal, significant planning and preparation are required. This includes significant research into the facility’s:
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- Layout
- Security
- System integration;
- And much more
What is the structure of a data centre?
The structure of a data centre is carefully designed to produce optimal connectivity. There are three components that are most critical to its maintenance, such as:
Physical infrastructure
The structure of a data centre is mainly focused on housing an extensive amount of physical infrastructure. This includes computers, servers, and maintenance systems to ensure equipment is managed and there are no issues down the line. Since companies might want to scale up the resources they use as the business grows, data centres need to have ample amounts of storage infrastructure.
For example, to provide vast amounts of space, data centres might use virtualisation. This is where one physical, dedicated server is used to host multiple virtual servers, and ultimately, frees up room in a data centre whilst still providing extensive resources for a business.
Cooling systems
Data centres must also account for a vast amount of cooling systems and methods for the IT equipment they use. This type of infrastructure has to be maintained at a certain temperature in order to avoid malfunctioning and significant damage occurring.
There are a variety of cooling methods data centres can employ. For example, they might use air cooling, which works by using air conditioning units to cool the hot air produced by servers down. In conjunction with other methods, data centres might also use aisle containment, which is where servers are placed in a certain way to produce a separate hot and cold air aisle.
Data security
Another key component to a data centre’s structure is having enhanced and managed data security. This includes online security systems, such as using VPNs, encrypted networks and data backup processes. But it also includes physical data security too.
For example, data centres might have certain levels of access control; meaning only certain individuals working there will be able to access certain parts of the centre. To do so, they might use key cards, or biometric identification.
Does data centre design have standards and guidelines?
Yes, data centre design does have standards and guidelines that those building them must follow and comply with, such as:
Uptime Institute Tier Standard
The Uptime Institute Tier Standard uses and assigns a tier system to data centres, so they can better establish the storage capabilities they have available. It was conceived in the mid 1990s, with the intention of making choosing a data centre design much simpler.
Under the guidelines, there are four tiers that can be assigned to a data centre. Tier I describes the most basic of data centres, whereas Tier IV portrays a data centre that has a high fault tolerant design.
ANSI/TIA 942-B
ANSI/TIA 942-B is a list of standards data centres all around the world must comply with.
It highlights instructions regarding a data centre’s physical infrastructure, including: site location, fire safety requirements, security, and much more.
EN 50600 series
The EN 50600 series is a list created specifically for data centres across Europe, and is loosely based on the Uptime Institute’s Tier Standard.
Its guidelines cover aspects of design and power, as well as guidance surrounding cooling systems, security and sustainability.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
This is a set of guidelines that are not directly related to data centres, but more general guidance for those using refrigeration and air conditioning systems. These standards are also reviewed every five years.
The guidelines provide information for IT facilities to assess the following:
- Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality
- Energy standards for buildings, except low-rise buildings
- Design and construction of high-performance buildings
- Energy efficiency in existing buildings
What are the different types of data centres?
There are several different types of data centre that exist globally, including:
- Cloud data centres: Cloud data centres are exactly what the name suggests, they exist virtually and are not housed on a company’s on-site premises. They can be accessed via the internet, and are leased by an external third party.
- Colocation facilities: These types of data centres are used by companies who want to outsource their data management and infrastructure, as they don’t have the means to do this in-house. It’s a massive plus for these businesses who don’t want to spend time and money on data management, as well as employing extra staff.
- Web hosting data centres: Ideal for e-commerce businesses, web hosting data centres work by supplying hosting for websites and other online applications. These businesses can benefit from the data centre’s high connectivity and high-speed internet connections, ensuring their customers have a positive website user experience.
- Mobile data centres: Mobile data centres are located on moving vehicles, and are typically used in emergency situations where IT generator power is required. They can be sent to different locations rapidly in the instance where temporary downtime occurs.
What are the different types of data centre architecture?
There are four different types of data centre architecture, mesh, tiered models, mesh point of delivery, and super spine mesh.
Mesh network
In a data centre that uses a mesh network, devices are linked together, and data is passed through components via interconnected switches. This type of architecture can support cloud services, thanks to its predictable capacity and low levels of latency. In other words, it is less likely to encounter delays.
Tiered models
Tiered models are a commonly used type of data centre architecture. The tiers within the model are named: core, aggregation, and access layers. These layers support different types of functions, such as service module integration and default gateway redundancy. It’s the most common type of architecture in a data centre.
Mesh point of delivery
Mesh point of delivery uses multiple leaf switches at the points of delivery (PoDs). PoDs are otherwise known as modules that combine network, computer, storage, and application components to deliver networking services. Meanwhile, a leaf switch is something that gathers traffic from servers to connect to the network core. By separating different parts of the application, deployment units can be added or removed with ease – depending on the business demand.
Super spine mesh
Like the mesh networks, super spine mesh models offer an additional super spine layer to accommodate more spine switches. This means more leaf switches can be used to increase the data centre’s bandwidth and reduce latency. These are good options for businesses that need faster data processing without delay.
Why do businesses use data centres?
There are several reasons why businesses have adopted data centres as a way to manage, store, and protect their computing resources. The main reasons include:
- Grows with their businesses: Businesses utilise data centres because they don’t have the capabilities to store this infrastructure in house. And, when their business grows and more equipment is needed, they can scale up within the data centre they use. They do this by hiring more racks in the data centre to use more computers and servers so they can meet demand.
- Less time spent on data management: Business owners have to spend a lot of their time running and managing the objectives of their business, as well as overseeing their employees and maintaining their satisfaction. So when it comes to making time for data management, this can be difficult. That’s why using a data centre can lift the load of managing data off their backs – as data centres have their own dedicated team that oversee these responsibilities for them.
- Enhanced data security: When using a data centre, businesses can also benefit from enhanced data security. This is because data centres use a manner of operations to ensure the data they store is protected. This includes VPNs, firewalls, and prevention systems – which a business might not have the time, knowledge or experience to implement and manage.
Scaling up your IT infrastructure? Get support from M247 today
Scaling up your IT infrastructure might seem like a daunting task, but it can be made much simpler with the help of data centre services.
And, if you feel like you don’t have the knowledge of data centres to understand what solutions you need, don’t fret. At M247, we’re here to help you find the right service for your business.
Whether that’s improved colocation services, cloud transition support, or hosting advice, our experts are on hand to help you.
Contact us today to find out more about our services.
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