What Constitutes a Datacenter
- Thread starter drmike
- Start date
Aldryic C'boas
The Pony
More than two Footlockers and a greasy pizza joint.
GIANT_CRAB
New Member
Basement = datacenter
Aldryic C'boas
The Pony
Nope, basement = basement.
tchen
New Member
Isn't this akin to asking what is a cloud? what is a vps hoster? There are standards and certifications, but not everybody subscribes to those definitions. For some markets, it's unnecessary as long as the need is satisfied.
There's a whole boatload of providers for containerized and podded DCs.
Yes. http://www.datapod.com.au/datapod
There's a whole boatload of providers for containerized and podded DCs.
Aldryic C'boas
The Pony
This. There is sufficient variation to make the terms subjective - a better question would be, What do you require from a DC?.
That pizza joint had the sketchiest washroom i've ever seen. I felt like when I sat on the john that a dick was going to fly out from one of the holes in the wall.
Francisco
Can I be the first one to say security?
Like actual monitored security.
Like actual monitored security.
GIANT_CRAB
New Member
People carrying shotguns and patrolling around the servers?
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HAHAHA I just gagged on what I was drinking when I read this.
D. Strout
Resident IPv6 Proponent
This seems like a reasonable definition. But I can see where many are coming from when they say that a term like that can be hard to pin down. I mean, at its core, a "data center" is any place where data is stored/retrieved/used. So my laptop is a "datacenter"...right?
Seriously, though, I feel like the above is a bare minimum of what one could reasonably call a datacenter. I might argue that you need more than two servers, say a cabinet or two, but other than that, I like this definition.
A "datacenter" to me, is anyone who has direct access to their servers, whether they be in a cage or a locked rack that belongs to them. They have their own IPs, they're responsible for the network to some varying degree and they sell dedicated servers or colocation services.
What is the breakdown of a datacenter when it goes to an end user?
Building owner, large company.
--> Another company rents out a suite or an entire floor or large area.
----> That company sells a cage with 4 racks (example) to another company.
------> That company then sells dedicated servers and can provide limited colocation.
----------> Colo client of the above sells you servers.
etc
Thats about as far down the chain as I'd go to consider anyone a datacenter, personally. My example isn't very good as there could be a lot of various middlemen and you can always point out areas of the infrastructure that is out of the control of some, etc. But having a small cage or a rack, to me, is to being a datacenter as being a hosting-reseller is a webhost. Both are technically true, and come with their own set of responsibility that make it true, but barely meet the requirements to make it that way. (I think, anyway. That's just me)
What is the breakdown of a datacenter when it goes to an end user?
Building owner, large company.
--> Another company rents out a suite or an entire floor or large area.
----> That company sells a cage with 4 racks (example) to another company.
------> That company then sells dedicated servers and can provide limited colocation.
----------> Colo client of the above sells you servers.
etc
Thats about as far down the chain as I'd go to consider anyone a datacenter, personally. My example isn't very good as there could be a lot of various middlemen and you can always point out areas of the infrastructure that is out of the control of some, etc. But having a small cage or a rack, to me, is to being a datacenter as being a hosting-reseller is a webhost. Both are technically true, and come with their own set of responsibility that make it true, but barely meet the requirements to make it that way. (I think, anyway. That's just me)
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To me, a datacenter is floorspace dedicated to the housing of servers which contain "data" on them. Whether it be in a cage, suite / room, whole floors, or even the entire building.
I'd probably call someone with cage space a mini DC or a DC within a DC.
I'd probably call someone with cage space a mini DC or a DC within a DC.
A datacenter is a place that houses data. Period.
There are no requirements for something to be called a datacenter (although as @TekStorm - James pointed out there are different tiers of datacenters). A data center does not need enterprise hardware, redundant anything, or raised floors to be called a datacenter.
There are a lot of people that build home datacenters which is a 100% accurate way to describe it. There are plenty of things to nit-pick and debate in this world when it comes to IT but the definition of a datacenter is definitely not one of them.
There are no requirements for something to be called a datacenter (although as @TekStorm - James pointed out there are different tiers of datacenters). A data center does not need enterprise hardware, redundant anything, or raised floors to be called a datacenter.
There are a lot of people that build home datacenters which is a 100% accurate way to describe it. There are plenty of things to nit-pick and debate in this world when it comes to IT but the definition of a datacenter is definitely not one of them.
That's how CC does it.