Data centres are the core part of our modern world. They are responsible for keeping the world connected by providing a hub for storing, processing and sharing data and applications.
Today, global IT spending on data centres has reached $222 billion, showing just how important these have become for supporting the everyday functions of society as a whole. In short, the world would look very different without the power of data centres.
However, what actually is a managed data centre? In this guide, we’ll discuss the critical components of these data centres, how they’re managed, and how they work.
What are the key components of managed data centres?
The U.S. makes up the bulk of the world’s data centres, with more than 2,700 data centres located in the country, followed by Germany with less than 500. Despite this imbalance, the industry is growing fast in every major developed nation, including the UK.
Within a managed data centre, you’ll find the same standard components as in any other type of data centre, including:
✔ Servers
✔ Networking equipment
✔ Storage technologies
✔ Cooling systems
✔ Software
✔ Cabling/power infrastructure
✔ Physical security
What separates a managed service data centre is the customer-facing interface that serves as the customer management platform.
What is a managed service data centre?
Managed data centres are the core of Data Centre as a Service (DCAAS) packages. The purpose of these data centres is to provide the physical infrastructure to clients to manage their data processes.
While these data centres contain the same infrastructure as any other type of data centre, the goal is to outsource the computing power of each centre. The benefits of managed service data centres include providing flexible, scalable and affordable data centre capabilities to businesses and public services.
The popularity of managed service data centres has exploded recently, with the industry expected to reach $600 billion by 2026. In other words, by removing standard data centres’ logistical and budgetary constrictions, managed service packages allow businesses to stay in business.
How do managed data centres work?
Managed data centres are ideal for organisations lacking the space, staff or expertise to deploy an on-site IT infrastructure that serves their needs. Instead, outsourcing your data and IT operations to the experts is a sound choice so that you can concentrate on managing your business.
Within a managed data centre, the process works like so:
- The client will lease a dedicated server, storage or networking hardware.
- The client has full use of their leased hardware/software.
- The managed data centre is responsible for administration, monitoring and management.
However, a similar type of data centre is the colocation facility. Under this model, the client company owns the infrastructure and rents a dedicated space within the data centre. If opting for the traditional model, you’ll be responsible for maintaining this hardware.
This however, is often impractical for most companies due to the remote nature of data centres and the risk of outages. This is why many colocation facilities offer management and monitoring services.
Tasks involved in data centre management
Data Backups
Troubleshooting
Supervising Technicians
Managing Cybersecurity Systems
Forming a Physical Security Plan
Supporting Data Centre Integrity
Data centre monitoring
Challenges of data centre management
✔ Power management
✔ Capacity planning
✔ The role of the Internet of Things (IoT)
✔ Data security
✔ Real-time reporting
✔ Balancing efficiency and cost controls
At Keysource, we specialise in helping organisations to overcome the challenges of sustainable data centre design, building and management
Speak to our team today for tailored advice and guidance on creating and operating a data centre fit for the next generation of computing.
