What is a Data Center?

A Data Center Is…

A data center or data centre is a building, dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.*

Because many businesses and individuals rely on data, it is essential that these buildings operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Modern data centers strive to be highly reliable and have systems and data available at all times, be energy efficient and secure facilities that safely house the equipment needed to support nearly every type of business out there.

Data Centers also support our day-to-day lives because we also have information that needs to be safely stored and retrievable. From your video game save points to savings account information to health records, Data Centers are vital to our daily lives.

*From Wikipedia

What is a Data Center

It Needs People Like You!

Although there are many automated systems and programs, data centers are also managed and operated by people. There are many jobs in data centers. Many are technical so if you love computers, it’s a great career!

But, it doesn’t end there…

From architects to engineers to managers to web programmers to marketing and sales, there are numerous opportunities to get into a field that is considered critical to the operations of many companies, from Amazon to Zelda!

What is a Data Center PowerPoint

What is a Data Center? PowerPoint Presentation

We created a PowerPoint presentation that is specially designed for K-12 teachers and parents to share with students.

Aheli Purkayastha“We developed this resource so that K-12 students, teachers, and parents could learn about what data centers are and how important the profession is to supporting our everyday lives.”

Aheli Purkayastha
Director of Product Management
Purkay Labs

This presentation provides an overview of Data Centers using real world examples, such as…

What really happens to that photo of your new puppy when you use your phone to snap a pic of him to send to post on Instagram or share on Facebook?

In addition to other folks being able to see it, it also now resides online, in the cloud or, more precisely, in a data center. You see, websites like those store your stuff on super cool, super fast computers. And, those computers are housed in big cabinets called racks inside of even cooler buildings called data centers. And, they’re everywhere, even underwater!

Data centers house computers that store information from banks, hospitals, stores, music download companies, and other businesses.

Videos

These Videos Sum It Up…

Note: Some videos may contain logos from specific companies. 7×24 Exchange does not endorse the products shown in the videos.

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How the Internet Works 

From Infrastructure Masons

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What is a Data Centre?

From TechBuyer

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Inside a Google Data Center

From Google

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The Internet Architecture. Data Center.

Documentary from Mastertel (Dubbed in English)

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What is a Datacenter?

From Open World

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What is a Datacenter?

From QTS Data Centers

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What is a Datacenter?

From Uptime Institute

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What does a Data Centre Do?

From 4D Data Centres

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What is a Data Centre…?

From CoolDC

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Europe’s Data Centres Explained

From The European Data Centre Association

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Suggest a Video

We’re pretty sure that there are more videos that explain how data centers work or what it is like to be a mission critical operator. If you have some suggestions, please let us know!

Did You Know?

There are over 63,000 Google searches every second… That’s a lot of data!

FAQs with Chris Crosby

Chris Crosby is CEO of Compass Datacenters

Where are most Data Centers located?

There are virtually no limits to where a data center can be located. If you looked at every city in the country you’d find at least one facility. Where to locate a data center is a function of geography, available space and access to power and fiber. In some cases, this may be on an end user’s premises or at a location nearby. Historically, concentrations of data centers tend to build within major markets, Dallas or Phoenix, for example. In terms of the sheer number of data centers found within a single area, Northern Virginia’s abundant fiber and accessible power make it the country’s leading data center location.

What is the salary of a Data Center operator?

The average salary for a data center engineer varies depending on where the data center is located. In areas with high costs of living, New York, for example, salaries may be higher than less expensive locations found in areas like Texas or Tennessee. Overall, the current estimated data center engineers average salary is $63,000 per year.

What would happen if we didn't have Data Centers?

Everything from bank records and X-rays down to the applications that run on your phone or laptop reside within a data center. In a world without data centers, things and capabilities that we take for granted wouldn’t be available so you couldn’t order a book online, play Fortnite or add another picture to your Instagram, and that’s just to start. Let’s just say that without data centers our daily lives would be radically different.

What should I study in school if I want to work in a Data Center?

The growth of data centers continues to open up new opportunities for women and men. To build, design or operate a data center requires the technical knowledge that is provided in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) centric curriculums. Since data centers are operated by businesses there is also a continuing demand for professionals in areas such as finance or accounting that require classes in those specific disciplines. If you’re seeking a career in data center sales and marketing, you should include classes in communications, marketing, advertising, and market research in your course work.

A Global Profession

Chris Crosby
“Not only are there millions of data centers worldwide, but within those centers are people like you and me who are there to keep them operational. Organizations like 7×24 Exchange, with its conferences, magazine and 27 chapters, help to keep those professionals up to date on the newest technologies and best practices.”

Chris Crosby
CEO
Compass Datacenters

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