There are a lot of answers to this when searched online, but they seem to gloss over and possibly oversimplify it. The general definition found online is usually:
“A physical facility housing computer systems for doing X Y Z”
Yes, data centers, no matter what size, are built around the IT environment. Be it servers, storage, networking, etc, this definition ignores the infrastructure to allow the IT environment to sustainably and reliably operate. Without the support systems for power, cooling, fire protection, etc… the IT environment will not operate. Servers can’t power nor cool themselves!
Data centers can be as intricate as a swiss watch, electrical rooms delicately balancing mega watts of electrical loads and failovers, cooling equipment dancing airflows through cold and hot aisles, sensitive controls automations to trim every efficiency from mechanical cooling and electrical systems. They can also be a closet with a few servers and a dedicated split unit. The point being, yes, data centers are for the IT equipment, but there is so much more to the facility to enable this IT equipment to operate.
I propose a new definition:
A data center is a dedicated environment for information technology systems AND the power, cooling, and safety systems to enable it all to reliably operate.
This definition has the “catch all” of IT systems to include all the flavors of it (servers, networking, storage, etc), and also honors the supporting systems, no matter how simple or complicated.
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