To keep up with the amount of data that is circulating around the world, data centers were created. These fascinating facilities control, store and disseminate data to users everywhere. Many people don’t realize that these types of buildings exist, but they are the reason the world has so easy access to data and technology with as little amount of buffering or data overload.
Have you ever wondered how data centers work or why they are important? Here are a few cool facts that may blow your mind.
Data Centers are Extremely Efficient
These facilities hold thousands of devices that work in unison to transfer, compile and interpret data. You’d think they use a lot of power. However, they are built to use the least amount of energy. The energy that they do use is recycled as much as possible. The Netherlands store the heat created by the data centers in their country to later heat homes. They can heat over 200,000 houses!
Other data centers, such as the ones used by Yahoo, are powered on green energy. Hydroelectric plants and solar panels can power even the largest facilities.
Data Centers Have High Security
Because these facilities are the hotspots of data and technology, security is top notch. Security guards roam the perimeter, and the process to get inside is long and tedious. Some data centers like Google have eye-scanners and other highly advanced technology that identify workers and let them in. Professionals with data center design training are some of the few people who get to see the inside of a data center.
Security really is a big deal for these facilities. A Visa data center built an actual moat around its facility to protect from intruders. There are also security measures against natural disasters. Modern buildings can withstand strong winds, earthquakes and heavy rain.
Data Centers May Be Getting Smaller
With each year, new technology is being created. As new inventions keep getting smaller and better quality, data centers may have a promising future. Microsoft has already tested a new data center that is only 40 feet wide. There have a theory that putting centers in the bottom of the ocean is good for both cooling and power purposes.
Data centers are fascinating, and they are the reason technology is so efficient and easily accessible today. Companies that rely heavily on the internet or technological data benefit from using data centers to distribute and interpret the enormous amount of information given and received by users.