Data Storage – Essential Components

Data comes into existence like magic, it is a record of everything we do and in the business arena, data collection is an absolute must. Every day that passes sees more ones and zeros collected on a server somewhere and large businesses eventually end up with a data centre, after perhaps a couple of years of storing it internally.

Data is valuable

Data collection and storage is a multi-billion dollar industry and Google is the king of data collectors; every email you have ever written, every Google search you’ve ever made and every location you’ve visited is stored on Google’s worldwide server banks, which are mainly in cold countries to combat the excessive heat generated by huge banks of servers.

Here is a list of data-related hardware components needed when you build a data centre.

• UPS – Every data centre has uninterruptible power supply in Australia, which takes over when there is a power outage. Typically, there are several servers acting as a backup; in the event there is an interruption of power, which automatically kicks in to keep the system online. There are many systems, so there will be something just right for your operation, there is a huge choice of UPS batteries from top manufacturers.
• Server racking – Servers are located in special racks that allow air to pass over all sides and with thousands of cables and flashing lights, your data is moving at the speed of light, having been round the world a few times. Racks are made from aluminium, which is strong and light and you can stack quite a lot of servers this way. There are specialist contractors that set up and configure data centres and with scalable solutions, a data centre can grow to accommodate new data.
• Cooling systems – Rack and row cooling systems effectively dissipate heat generated by the servers; you would consult with a specialist supplier for all your data centre needs. Split systems are very effective and costs are low, making them to go-to choice for data centre climate control. As you can imagine, Australian data centres are difficult to cool, with huge HVAC systems as well as rack and row coolers. Energy efficiency is always on the table and cooling systems have come a long way in the past decade. For the best selection of cooling systems, the online supplier has you covered and your IT technician can place orders directly via the website.
• Automatic voltage regulator – Another essential component, the regulator prevents surges, keeping the voltage right for the operation. Very precise output voltage accuracy keeps your system online 24/7.
• Surge protection device – The last thing you need is a power surge, as this would blow fuses and leave connections broken. Power surges are commonplace, despite attempts of power stations, every data centre needs to have adequate surge protection in place to protect the expensive equipment.
• Servers – Basically, servers are super hard drives and as you would expect, they come in many different specs, depending on your set up. Units can be added as and when required and all maintenance would be handled by a team of technicians, with 24/7 call out to ensure you never go offline.
• Cabling – Of course, cabling is an integral aspect of a data centre, with thousands of different colours and lots of cable ties to group wiring. Clip-in connections make it easy to assemble servers and the technician would follow a blueprint when wiring up a data centre. Multi-national corporations such as Amazon and SpaceX have huge centres to store all their data, which are mainly located in cold north European countries for obvious reasons. There are so many cable widths, each with a specific task, with ratings that match the set up.
• Fire protection – Heat and electrical systems equal a high fire risk, therefore you would need sprinklers and foam extinguishers at suitable locations. Smoke detectors would be installed in every row.

If you are in need of data centre components, Google is your best friend and can locate the website of a leading Australian supplier of all things data storage related.