What is a Data Center Facility?
A data center facility (also called a data storage center, datacenter, data storage facility or data storage vault) is a building which houses mission-critical systems such as computing and communications hardware. Data backup service providers such as CRC utilize an autonomous, disaster-hardended data center facility to maintain the integrity of their secure data storage infrastructure.
Data center facilities commonly feature strictly-controlled physical environments, such as:
- Climate control to maintain temperature/humidity ideal for equipment operation
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems
- Diesel-powered generators
- Fire prevention & extinguishing systems
- Security personnel onsite, 24x7x365
Additionally, data backup providers such as CRC utilize an identical secondary facility for redundancy and maximum fault tolerance.
Data center facilities generally operate on networks using IP protocols, with redundant connectivity provided from more than one network communications provider. Security elements designed to prevent intrusion threats to data center facilities include:
- Virtual private networks (VPNs)
- Intrusion detection systems
- Firewalls
Data backup and restore systems which employ the use of a disaster-hardened data center facility typically offer the most secure form of backup, since all data resides offsite and is therefore protected from theft or physical damage.
