Introduction
As digitalisation continues to shape our world, big data is what drives business operations and work processes today. As such, there lies a need to store this important information to ensure that private and confidential business data is not compromised. This is where data centres come in useful. Throughout this article, we go in-depth, exploring everything that needs to be known about data centres. But first, let’s take a look at the basics – What exactly is a data centre and why is it so important to businesses?
Defining Data Centres – What it is, Components and Operations
Simply put, data centres are facilities allowing companies to store their essential applications and data. A data center is built on the premise of a network of computing and storage resources that provide access to shared data and applications. Modern data centres in Singapore have evolved significantly in a short period of time. The rapid advancement of technology has enabled data to be connected across multiple data centres and public and private clouds. It is key for data centres to communicate data both on-site and in the cloud, across platforms. With regards to a typical data centre design, components include routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, servers, and application delivery controllers. Below is a quick explanation on each component.
1. Routers
A router is a device that transmits data packets between computer networks. For instance, Internet traffic is directed by routers. Messages sent over the internet, such as web pages or email manifest as data packets.
2. Switches
Connecting network segments, data centre switches provide full-duplex communication, valuable network performance data, and efficient bandwidth utilisation. It is especially useful for organisations that are strongly reliant on virtualisation.
3. Firewalls
Firewalls are responsible for traffic coming in and going out of a businesses’ network. This is essential to security as they filter out any cyberattacks and threats that may be attempting to corrupt systems.
4. Storage Systems
Hardware, software and processes that are used to manage and monitor data storage within a data centre are collectively referred to as data centre storage. All IT assets storing, retrieving, distributing, backing up or archiving computer data and applications within the data centre are included.
5. Servers
As the engines of data centres, servers work as a saving location. Connected to networks, they enable data to be accessible to computers.
6. Application Delivery Controllers
Application delivery controllers are typically installed between a firewall and one or more application servers in the data centre. They manage traffic flow to servers, optimising performance and application deployment.
Ultimately, with network security appliances including firewalls and application delivery assurance that maintains application resilience and availability, data centres in Singapore operate to protect the performance of the aforementioned components, which in turn serves to better safeguard sensitive company data.
The Importance of Data Centres to Businesses
There is no denying that managing and governing data, as well as ensuring compliance, are critical challenges for any organisation. The management of unstructured data is cited as a business problem by 95% of businesses. In order to improve business agility, companies must have access to up-to-date information anywhere, anytime to the employees who need it most. As technology changes the way businesses operate, the need for data and power continues to grow. Data centres can address these demands and challenges in the following ways.
Data and Storage and Management
Today, data centres are pushing the boundaries of limitations and upgrading their capacity to meet expectations when it comes to the surge of data. New methods of managing and storing data have incited a shift in enterprises towards cloud computing. Both companies and data centres are focused on integrating cloud and physical storage capabilities to meet data storage needs. Increasing data sharing and collaboration in this way enables a shift in the technology that is expected to drive more mergers and acquisition activity, further enhancing the need for data storage.
Improved Safety
While digitalisation and technology has brought about greater convenience in work operations by streamlining and automating processes, it has also led to a rise in cyberattacks and threats. In fact, organisations spend an average of 3.86 million recovering from cyberattacks when measures should be taken to prevent them in the first place. A continuous monitoring of the systems will enable businesses to maintain their security as potential risks and attacks will be detected at the earliest opportunity. This can be achieved with the help of data centre solutions. With multi-tier infrastructure setups, data centres empower valuable data to be better protected. The physical security aspects are also taken into consideration through surveillance and access management. Data centres are capable of quick recovery processes and data retrieval in the event of cyberattacks.
Greater Cost-effectiveness
With data centre solutions, businesses can achieve greater cost savings, data security, and service efficiencies on a larger scale. With customisable solutions businesses can select a plan that best suits their needs without compromising on core business processes or taking up additional resources within their organisation. For smaller businesses requiring lesser storage and fewer systems, data centre solution providers can simply limit integrations according to what is desired. This makes it appealing for enterprises to go for services where the cost is dependent on the usage.
A Deep Dive into Data Centres
With a better understanding of what a data centre is, how it works and its importance to businesses, we can delve deeper into the heart of data centres. In the next portion of this article, we will look at the different types of data centres in Singapore, compare outsourcing versus building your very own data centre, discover the key services provided and the benefits of a prefabricated data centre.
Different Types of Data Centres
Data centres come in a variety of service models tailored to each business’ specific needs. Different considerations determine how they are categorised including the number of organisations that own them, technologies implemented, and even their energy efficiency functionalities. Data centres can generally be classified into 4 types – enterprise data centres, managed services data centres, colocation data centres and cloud data centres.
1. Enterprise Data Centres
Often housed in the organisation itself, enterprise data centres are built by the organisation and optimised to what the business requires. It services that one company and belongs to them. On-site enterprise data centres give the organisation greater control when it comes to their data with direct access to servers and network systems. However, the ideal environment and infrastructure must be present in order to fully maximise an on-site data centre’s use.
2. Managed Services Data Centres
In managed services data centres, the organisation does not own but instead leases the equipment and infrastructure, allowing a reliable third party to support the company’s data management. Through a managed service platform, features and functionalities normally delivered by a standard data centre are made possible. Depending on business needs, business owners can choose if they rather have their data fully or partially managed. While a partially managed data centre allows the organisation to have some control over their infrastructure, a fully managed one takes the load off completely and the data centre solution provider handles processes across all touchpoints of the business.
3. Colocation Data Centres
Colocation data centres can be thought of as a shared data centre between the data centre owner and the organisation renting it. This off-premise data centre provides the required infrastructure including the building, bandwidth, cooling, security and more while the company takes care of the components like the firewalls, servers and storage. By splitting the workload, organisations can focus their attention on more important business operations. The data centre solution provider will typically be responsible for the back-end facilities management such as proper maintenance of all equipment, installation and updates and recovery of data in the case of disruptions.
4. Cloud Data Centres
In our highly digitalised landscape, the ‘Cloud’ and cloud computing have become indispensable tools to store our data. This is no surprise considering the convenience and security the ‘Cloud’ delivers. With Cloud, all processes and data management is performed via the Internet. Cloud data centres are vastly from traditional data centres with the only similarity being that they both store data. Gone is the need for physical infrastructure as everything can now be managed online. The best part about Cloud service is the safety net of having back-ups upon back-ups at all times. Cloud servers fragment and duplicate data to a myriad of locations to ensure safe storage. As the online sphere eliminates the need for purchasing or maintenance of equipment, cloud data centres may be more cost-efficient as well.
Building VS Outsourcing your Data Centre Facility
As seen from the above, the versatility of data centres to complement different business needs cannot be understated. The first step to choosing a suitable data centre is considering whether you should own or outsource. Weighing the pros and cons of both an on-premise and off-premise data centre facility is key to making a well-informed decision.
Advantages of in-house Data Centres
One of the most prominent advantages of engaging a data centre construction company to build your data centre in-house is the complete control it provides to organisations. From IT and security needs to gaining greater accessibility to resources, the organisation gets to oversee all processes and make decisions that are best for them without third-party hindrances and interferences. Hence, potential compliance issues are also kept to a minimum.
While building a data centre can incur higher upfront costs, the long-term savings generated may just be worth the investment. The flexibility to reconfigure an enterprise data centre according to company growth offers value with minimal additional cost. However, do note that this may only apply to bigger companies that have the physical space to scale their data centre with more equipment.
Disadvantages of in-house Data Centres
Though having complete control over your business data is an advantage, there are some downsides. Greater control also means higher workload and responsibilities. More manpower is required to ensure that all matters related to the data centre are in good order. In addition, time needs to be dedicated to provide the relevant training. Much of the company’s resources will also be directed towards repetitive IT management instead of business planning.
Secondly, in-house data centres are less flexible in terms of scalability. Businesses need to ensure that they possess enough space to add certain components to their data centre infrastructure should their business see growth. As mentioned above, larger companies can manage this but smaller organisations might find it challenging to allocate resources to continue building their data centre infrastructure.
Advantages of Outsourcing
Outsourcing a data centre translates to a team of qualified professionals helping you with your data management needs. When the back-end operations are well taken care of, businesses can focus their efforts on more important decision-making processes for their business to flourish. This also delivers greater peace of mind in the event of potential disruptions, knowing that a skilful team is on hand to rectify issues immediately.
Compared to building an enterprise data centre which takes much planning, consideration and upfront costs, the capital of outsourcing a data centre is much lower. Businesses need not worry about planning years in advance for potential growth but simply rent a space according to their current performance and upscale when necessary. Data centre solution providers take into account the possibility of customers upgrading their plans and are therefore able to cater additional components seamlessly when the time comes.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing
With regards to the disadvantages of outsourcing, businesses get less control over their data management. Different data centre solution providers will offer different services, solutions and costs. This makes it potentially more difficult to find a suitable data centre that meets business requirements. Solving critical issues also tend to take place over the phone, which may be less ideal in contrast to having an in-house team that you can communicate with physically from the get-go.
Another disadvantage is the risk of engaging an uncredible data centre solution provider. When it comes to valuable assets such as business data, security is of utmost priority. Hiring the wrong data centre provider increases the risk of compromising personal data, which may result in significant damages. With an in-house data centre, these concerns are eliminated.
Whether you run a larger business with comprehensive financial and labour resources or a smaller one that operates on less, always consider your budget and what you need. Regardless of company size, one key remains constant – whether it is leasing or owning, there is no denying the importance of having a reliable data centre.
Common Services Provided by Data Centre Builders
As aforementioned, building a data centre requires much strategising and months of work. Therefore, collaborating with a quality data centre builder is vital to ensuring that the entire process from start to finish is a seamless one. It is ideal for businesses to look at data centre builders that offer a myriad of services. The more services provided, the more likely is it that business requirements are fulfilled. Below are some of the basic services organisations should look out for in DC builder in Singapore.
Site Selection and Feasibility Studies
Site selection and feasibility is all about ensuring a prime location with favourable conditions to build a data centre. A comprehensive feasibility study to review sites should be provided by data centre builders and that is exactly what ACME does. Our studies involve on-site environmental and equipment analysis along with an evaluation of your business objectives, site requirements and forecasts.
Building Design and Construction
A quality design and construction is what keeps data centres running for years. With experience in critical infrastructure, the ACME team crafts holistic layout plans. From site reports to risk mitigation plans, our building designs are cost-effective, highly reliable and operationally efficient.
M&E Engineering and IT infrastructure Setup
Once the data centre plans are finalised, managing M&E engineering and IT infrastructure setup is pivotal. The ACME team possesses competency throughout this process. By first assessing the growth rate of businesses, we ensure that proposed solutions easily accommodate future upgrade plans for existing installation and IT systems.
Facilities Management and Technical Support
After your data centre has been built, the work does not end there. Facilities management such as after sales support and quick recovery provided by DC builders is crucial especially if certain issues occur. With 24/7 on-site troubleshooting and rectification support, ACME’s professionally-trained technical personnel are always on standby, ready to be deployed on-site to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem and initiate efficient solutions.
Green Mark Certification and Energy-efficient Solutions
With the prevalence of climate change and global warming, enforcing sustainable solutions has become a social responsibility rather than a desirable goal. At ACME, we promote sustainability by incorporating energy-efficient concepts that implement integrated engineering solutions using the latest power and energy-efficient technologies available. Our project director is also a certified BCA green mark manager, substantiating our belief in long-term environmental sustainability.
Benefits of a Prefabricated Data Centre
Above are some of the service offerings organisations should expect their data centre builders to provide. Now, we come to the challenge of expansion. One of the disadvantages of building a data centre rather than leasing is the inflexibility of scalability. Fret not, as a prefabricated data centre can address these concerns and more. Below are the benefits businesses can expect with a prefabricated data centre.
Increased Deployment Speed
Designing a data centre to construction of the final product can take years. This slow speed may negatively impact business expansion and growth opportunities. Fortunately, with prefabrication data centres, deployment speed is significantly increased and can be installed 40% faster as compared to traditional data centres. Furthermore, on-premise construction can hinder work processes and performance and impede productivity levels. As prefabrication data centres are constructed off-premise, organisations need not concern themselves with the liabilities of construction.
Improved Reliability and Predictability
Unlike traditional data centres, prefabricated modules are pre-engineered and factory assembled. The controlled factory environment ensures that the specification of these modules are highly precise and impeccable. DCIM software is also leveraged, empowering data centres to better monitor power and environmental conditions. By offering real-time alerts, the risk of downtime is mitigated. This enhances reliability for a more predictably performing data centre.
Greater Cost-savings
At the end of the day, it is the fast deployment speed that enables greater cost-savings. As prefabricated data centres arrive on-site for immediate deployment, time and cost naturally reduces. The cost-savings also extend to energy costs. One aspect lacking in traditional modules lies in the power and cooling system integration. Without this, energy consumption can be consequential. On the other hand, as prefabricated data centres implement different components together including power and cooling system integration, businesses can minimise energy costs with a more connected system.
The Rise of Sustainable Data Centres
Businesses today are expected to take sustainability into consideration and turn towards eco-friendly solutions and operations where possible. Data centres use a substantial amount of energy and they are currently responsible for 2% of the world’s total carbon footprint. This is the volume that an entire airline industry uses! As the demand for state-of-the art data centre solutions continue to grow with the need for more storage space, energy consumption and carbon footprint is projected to increase as well.
While more data centres are looking at green efforts to decrease energy consumption such as using renewable energy, there is much room for improvement to build a greener and more environmentally-friendly future. Focus should revolve around power, cooling and structure. Businesses can engage a data centre consultancy firm to support them in their green endeavours.
Power
The Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a failsafe power delivery mechanism that takes up the most energy. Running at maximum capacity enables the best efficiency. The UPS can operate at near capacity with a modular setup. Saving power also extends to lighting. By using efficient, smart lighting with motion sensors, energy consumption can be greatly reduced.
Cooling
One simple way to improve the eco-friendliness of cooling is to alternate the position of hardware cabinets where hot air exhausts and cold air intakes are in opposite directions. This helps regulate the right temperature efficiently. Small actions such as monitoring cables can also aid in efficient cooling as poor cable management obstructs air distribution.
Structure
How and where the data centre is built influences energy consumption. Prefabricated modules, which are easy to deploy and reconfigure, optimises and empowers predictability in energy use. Choosing a location where renewable energy is made available also helps minimise energy. For instance, a colder environment can assist in natural cooling without the need for electricity.
Apart from fostering sustainability, green data centres bring about other benefits such as operational efficiency, reduced costs and attracting top talents and customers who are invested in green movements. The younger generation especially are becoming more environmentally conscious in their choices and mindsets with global warming growing rampant.
ACME understands the importance of sustainability and encourages green movements by delivering eco-friendly services and solutions. Our concepts centre on energy-efficiency and we leverage the latest power and energy-efficient technologies available. Businesses who collaborate with us will also receive a green mark certification as a testament to their efforts in embracing environmental sustainability with ACME.
Conclusion
Ultimately, with the growing onset of big data in our current digital landscape, the data centre industry in Singapore is expected to thrive. It is essential for businesses to remain relevant and be able to manage their data efficiently and effectively with the help of a data centre.
As data centres in Singapore, particularly enterprise data centres are a long-term investment, finding a quality data centre builder that also provides data centre consultancy must be prioritised. With the right partner, the entire journey is made seamless, solutions are carefully customised to your needs and environmental considerations are taken into account.
At ACME, we pride ourselves on being the go-to DC builder in Singapore, providing a full suite of bespoke holistic services for all businesses regardless of industry sector. Our goal is to deliver exceptional support in every step of the way even after the completion of your project. We also provide video conferencing equipment in Singapore. To learn more about our services or talk to our professional experts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today!
Comments