Data Center vs. Server Room: Which is Best for Your Business?
When it comes to installing companies server and network equipment, there are two main options: the server room and the data center. So which is the best option for your IT Infrastructure? In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between these two options as well as their pros and cons. By the end of this article, you should have a good idea of which option is best for your business!
What is a Data Center and What is a Server Room?
A server room is a physical space dedicated to storing and housing servers and network equipment. It’s typically located within the office building, or even in an adjacent area. This provides quick and easy access to your hardware, making it easier for IT personnel to perform maintenance and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. A server room also allows you to customize your setup, making it easier to scale up or down as needed.
On the other hand, a data center is a large facility used to store and house hundreds (or even thousands) of servers for various companies. It’s usually located off-site from your office and provides high levels of physical security and redundancy across it’s network including power and air conditioning infrastructure. The main benefit here is that you don’t have to worry about maintaining and troubleshooting the physical servers yourself, as this is can be handled by the data center provider. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your business rather than fixing server equipment such as power supplies and storage.
Pros and Cons of a Data Center
The primary benefits of a data center are cost savings for your business as well as scalability for your systems. Data centers generally charge on a per-server or per rack unit basis, making it much more affordable to scale up or down as needed. Often times, the data center will provide all maintenance and troubleshooting of the physical hardware for you, so you don’t have to worry about any technical issues arising such as a hardware failure related to storage or power. Additionally, data centers provide a much higher level of physical security than server rooms. They will typically have security guards throughout the building, advanced access control to block and allow people into the data center, and security cameras being monitored 24/7. Data centers keep systems protected as well by providing an adequate fire suppression system in case of emergency.
Data centers will also have all the necessary requirements for air conditioning in place to keep your server room cool. They will have an extensive air conditioning system throughout the facility keeping your servers at optimal temperatures. The server rooms within the data center store hundreds and thousands of computer equipment, so having adequate cooling is a must for modern companies. Power is a big concern for servers which is why a data center will go through great lengths to ensure that their power systems are up and running 24/7. They usually have multiple backup generators in case of any outages as well as UPS Systems to keep your server running during a temporary loss of electricity.
Pros and Cons of a Server Room
The main benefit of using a server room is the ability to customize your setup. With a server room within your office, you have complete control over the layout and you can add or remove servers as needed. This allows for more flexibility when it comes to scaling up or down, as you have complete control over what type of power equipment, security, air conditioning, racks and other equipment you would like to see in your server room. With a server room your infrastructure is completely in your hands. This may be more enticing to some, as you now have complete control over where to store data for your company and some businesses prefer to have that type of control.
Another benefit of server rooms is the ability to access it quickly and easily. In contrast, a data center could be located in another city or country, making it more difficult for you to get to if an issue arises. Even if the data center is nearby, it takers time to commute to data centers and this can prove to be a major issue in the case of an outage, or even for regular maintenance. Server rooms provide some flexibility that a facility may not and can prove to be beneficial, depending on certain companies needs.
Which is Best, Server Rooms or Data Centers?
Ultimately, the decision of whether to use a server room or data center depends on the companies requirements. If you need a very high level of security and don’t want to worry about maintaining and troubleshooting server systems yourself, then a data center is probably the best option for you. On the other hand, if you need more control and visibility over your setup, then a server room within your office may be the better option. Ultimately, it’s important to weigh all of your options before making a decision on what racks to store your servers.
Regardless of which option you choose, make sure you do your research and consider all of the pros and cons of both server rooms and data centers before you commit to either. It’s also important to consider the roadmap for your company and select an option that will best power your future growth. By taking the time to compare both options, you can ensure that you make the right decision for your business.
By following this guide, we hope that you now have a better understanding of server room vs data center and which one is best for your business. With the right setup, you can ensure that your business is running as efficiently and securely as possible. If you need some assistance picking a location for your company servers, reach out here and we would be glad to assist! We have offices in Denver and Phoenix and support customers nationwide to help make the most out of your IT.
