Kylief13

Data Centers

Background

Data centers are facilities used to house networked computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. They centralize organization's IT operations and the equipment needed. They store, manage, and distribute its data. Daily operations, such as businesses and other organizations, rely on data centers to house the network's most critical systems and protect them at all cost. They are a crucial component for everyday operations. Data Centers are the backbone of the internet, Companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon rely on them to handle the traffic of the millions of users that visit their websites every day.

Potential Benefits

There are positives and negatives to just about anything in this world. With data centers there are many potential benefits. A major benefit is the fast-service data centers are able to provide their customers. Nowadays, the public demands expediency when shopping online, or streaming online videos, or browsing the internet in general. Data Centers provide this experience behind the scenes via an efficient design of complex computer systems which are used to direct the traffic generated by the millions of customers performing various online functions. Data centers are also very secure and monitored very well, this provides reassurance to their customers that steps are being taken to safeguard customer sensitive data. Data centers are also in a very secure environment, making sure they are prepared for power cuts and any other shortages.

Current Use

Data Centers are currently used to store data and disseminate the data across a user base. This is accomplished by housing large quantities of storage devices and computer servers. Users accessing the data center are routed through the various devices in order to access information stored within these devices.

Legal and Ethical Issues

One of the big things that pops out about data centers is that they are essentially unregulated in the United States.

Security Concerns

Any customer is going to want to make sure that their data is protected, safe, and also in the right hands of someone they trust. That is one big concern with the provider of the data center. The company that is using the data center relates one of their biggest issues due to the increase of the dependence of the provider of the data center. Regarding the physical security of the buildings containing the equipment and IT operations and just the equipment in general there are always going to be security concerns. The buildings could be harmed from purposeful destruction or even the weather. The equipment in the building could also be harmed by workers in the data center, water damage, fires, and electrical issues. Network security is another big concern. There are possibilities that the networks could get hacked from outside of the data center. Concerning security getting in and out of the actual data center, they need to have high profile monitoring. Badge access is one

Social Problems

Problems in the community arise due to the use of how much power data centers consume. In order to produce data centers, power is required. Water, coal, and nuclear resources are used. When electricity is generated from coal, huge amounts of carbon dioxide are produced and it is harmful to the health of the people in surrounding areas and also harmful to the environment.

Conclusion

Data centers are an integral piece of technology in today's day and age. They will continue to play a critical role in the continuous growth of the internet and its efficient use by billions around the world. As the use of the internet expands, so will the need for more data centers. Just like any other technology, data centers are continuously evolving. Security, both the physical security of the building themselves, and the security of the data contained within will need to evolve as the demand continues to grow for the bandwidth provided by these data centers. The environmental impact will continue to be closely watched by environmental groups and the cities in which these data centers reside. Advances in minimizing environmental impact will continue to be equally as important as the technology itself. It's very apparent technology has made our lives easier. Unbeknownst to the majority of the general public, these data centers are the primary backbone providing the underlying technology which affords us the day to day technological luxury we have all become accustomed to.