No one would fault you for thinking of large, sprawling and windowless buildings when someone brings up the topic of data centers.
However, today, data centers come in all shapes and sizes, giving organizations the footprint and computing power they need to more closely align with their operational requirements.
In fact, thanks to developments in computing technology and advances in the data center industry, tailor-made data center setups can just as effectively and efficiently handle the computing load that organizations have. In some instances, these requirements can be fulfilled with what's known as a micro data center.
Whether you haven’t heard of a micro data center before or are seriously considering the investment, here are the key details you need to know about these powerful and compact data center solutions.
Micro Data Center: What You Need to Know
A micro data center is a compact, self-contained facility designed to be deployed near the end users or devices it supports. Despite its small size, a micro data center encompasses all the essential elements found in a standard data center, including servers, storage systems, networking hardware, power generation, and cooling mechanisms. These features allow them to be a common solution for edge computing applications, where low latency and localized data processing are critical.
Unlike conventional data centers, micro facilities are highly portable and come in a wide array of configurations. These can range from a partial rack setup to a single rack system, multiple interconnected racks, or even a small ISO shipping container measuring 20 feet in length by 8 feet in width. The versatility of micro data centers extends to their deployment options as well—they can be installed indoors or outdoors, depending on the specific requirements of the application. Most micro data center installations are freestanding units, but smaller configurations can also be mounted against walls for increased flexibility.
Although requirements can dictate their exact composition, micro data centers can support computing loads that range from 1 kilowatt (kW) to 100 kW across their rack space.
Applications for Micro Data Centers
Micro data centers are extremely useful for edge computing applications or on-premises computing, no matter where your operations take your organization. Some examples include:
On-Premises Business Computing
Micro data centers are a great choice for offices or business locations that need localized computing and storage but don’t want to rely on large centralized data centers due to privacy, latency, or cost considerations. Micro data centers provide a compact, reliable and self-contained alternative to run applications and store data.
Remote and Rugged Environments
Industrial sites, oil and gas companies and military bases far from densely populated areas can also benefit from micro data centers.
These organizations operating in remote or harsh environments can use micro data centers to collect and process data locally, avoiding the need for sending data back to centralized data centers, reducing latency, maintaining security and improving operational efficiency.
Disaster Recovery
Micro data centers are also a sound choice to integrate into disaster recovery planning. By providing localized backup and failover capabilities, micro data centers can help to ensure business continuity for organizations, especially in remote or difficult-to-reach locations
The Logistical Advantages of Micro Data Centers
Micro data centers offer several advantages:
- Lower costs to deploy
- Faster times to deploy
- Easy installation
- High portability
- Standardization of equipment
- Options to pre-select components prior to fabrication
Each of these advantages makes micro data centers an attractive and cost-effective solution for organizations looking to deploy computing resources quickly and efficiently, especially in remote or challenging environments.
Bringing It All Together
Gone are the times when organizations had to rely on large third-party data centers or invest large amounts of resources into capital investments for access to private computing.
Instead, micro data centers are a proven, compact and efficient solution for various industries operating in rugged environments or for those looking for modularity and rapid deployability. Add in the ability to customize a micro data center for specific use cases and the ability to deliver low-latency services, and micro data centers can be the versatile and powerful solution your organization is looking for.
For more information on how various types of data centers can benefit your organization and to stay ahead of industry trends, take a moment to subscribe to our blog.
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