What is a hyperscale data center? The benefits, the draw backs and what to consider
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n layman’s terms, a hyperscale data center is a large-scale distributed computing center that supports high volume data processing, computing, and storage services. The term “hyperscale” refers to data center size as well as the ability to scale up capacity in response to demand. According to the IDC, to be classed as ‘hyperscale’ a data center must utilize at least 5,000 servers and 10,000 square feet of floor space, although many centers are significantly larger. A single hyperscale data center may include hundreds of miles
of fiber optic cable to connect the servers used for data storage, networking, and computing. Data center interconnects (DCIs) link hyperscale data centers to one another. Proactive DCI testing during installation is essential for identifying sources of latency and other performance issues. Software defined networking (SDN) is often incorporated, along with the hyperscaler’s own unique software and hardware technologies. Horizontal scaling (scaling out) is accomplished by expanding or adding more hardware to the data
Sameh Yamany VIAVI
center. Vertical scaling (scaling up) increases the power, speed, or bandwidth of existing hardware. There are over 600 hyperscale data centers in operation worldwide today, and this number continues to grow. Benefits of hyperscale data centers Hyperscale data centers allow internet content providers (ICPs), public cloud deployments, and big data storage solutions to deploy new services or scale up quickly, making them highly responsive to customer demand. The immense data center size also leads to improved cooling efficiency, balanced workloads among servers, and reduced staffing requirements. Additional benefits include: •
Reduced downtime: The built-in redundancies and continuous monitoring practices employed by hyperscale data center companies minimize interruptions in service and accelerate issue resolution.
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Advanced technology: Bestin-class server and virtual networking technologies along
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