What Is a Hyperscale Data Center?

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Hyperscale data centers are a business-critical infrastructure designed to hold and manage the data and applications produced by companies, capable of meeting the increasing demand for processing power, storage, and networking resources. They are typically owned and operated by enterprises and either used in-house or leased to other businesses. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft all run hyperscale data centers, for example, allowing them to drive innovation and growth in the big data and cloud computing industries.

Hyperscale data centers are upscaled versions of traditional data center facilities specifically designed to accommodate the massive scale of data generated every day. Data centers are groups of servers networked together to provide remote storage, processing power, and data distribution for organizations. The term “hyperscale” refers to that network’s ability to scale exponentially and rapidly to support higher resource demand.

In addition to scalability, hyperscale data centers are more flexible. This improves their ability to handle the fluctuating demand and nature of the processing power and storage types needed at any given time. Working as one large network, they can scale computing tasks between multiple servers while rerouting traffic among the servers as necessary, which makes them highly efficient and cost-effective at data retrieval and management.

The typical hyperscale data center is built on a modular structure, allowing for horizontal scalability with higher capabilities of performance and capacity. Such designs drastically reduce the risk of over-provisioning resources by allowing the data center to grow in sync with the demand, and increasing the utilization rates of already-available resources.

Hyperscale data centers are characterized by several key features that help them stand out from other large-scale data storage and processing resources.

Hyperscale data center facilities are designed to accommodate thousands of servers and millions of virtual machines, often using a modular approach to help rapidly expand as necessary. To conserve space, the servers are often stored in high-density racks in dedicated rooms or buildings.

Computer servers and data centers tend to consume a lot of energy. Hyperscale data centers, however, are able to be more energy efficient than traditional data centers through the use of robust energy resources and cooling methods that work best on larger-scale networks of servers and computers.

Hyperscale data centers are highly automated. They leverage automation to help in the management and maintenance of the servers, network, and storage devices, reducing the need for active human intervention and leading to a lower risk of errors. Additionally, the disaggregation and modularity of the individual units make it easier to swap servers depending on needs and reduce costs in case of a system failure or hardware damage.

Most hyperscale data centers also use high-performance computing (HPC) systems, which consist of supercomputers and computer clusters able to perform complex calculations at high speeds. This makes them ideal for real-time big data analytics and machine learning algorithms.

Opting to use hyperscale data centers instead of traditional data centers offers numerous benefits. For one, they’re highly scalable and can grow alongside your business needs, along with improved performance and increased resource efficiency. Other benefits include the following:

The scale of the benefits varies depending on the size and application of the hyperscale data center. Also, the concerns of costs and staff availability depend on whether the data center is managed on-premises or outsourced to a provider with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing you to pay only for the resources you use.

Despite the numerous advantages that have made hyperscale data centers the go-to solutions for data-reliant organizations, they also present certain challenges. Managing facilities at such a scale can be a daunting task due to the expansive number of servers and other hardware components. This results in the need to perform a lot of maintenance work and troubleshooting on a regular basis. In addition to significant time and resources, these data centers demand a high level of expertise—either in-house or paid for by the third-party company as services.

Security is another major concern for hyperscale data center infrastructure. Given the volume of data condensed into the same location, they’re considered a prime target for cybercriminals. Ensuring the security of both the physical infrastructure and the data typically involves implementing robust security measures and regularly updating the systems to mitigate the dangers of cyber threats, all of which can be incredibly complicated and costly.

Energy consumption is also a significant challenge, especially for smaller companies with limited financial resources. While hyperscale data centers tend to be more energy efficient, they still consume overall more energy than their smaller counterparts. This not only increases operational costs but also has far-reaching implications for the environment, which could be detrimental for companies trying to reach specific environmental goals.

Hyperscale data centers have become a fundamental part of today’s digital landscape, and the backbone of numerous global tech giants’ data operations.

Google started as a pioneer in the field, operating an extensive network of hyperscale data centers on a global scale—both for its own use, and to lease out to other companies and organizations. These state-of-the-art facilities serve as the powerhouse of the company’s array of services.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has successfully revolutionized cloud business offerings through its portfolio of secure cloud services and solutions. Its hyperscale data centers are strategically located across the globe, providing access to these critical services and the necessary infrastructure for businesses to scale securely and reliably.

Microsoft has a significant presence in the hyperscale data center space, primarily with its Microsoft Azure platform. Azure’s servers offer access to a suite of cloud solutions that serve millions of customers worldwide and enable businesses to use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms and Internet of Things devices that would otherwise require a wealth of resources.

Hyperscale data centers are used in a wide variety of ways and in numerous industries depending on the organization’s specific needs. These include:

One of the primary use cases of hyperscale data centers is the provisioning of cloud services. From hosting and managing data to delivering dense streams of data over the internet, solutions like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are some of the go-tos for high-quality and reliable cloud computing.

Such services are often offered in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), depending on the needs and demands of each individual business.

Hyperscale data centers are also paramount in the powering of globally-recognized streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix. These services require massive storage capacities to store their digital media and swift and efficient access to the data, which allows them to distribute content to their users on-demand across the globe.

Thanks to scalability, these data centers can be made to always manage peak traffic times, ensuring the transfer of seamless, high-definition media to millions of its users simultaneously.

AI and ML algorithms typically require the processing of massive amounts of data, making hyperscale data centers the only suitable option for them. Google and IBM already offer specialized hyperscale data centers that cater to AI models and machine learning algorithms, enabling users to effectively conduct deep learning research and deliver AI-powered services to their clients and customers.

This is primarily thanks to the high-speed connectivity and immense processing power of hyperscale data centers, making them ideal for handling the computational demands of intelligent systems.

Hyperscale data centers have been designed to handle the massive scale of data generated today and offer numerous benefits, including scalability, improved performance, and cost-effectiveness. It can be a challenge to manage their upkeep, ensure data security, and control energy consumption. Enterprises not interested in building ou their own can lease space from other providers’ hyperscale data centers, giving them access to the storage and computing resources they need to take advantage of high-intensity cutting-edge technologies.

Read next: Implementing Storage Automation in Data Centers