What is data center?

Simple Meaning

A data center  is a centralized repository, either physical or virtual  for the storage, management, and dissemination of data and information organized around a particular body of knowledge or pertaining to a particular business. 

Elaborate Meaning 

Data center may be defined as a special facility that performs one or more of the following functions:

• A data center physically houses various equipment, such as computers, servers (e.g., web servers, application servers, database servers), switches routers, data storage devices, load balancers, wire cages or closets, vaults, racks, and related equipment.
• Data centers store, manage, process, and exchange digital data and information;
• Provide application services or management for various data processing, such as web hosting internet, intranet, telecommunication and information technology.
  The types of energy efficiency strategies described in this site do not apply to facilities that primarily house office computers including individual servers associated with work stations as data centers.

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