What is a data center?

Searching something as enormous as the world wide web can only be accomplished by a huge number of computers. The large fraction of computers operated by large internet companies—​like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, or Twitter—​are located in data centers. Data centers are specifically designed to hold large numbers of computers. That design goal produces a specific set of challenges, particularly related to power and heating.

Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).

Part of the https://www.internet-class.org online internet course. A blue Systems Research Group (https://blue.cse.buffalo.edu) production.