Hyperscale Data Center

Large tech companies such as Amazon and Google continue to develop new applications for billions of users each year with very little downtime. The key to enabling these companies to have such stable operating environments is "Hyperscale Data Center".

What Is Hyperscale Data Center?

Unlike many IT terms, "Hyperscale Data Center" is quite straightforward. It refers to data centers and network operations designed for massive computing power and data storage, with ultra-fast connectivity optimized for global traffic.

A hyperscale data center is large, both in terms of data capacity—often housing 5,000 or more servers, and in power consumption. A single hyperscale data center facility can consume over 50 MW annually, with global estimates for power usage approaching 200 TeraWatt-hours each year.

These data centers are cutting-edge, incorporating advanced technologies in power delivery, cooling, security, and maintenance. There are approximately 800 hyperscale data centers worldwide, with most located in the U.S. Major tech companies like Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, and IBM operate around half of these facilities. Companies like Switch also run large hyperscale data centers, primarily leasing them to other large corporations.

Services and Products Offered by Hyperscaler Data Center

Hyperscale Data Center, due to their size and access to capital, dominate a large portion of the cloud services market. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for partners and startups to innovate. The major public cloud hyperscale data centers provide services across several key areas:

• Compute and Storage – Power to run applications and databases, virtualization, and file systems.

• Development and Deployment – Tools for managing applications, developing containers and Kubernetes, and running virtual machines.

• Applications and Integrations – Business productivity tools and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for integration.

• AI/ML/Big Data – High-performance computing for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large-scale data applications.

• Security – Protecting resources, managing identities, backups, disaster recovery, and ensuring compliance.

• Analytics – Optimizing cloud services, tracking costs, and monitoring performance.

• Media – Managing and delivering files for streaming, images, and other media services.

These services reflect the broad range of cloud capabilities that hyperscale data centers offer, with significant opportunities for innovation in each area.

How to Set up a Hyperscale Data Center

Here are some of the key attributes commonly found in hyperscale data centers across the industry. The following foundational elements are key factors to successfully implementing hyperscaling.

High-Density Server Racks

Properly designed racks are the foundation of an efficient hyperscale data center. In recent years, the growing demand for hyperscale has led to the adoption of 48U rack space, which has surpassed the 42U option and become the new industry standard. Besides, more and more large tech companies, like amazon, use their own hardware in hyperscale data center. Accordingly, they need to customize the racks to suit their specific requirements. Whether you need a different model of rack or a customized rack, FS will provide you with the best choice.

The Elevated Level of Cooling

To support power-intensive racks, data centers must also have advanced cooling systems. Most centers use an HVAC system that channels cold air from below the floor to cool the aisles. Meanwhile, hot aisles expel warm air, helping to maintain a controlled temperature throughout the facility.

Lots of Power

Data centers can consume as much power as a small city. For instance, a data center in Virginia used 1 gigawatt of power, enough to supply around 700,000 homes. Because hyperscale data centers are highly energy-intensive, they are typically located in areas with low-cost electricity.

Security and Space

Security is a major concern given the vast space and power involved. Data centers located in remote areas are naturally more secure from physical theft. However, hyperscale data centers must also be well-equipped to defend against cyberattacks, as they store large amounts of sensitive customer information.