Data Center Infrastructure refers to both the physical and organizational structures required to operate a cloud, hybrid or traditional data center.

Designing a modern data center begins with elements like data cabling, grounding and bonding, power and cooling, and other essential elements that go into a powerful, flexible and reliable infrastructure.

Data center infrastructure must generally support or include:

• Fast, reliable internet access
• Wide-area communications
• Application hosting
• Content distribution
• File storage and backup
• Database management
• Fail-safe power
• Fire suppression
• High-performance cabling
• Physical security

The industry’s premier authority on data center infrastructure is the Uptime Institute, which created a tiered rating system reflecting the availability or resiliency of each facility. When classifying the infrastructure of a data center, Tier 1 facilities have the lowest availability of features and benefits, and Tier 4 data centers have the highest.

Tier measurements are useful in comparing specifications, obtaining estimates and relaying requirements to the architects and engineers who’ll be orchestrating the data center infrastructure.