What is a data center IDC facility?

　　What is the purpose of a data center’s IDC server room? What equipment does a data center server room include? For those who are new to the IDC industry or unfamiliar with it, these questions can be quite confusing. Keep reading, and you’ll understand what an IDC data center is—and what equipment is typically found in an IDC data center server room.

　　IDC provides large-scale, high-quality, secure, and reliable professional services to Internet content providers (ICPs), enterprises, media organizations, and various websites, including server hosting, colocation space leasing, wholesale network bandwidth, and ASP and EC solutions. An IDC is a facility that hosts server clusters for resident enterprises, merchants, or websites; it serves as the secure infrastructure underpinning e-commerce across diverse models and as a platform that supports enterprises and their business ecosystems—including distributors, suppliers, and customers—in implementing value-chain management.

　　A data center is not only a networking concept but also a service concept; it forms part of the network’s foundational infrastructure and delivers high-end data transmission and high-speed access services.

　　Simply put, an IDC data center refers to a large-scale server room. It is a standardized, telecom-grade facility built by telecommunications providers using existing Internet communication lines and bandwidth resources, offering comprehensive services such as server hosting, leasing, and related value-added solutions to enterprises, government agencies, and individuals. By leveraging a telecom provider’s IDC server hosting service, businesses and government entities can meet many of their professional Internet needs without having to construct their own dedicated server rooms, lay costly communication infrastructure, or hire high-salary network engineers.

Data Center Power Distribution System

　　An Internet Data Center (IDC) has rapidly evolved in response to the ever-growing demands of the internet, becoming an indispensable and vital component of China’s internet industry in the new century. IDCs provide large-scale, high-quality, secure, and reliable professional services to Internet Content Providers (ICPs), enterprises, media organizations, and various websites, including domain name registration and query services, hosting and server colocation (such as cabinet, rack, and data center leasing), resource leasing (e.g., virtual hosting and data storage services), system maintenance (including system configuration, data backup, and troubleshooting), management services (such as bandwidth management, traffic analysis, load balancing, intrusion detection, and system vulnerability assessment), as well as other supporting and operational services.

　　IDC data centers have two critically important distinguishing characteristics: their location within the network and their total network bandwidth capacity. These constitute a key component of the network’s foundational resources, much like the backbone and access networks, and they deliver high-end data transmission services as well as high-speed access.

　　What is the purpose of a data center’s IDC facility?

　　In a sense, IDC data centers evolved from ISP server hosting facilities. Specifically, as the Internet has grown at a rapid pace, the increasing demands of web systems for bandwidth and robust management and maintenance have posed significant challenges for many enterprises. Consequently, companies have begun to outsource all aspects of website hosting services to specialized IDC providers, allowing them to focus on strengthening their core business competencies.

　　To address the north–south interconnection challenge in the IDC industry, a dual-line access technology for China Telecom and China Netcom has been developed. Furthermore, a seven-layer full-routing IP policy with automatic failover between the two networks provides a comprehensive solution for balancing and enabling seamless data exchange across the China Telecom–China Netcom network boundary. Previously, enterprises had to deploy two separate servers—one in a China Telecom data center and one in a China Netcom data center—to offer users choice; now, a single server equipped with dual-line connectivity can achieve fully automated, true interconnection and mutual access between the two networks. This single-IP, dual-line architecture effectively resolves the critical north–south interconnection issue, making cross-network access between China Telecom and China Netcom no longer a barrier. At the same time, it significantly reduces capital expenditures, thereby fostering greater business growth.

　　What equipment is included in a data center server room?

　　Data center server rooms fall under the category of electronic information system server rooms; however, compared with typical electronic information system server rooms, they hold a more critical role, feature more comprehensive facilities, and deliver superior performance.

　　The construction of a data center facility is a systematic engineering project, comprising the main equipment room (including network switches, server clusters, storage systems, data input/output cabling, communication areas, and network monitoring terminals), basic workspaces (such as offices, buffer rooms, corridors, and changing rooms), Class I auxiliary rooms (including maintenance rooms, instrument rooms, spare-parts rooms, storage-media storage rooms, and document rooms), Class II auxiliary rooms (including low-voltage distribution rooms, UPS power rooms, battery rooms, precision air-conditioning system rooms, and gas-based fire-suppression equipment rooms), and Class III auxiliary rooms (including storage rooms, general break rooms, and restrooms).

　　The main equipment room houses a large number of network switches, server clusters, and other critical infrastructure, serving as the core of structured cabling and IT network equipment as well as the data aggregation center for the information network system. Its defining characteristics include 24-hour continuous operation of all equipment, with uninterrupted power and air-conditioning supply; stringent requirements for cleanliness, temperature, and humidity; and extensive installation of supporting systems such as UPS uninterruptible power supplies, precision air-conditioning units, and dedicated data-center power distribution. Consequently, an auxiliary equipment room is typically required. For ease of management, communication equipment rooms are sometimes co-located with IT network equipment rooms, resulting in relatively large floor areas. In addition, the layout of the equipment room should include a separate entrance and exit.

　　When shared egress points are used with other departments, pedestrian and material flows should be segregated. Personnel entering or exiting the computer room and essential work areas must change clothes and shoes. When the computer room is co-located with other buildings, it shall be provided with a separate fire compartment. The computer room shall have no fewer than two emergency exits, preferably located at opposite ends of the room.

　　The various systems in the data center are configured according to functional requirements, with the main engineering works encompassing interior fit-out and environmental improvements for the equipment room area, office area, and auxiliary areas; a reliable power supply system (including UPS, power distribution, lightning protection and grounding, data center lighting, and backup power); dedicated air conditioning and ventilation; fire alarm and automatic fire suppression systems; and intelligent low-voltage infrastructure (such as video surveillance, access control, environmental and water-leak detection, structured cabling, and KVM systems).

Data Center Power Distribution