Hyperscale Data Center Definition & FAQ's

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What is the Difference Between a Data Center and A Hyperscale Data Center?

What Are the Benefits of a Hyperscale Data Center?

What is a Hyperscale Data Center?

A hyperscale data center supports massive storage and data processing usually needed by large Internet companies and cloud service providers. Because these data centers have more to support, the facilities are usually much larger than the average data center, and they also house more innovative technologies to maximize performance and efficiency.

What is the Difference Between a Data Center and a Hyperscale Data Center?

The most significant difference between a data center and a hyperscale data center is the size of operations. Hyperscale centers can have tens of thousands of servers and process and store data in petabytes or exabytes. Traditional data centers may only have a few hundred servers in comparison.

Another difference you might see between a data center and a hyperscale data center is the level of automation employed at the facility. Because a hyperscale data center is so much larger, more automation makes it easier to operate and maintain. The size of the companies, and their subsequent budgets, as well as the amount of resources needed to run a data center that size, make it more appealing to include more automation.

How Big is a Hyperscale Data Center?

There isn’t a hard and fast rule for how big a hyperscale data center can be, but it typically has at least 5,000 servers and is at least 10,000 square feet. Some of the biggest hyperscale data centers are 1 million square feet or large, housing hundreds of thousands or even one million servers.

What Makes a Data Center Hyperscale?

Large size, automation, and scalability generally distinguish a data center as hyperscale. They also tend to be more secure than a regular data center because of the companies they support. It’s not uncommon for them to employ multiple layers of security to mitigate unauthorized access to data.

What are the Benefits of a Hyperscale Data Center?

While hyperscale data centers can process and store huge amounts of data, that doesn’t mean only enterprise organizations can benefit from these facilities. Some companies, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, have their own hyperscale data centers, but other centers may be home to many companies.

Working with a hyperscale data center provider can benefit a smaller business with variable growth. They can enjoy virtually unlimited scalability but only pay for the data and space they use at any given time. Because of increased automation at hyperscale data centers, there may be fewer staff to pay for, cutting down monthly costs. Plus, customers can enjoy more up-to-the-minute technology, as well as top-notch security practices, providing more safety for their data.

How TierPoint Can Help With Your Data Center Needs

TierPoint has 40 interconnected data centers around the country, offering flexibility and scalability to our customers. Instead of being painted into a corner by on-premises data centers, you can work with TierPoint to get the connectivity you need, scaling up and down with demand, and connecting with the cloud providers of your choice.