Data center management

Terms related to data centers, including definitions about network operations centers (NOCs) and words and phrases about the storage, management and the transmission of data.
  • operational data store (ODS) - An operational data store (ODS) is a type of database that's often used as an interim logical area for a data warehouse.
  • physical layer - The physical layer is the first and lowest layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model.
  • pizza box server - The term 'pizza box server' refers to the shape of a computer server enclosed in a rectangular and horizontally- arranged chassis and often installed in a rack with similar servers.
  • plenum - In building construction, a plenum (pronounced PLEH-nuhm, from Latin meaning full) is a separate space provided for air circulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (sometimes referred to as HVAC).
  • power cycling - Power cycling is the process of turning hardware off and then turning it on again.
  • power distribution unit (PDU) - A power distribution unit (PDU) is a device for controlling electrical power in a data center.
  • power factor correction (PFC) - Power factor correction (PFC) is the set of mechanisms built into a power supply circuit to raise the power factor (PF).
  • power usage effectiveness (PUE) - Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data center.
  • process innovation - Process innovation refers to a change in an existing operation or product that creates significant value for an organization.
  • programmable logic controller (PLC) - A programmable logic controller (PLC) is a small, modular, solid-state computer with customized instructions for performing a particular task.
  • raceway - A raceway, sometimes referred to as a raceway system, is an enclosed conduit that forms a physical pathway for electrical wiring.
  • raised floor - A raised floor is a data center construction model in which a slightly higher floor is constructed above the building's original concrete slab floor, leaving the open space created between the two for wiring or cooling infrastructure.
  • RDBMS (relational database management system) - A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a collection of programs and capabilities that enable IT teams and others to create, update, administer and otherwise interact with a relational database.
  • relational database - A relational database is a type of database that organizes data points with defined relationships for easy access.
  • remote hands - Remote hands is the general name for a service colocation providers offer that enables customers to delegate IT management and maintenance tasks in a colocation facility to technicians hired by the provider.
  • RMM software (remote monitoring and management software) - RMM software (remote monitoring and management software) is a type of application that information technology (IT) service providers and departments use to maintain their clients' and business organizations' IT assets, infrastructure and systems.
  • root cause analysis - Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method for understanding the underlying cause of an observed or experienced incident.
  • scalability - In information technology, scalability (frequently spelled 'scaleability') has two uses: for a computer application to function with change in size and volume, and to take advantage of a rescale.
  • screen scraping - Screen scraping is a data collection method used to gather information shown on a display to use for another purpose.
  • second-level address translation (SLAT) - Second-level address translation (SLAT) is a hardware virtualization technology that reduces hypervisor overhead.
  • Seebeck effect - The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances.
  • server hardware degradation - Server hardware degradation is the gradual breakdown of the physical parts of a server.
  • service discovery - Service discovery is the automatic detection of devices and offered services over a network.
  • single pane of glass - A single pane of glass is a management console that presents data from multiple sources in a unified display.
  • single point of failure (SPOF) - A single point of failure (SPOF) is a potential risk posed by a flaw in the design, implementation or configuration of a circuit or system.
  • SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) - SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) is the processing of programs by multiple processors that share a common operating system and memory.
  • software asset management (SAM) - Software asset management (SAM) is the administration of processes, policies and procedures that support the procurement, deployment, use, maintenance and disposal of software applications within an organization.
  • software-defined storage (SDS) - Software-defined storage (SDS) is a software program that manages data storage resources and functionality and has no dependencies on the underlying physical storage hardware.
  • solar power - Solar power is a renewable form of energy harvested from the sun for the purpose of producing electricity or thermal energy (heat).
  • specific gravity - Specific gravity, more formally known as relative density, is a measure of the density of a substance in comparison to the density of water.
  • standard temperature and pressure (STP) - Standard temperature and pressure (STP) refers to the nominal conditions in the atmosphere at sea level.
  • supervisor call (SVC) - In computers, especially IBM mainframes, a supervisor call (SVC) instruction is a processor instruction that directs the processor to pass control of the computer to the operating system's supervisor program.
  • surge suppressor (surge protector) - A surge suppressor, sometimes optimistically called a surge protector, is a device inserted in the alternating current (AC) utility line and/or telephone line to prevent damage to electronic equipment from voltage spikes, or transients.
  • swap file (swap space or page file) - A swap file is a system file that creates temporary storage space on a solid-state drive or hard disk when the system runs low on memory.
  • syslog - Syslog is an IETF RFC 5424 standard protocol for computer logging and collection that is popular in Unix-like systems including servers, networking equipment and IoT devices.
  • tabletop exercise (TTX) - A tabletop exercise (TTX) is a disaster preparedness activity that takes participants through the process of dealing with a simulated disaster scenario.
  • technological convergence - Technological convergence is a term that describes bringing previously unrelated technologies together, often in a single device.
  • thread - A thread is, fundamentally, a clear, well-defined theme, subject, topic or focus.
  • turbine - A turbine is a machine that plays a key role in transforming fluid or air energy into usable work or electricity.
  • twisted pair - Twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that connects home and business computers to a telephone company.
  • unified computing system (UCS) - A unified computing system (UCS) is a converged data center architecture that integrates computing, networking and storage resources to increase efficiency and enable centralized management.
  • utility computing - Utility computing is a service provisioning model where a provider makes computing resources, infrastructure management and technical services available to customers as they need them.
  • utility storage - Utility storage is a service model in which a provider makes storage capacity available to an individual, organization or business unit on a pay-per-use basis.
  • Vblock (VCE Vblock) - Vblock (VCE Vblock) is a family of converged infrastructure (CI) systems from Dell EMC that integrate advanced compute, network and storage technologies from three industry leaders: VMware, Cisco and Dell EMC.
  • virtual desktop - A virtual desktop is a computer operating system that does not run directly on the endpoint hardware from which a user accesses it.
  • virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number) - A virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number) is a representation of a storage area that is not tied to any physical storage allocation.
  • virtual SAN appliance (VSA) - A virtual SAN appliance (VSA) is a software bundle that allows a storage manager to turn the unused storage capacity in his network's virtual servers into a storage area network (SAN).
  • virtualization sprawl (VM sprawl) - Virtualization sprawl is a phenomenon that occurs when the number of virtual machines (VMs) on a network reaches a point where administrators can no longer manage them effectively.
  • von Neumann bottleneck - The von Neumann bottleneck is a limitation on throughput caused by the standard personal computer architecture.
  • water cooling - Water cooling, also called liquid cooling, is a method used to lower the temperature of computer processor units (CPUs), and sometimes graphics processor units (GPUs).
  • watt - A watt (symbolized W) is the standard unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI).
  • What is a data center administrator (DCA)? - A data center administrator (DCA) is an experienced IT professional who is responsible for overseeing data center operations.
  • What is a data fabric? - A data fabric is an architecture and software offering a unified collection of data assets, databases and database architectures within an enterprise.
  • What is a headless server? - A headless server is a computer without a local interface to interact with.
  • What is a private cloud? - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
  • What is a software-defined data center (SDDC)? - A software-defined data center (SDDC) is a server management concept in which all infrastructure elements -- networking, storage and compute -- are virtualized and delivered as a service.
  • What is an ESG score? - An ESG score is a way to assign a quantitative metric, such as a numerical score or letter rating, to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts or an organization.
  • What is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)? - An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows a computer to keep running for at least a short time when incoming power is interrupted.
  • What is AWS Lambda? - AWS Lambda is an event-driven cloud computing service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows developers to run code without having to provision, administer, or manage compute resources.
  • What is cloud computing? Types, examples and benefits - Cloud computing is a general term for the delivery of hosted computing services and IT resources over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
  • What is continuous modeling (data center continuous modeling)? - Continuous modeling is an approach to data center management that supplements infrastructure management (DCIM) tools with engineering simulation tools.
  • What is data management as a service (DMaaS)? - Data management as a service (DMaaS) is a type of cloud service that provides enterprises with centralized storage for disparate data sources.
  • What is distributed computing? - Distributed computing is a model in which components of a software system are shared among multiple computers or nodes.
  • What is green computing? - Green computing, also known as sustainable computing, is the use of computers and other computing devices and equipment in energy-efficient and eco-friendly ways.
  • What is hardware as a service (HaaS)? - Hardware as a service (HaaS) is a procurement model that's similar to leasing or licensing.
  • What is high availability (HA)? Definition and guide - High availability (HA) is the ability of a system to operate continuously for a designated period of time even if components within the system fail.
  • What is infrastructure (IT infrastructure)? - Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization.
  • What is IT/OT convergence? Everything you need to know - IT/OT convergence is the integration of information technology (IT) systems with operational technology (OT) systems.
  • What is ITIL? A guide to the IT Infrastructure Library - ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery, maintenance and overall lifecycle of IT services within a business.
  • What is National Electrical Code (NEC)? - National Electrical Code (NEC) is a set of regularly updated standards for the safe installation of electric wiring in the Americas.
  • What is PaaS? Platform as a service definition and guide - Platform as a service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet.
  • What is system software? - System software is a type of computer program designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs.
  • What is two-phase commit (2PC)? - Two-phase commit (2PC) is a standardized protocol that ensures atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability (ACID) of a transaction; it is an atomic commitment protocol for distributed systems.
  • What is VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method)? - Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) is an access method for IBM's mainframe operating system, MVS, now called z/OS.
  • white box server - A white box server is a data center computer that is not manufactured by a well-known name-brand vendor.
  • Windows Server 2012 (WS 2012) - Windows Server 2012, formerly codenamed Windows Server 8, is the latest version of Windows Server.
  • workload - In computing, a workload is typically any program or application that runs on a computer.
  • zero client - Zero client, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in which the end user's computing device has no local storage.