A Hyperscale data center is a facility owned and operated by the company it supports to house computer, server, and networking systems. While a typical data center can support hundreds of physical servers and thousands of virtual machines, a hyperscale data center supports thousands of physical servers and millions of virtual machines. While the facility is large, and is most times operated by large service providers such as Google and Apple, hyperscaling is less about magnitude and more about scalability.
Every system within a hyperscale data center is developed for speed and data storage. It has the ability to scale broadly and quickly. In computing, hyperscaling is the ability of an architecture to scale appropriately in response to increasing demand. This can be done through increasing computing ability, memory, networking infrastructure, or storage resources. Scaling is valuable in building a robust system, whether that system involves the cloud, Big Data, distributed storage, or a combination of all three.
Uses of a hyperscale data center
A hyperscale data center is used to:
- Balance workloads across servers: An overheated server can easily affect other servers and network gear near it. A hyperscale data center will reallocate or redistribute high-intensity workloads to processors that can handle the functions and workload. This also allows systems to run efficiently, as an undistributed workload can cause servers to significantly slow. An even distribution of work reduces temperatures and keeps speed up to par, reducing the chances a server will have problems.
- Ensure electricity availability: Data centers are typically equipped with redundant power sources. With a hyperscale data center, workloads are replicated across servers, making the workload redundant rather than the power. This reduces electrical costs along with equipment and building costs due to power redundancy not being needed.
- Allocate electrical power in distinct packages: Blocks are allocated in data centers with a certain number of kilowatts from the main power supply. Hyperscaling helps ensure that kilowatts are available when a customer needs them.
- Maximize cooling efficiency: Powering climate control systems for data centers incurs huge costs. A hyperscale facility can be partitioned to compartmentalize high-intensity computing workloads and direct cooling efforts to those areas. Throughout the facility, airflow is optimized to ensure that hot air flows in one direction.
