Data Center Hardware

What Does Data Center Hardware Mean?

Data center hardware is the collective IT and other hardware components that make up the entire data center infrastructure.

It is a term that collectively defines and includes functional and non-functional hardware devices and equipment necessary for the operations of a data center.

Techopedia Explains Data Center Hardware

Typically, data center hardware includes:

Core computing equipment such as:

Desktops
Servers
Server racks

Network equipment including:

Routers
Switches
Modems
Firewalls
Cables

Storage resources such as:

Hard drives
Tape drives
Backup storage resources

Power and cooling infrastructure (usually managed through HVAC software/system) including:

Power generators
Cooling towers
Uninterrupted power supply system (UPS)

Other input/output devices such as:

Printers
Keyboards
Mouses
Scanners

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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