A data center is one place to host an organization’s physical servers. Keeping hardware on-premises does not necessarily mean keeping it in the office: servers may instead sit in racks at a remote data center. section 8.3.2
When deciding where to host or how much hardware to maintain, check:
- Whether the location can provide the power, cooling, and network connection servers need. section 8.3.2
- How much capacity to buy. Excess hardware may go unused; too little can strain systems and staff. Buying and installing more can take weeks and requires capital. section 8.3.2
- Whether a private cloud could reassign existing capacity. Pooling helps with short-term changes, but cannot exceed the hardware available. section 8.3.2
A promotional spike
An online promotion may need more frontline servers. A private cloud could free capacity by turning off some internal servers, provided the existing pool has enough room. section 8.3.2
