Much of modern life is defined by our digital technologies and experiences: mobile device communications, smart home technology, streaming media, wearables, online shopping and digital payments. We scarcely think about the invisible, yet very real, infrastructure that makes all this technology possible. But behind the scenes, there’s a dynamic world of physical hardware and hardworking people who design, install, monitor and operate data centers.
This physical infrastructure includes storage devices holding tomes of important data, servers that provide the compute power to process all that data, and networking cables and devices that rapidly deliver information all around the world. This infrastructure lives in physical racks, cabinets, cages and cable trays. It requires space, power and cooling—all provided by data centers. And all these infrastructure elements require skilled workers to operate them. Without them, we wouldn’t have the digital tech that defines and enhances our daily lives.
Although data centers host critical infrastructure that’s becoming more and more vital in our world all the time, they can be mysterious to the average person. Our How to Speak Like a Data Center Geek series is all about demystifying data centers and helping people understand what goes on inside their doors. In this edition, we define some of the most common and vital roles people fulfill in data centers.
Operations manager (“ops manager” for short): A data center operations manager oversees the daily management of a data center and leads the diverse technical teams who work there. Ops managers are responsible for monitoring all the major equipment in a facility as well as responding to issues that arise. They manage projects, oversee process improvements and asset management, do capacity planning, ensure security and compliance, and maintain business continuity. Ops managers therefore need to have both technical expertise and managerial skills.
Network engineer: Networking enables the exchange of data between various entities—businesses, clouds and service providers, partners and end users—within and outside data centers. Networks are the information highway that includes both the public internet and private connectivity solutions. Network engineers design, monitor, manage and troubleshoot network infrastructure to ensure maximum network uptime. In today’s interconnected world, keeping networks secure and online is vital, so network engineers have a very important function.
Learn more about enterprise networking.
Data center technician: A data center technician handles physical hardware installation and maintenance in the facility, including everything from servers to storage equipment to cabling. Data center technicians work directly with customers to address their requirements, troubleshoot problems and offer advice. Technicians are available 24/7 to ensure continuous operation and efficiency of the facility.
Customer support specialist: A customer support specialist provides direct assistance and support to data center customers. This might include onboarding and training customers, providing technical support, and infrastructure management. They have an important role to play in maintaining strong relationships with customers and sharing their insights to improve data center operations.
Compliance officer: In a constantly shifting regulatory environment, a compliance officer ensures adherence to external regulations, internal policies and industry standards. This risk management function protects the data center and its customers against the legal and financial risks of non-compliance.
Security analyst: A data center security analyst monitors and protects against security threats to data center infrastructure and the information inside. Security analysts help ensure operational continuity and mitigate risks from evolving security threats. At Equinix, we’re committed to protecting our customers through a security-first approach with extensive security and transparency practices.
Learn more about data center security.
Controls engineer: Controls engineers, in general, design and implement “control systems,” which are pre-programmed, automated systems that manage complex processes. In a data center, a controls engineer plays a vital role in automating environmental and electrical systems and processes, as well as in improving the efficiency and reliability of systems.
Capacity engineer: Data centers are always working within the constraints of the available space, power and cooling to ensure maximum efficiency. A capacity engineer’s job involves analyzing trends in power consumption, cooling requirements and physical space utilization as well as risk assessment, to ensure that the data center operates efficiently and can scale to meet its evolving needs. Their work helps to optimize resource utilization, reduce costs and improve service delivery to customers.
Learn more about data center space, power and cooling.
Critical facilities engineer: A critical facilities engineer ensures the reliability and efficiency of critical infrastructure in a data center, including electrical and mechanical systems, HVAC systems and security systems. This role is essential for the uninterrupted operation of data center facilities since a critical facilities engineer’s expertise helps to minimize downtime, optimize performance and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
As you can see, it takes a lot of people, with many kinds of expertise and knowledge, to keep data centers operating smoothly. While this list of roles is by no means exhaustive, it shows how important the people are who keep our physical and digital infrastructure working.
Organizations in healthcare, government, finance, manufacturing, transportation and other critical industries rely on data centers to fulfill their missions. As a global data center platform operating a network of 260+ data centers around the world, Equinix is committed to designing and maintaining secure, reliable facilities with industry-leading 99.999% uptime. We couldn’t do this without the smart and talented people working in our data centers.
Learn about other data center industry terms by visiting the How to Speak Like a Data Center Geek landing page. And find out why 10,000+ enterprises and business partners trust Equinix by exploring our high-performance data center solutions.
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