KEY COMPONENTS OF DATA CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE (AND WHY THEY MATTER TO YOU)

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Data centre infrastructure is an integrated system of IT and facility components designed to deliver near-continuous availability, with power, cooling, networking, compute, storage, and security all working together.

Growing demand from cloud and AI is increasing power density and complexity, making resilience, redundancy, and advanced cooling essential. Future-ready data centres focus on scalability, efficiency, and sustainability so they can support today’s workloads and adapt to what comes next.

Key Insights:

• Data centre infrastructure is an integrated system of IT and facility components designed to deliver extremely high availability, with compute, storage, networking, power, cooling, security, and monitoring all working together
• Rising demand from cloud, AI, and high-performance workloads is driving higher power densities and complexity, making robust electrical systems, advanced cooling (including liquid cooling), and careful capacity planning essential
• Reliability depends on layered resilience across power, cooling, networking, storage, and security, supported by redundancy, continuous monitoring, automation, and strict physical and cyber controls
• Future-ready data centres prioritise scalability, efficiency, sustainability, and compliance, using modular design, energy-efficient cooling, integrated management systems, and rigorous commissioning to support long-term growth and evolving workloads

Every card payment, video call, and search query depends on infrastructure most people never see. Data centres run silently in the background of modern life, processing, storing, and moving the data that underpins almost every digital service.

In the UK, data centres account for roughly 2.5% of national electricity consumption - a figure set to rise sharply as AI, cloud computing, and other digital services drive growing demand. Supporting this are highly interdependent systems: power distribution, cooling networks, compute resources, storage arrays, and security controls - all designed to keep critical workloads running without interruption.

At RED, we design data centres with resilience, efficiency, and future growth in mind. Every component matters, from the electrical switchgear that protects against faults to the cooling systems that prevent thermal overload.

In this article, we'll break down what data centre infrastructure is, examine its key components, and outline the design principles RED applies to deliver reliable, future-ready facilities.

What is data centre infrastructure?

Data centre infrastructure is the integrated ecosystem of physical and digital systems that enables computing services to operate reliably and at scale. It includes servers that process workloads, storage systems that hold data, networks that transmit information, and the critical support systems (power distribution, cooling, fire suppression, physical security, and monitoring) that ensure everything runs without interruption.

Whether it’s an enterprise facility, colocation site, or hyperscale data centre, all share a common goal: maximising availability. Modern facilities typically aim for 99.99% uptime or higher - the equivalent of under one hour of downtime per year.

We can think of data centre infrastructure as two complementary layers: the IT layer, which manages compute, storage, and networking workloads, and the facility operations layer, which keeps the systems running reliably through power, cooling, fire protection, security, and monitoring. Both must work in coordination.

Core data centre infrastructure components

Data centre infrastructure relies on a combination of compute, storage, networking, power, cooling, security, and management systems to keep digital services running reliably and efficiently.

Compute resources

At the foundation of every data centre are its compute resources - the engines that drive modern digital services. Facilities deploy a variety of server types built for specific workloads: general-purpose blades for standard IT, GPU clusters for AI model training and inference, CPU-intensive nodes for databases and virtualisation, and specialised edge servers for latency-critical applications.

Modern data centres increasingly rely on virtualisation (the practice of running multiple “virtual” machines on a single physical server) on top of physical hardware, with tools and technologies that manage and optimise workloads. Key components include:

• Hypervisors - programs that manage multiple virtual machines on a single server, allocating resources and isolating workloads
• Virtual machines (VMs) - software-based computers that run independently on the same physical hardware
• Containers  - lightweight, self-contained environments for applications
• Orchestration platforms - systems that automatically distribute and manage workloads across multiple servers or clusters

This dynamic setup ensures consistent performance, efficient energy use, and resilience under increasing load.

Rising demand, especially from AI and high-performance applications, increases power densities, requiring robust cooling strategies such as liquid cooling and higher thermal-capacity components integrated from the outset to maintain reliability and efficiency.

Storage systems

Storage in data centres typically follows three models

• Block storage for transactional databases and high-performance applications
• File storage for collaborative workflows and shared access
• Object storage for large-scale, long-term data retention

Modern facilities employ multiple layers of data protection to maintain reliability. Systems are designed so that hardware failures or cyber threats do not result in data loss, and operators manage data placement according to usage patterns.

Operators also implement tiered storage strategies, placing frequently accessed “hot” data on high-speed drives such as NVMe SSDs and less-accessed “warm” or “cold” data on more cost-effective storage media.

The combination of these approaches ensures that storage in modern data centres is not only reliable and secure but also optimised for both performance and efficiency.

Networking fabric

The networking fabric enables communication across the data centre, connecting compute, storage, and external networks into a single, high-performance system. 

Modern facilities are designed to support large volumes of internal traffic between servers with network designs focused on delivering consistent performance and low latency across the facility.

At the same time, the network must provide reliable connectivity beyond the data centre. Multiple external connections link the facility to enterprise networks, cloud platforms, and internet services, ensuring resilience and continuity if individual links fail.

Network controls are applied throughout data centre infrastructure to manage how traffic moves through the infrastructure, maintaining performance while separating and protecting different systems and workloads. Together, these measures ensure the networking fabric can scale with demand while supporting secure, predictable operation across the entire facility.

Power systems

Electrical systems are the foundation of data centre reliability, delivering continuous, conditioned power to all equipment. Power enters the facility from the utility and is distributed to racks through redundant paths, ensuring that no single failure disrupts operations.

Redundancy is built in to ensure critical workloads remain powered even if individual components fail, with common setups including N+1, or 2N designs - models that we’ve explored in depth in our Data Centre Tiers Explained article . Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems bridge any short-term interruptions, while backup generators can sustain operations during extended outages. 

Well-designed data centre infrastructure ensures power is distributed safely and reliably, with systems in place to maintain operations during maintenance or unexpected interruptions. Proper grounding and electrical safety measures protect both equipment and personnel.

Cooling systems

Effective heat removal is a core part of data centre infrastructure. Air conditioning units circulate conditioned air through the facility, keeping equipment at optimal temperatures.

Containment strategies physically separate hot and cold air (either enclosing the cold aisles or the hot aisles) so that exhaust heat doesn’t mix with incoming cooling, improving efficiency and reducing energy use.

Modern facilities use chilled water systems, variable-speed pumps, and free-cooling techniques to reduce reliance on mechanical cooling where environmental conditions allow.

For high-density deployments, particularly AI workloads, air cooling alone is often insufficient. Most data centres utilise direct-to-chip liquid cooling or rear-door heat exchangers to manage concentrated thermal loads.

Humidity is also carefully controlled within a data centre: maintaining the right balance prevents static discharge while avoiding condensation that could damage equipment.

Security systems

Security in a data centre spans both physical and digital layers. Physical measures begin at the perimeter, including barriers, controlled access points, and clear surveillance. Entry is tightly controlled with multi-factor authentication and single-person mantraps, while all movement is recorded in tamper-evident logs.

Within the facility, sensors, video analytics, and controlled access to cabinets and critical equipment mitigate risks from unauthorised entry or insider threats.

Digital security follows a zero-trust approach: all access is verified, privileges are minimised, and security measures are built on the premise that breaches may happen. Networks are segmented to isolate IT, operational technology, and corporate systems, and all critical actions are authenticated, authorised, and logged.

Compliance with standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, GDPR, and IEC 62443 provides a baseline, with operators often implementing additional controls to strengthen security and resilience.

Management and monitoring

The management layer brings all aspects of data centre infrastructure together, giving operators a complete view of the facility. Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms monitor power, cooling, and security systems in real time, track capacity, and highlight potential issues before they affect operations.

Integration is essential. DCIM systems combine data from building controls, power meters, servers, and security platforms, providing a single view for reporting, capacity planning, and incident response.

Some facilities use digital twins (virtual models updated with live data) to test changes safely. They can simulate airflow, cooling, electrical loads, and capacity growth without affecting live operations.

Automation helps maintain reliability. If a cooling unit fails, systems can redirect workloads and adjust remaining capacity to keep everything running safely. Role-based access, system interlocks, and anomaly detection help protect both people and equipment.

RED Engineering Design approach

With over 1050 data centre commissions worldwide, from 300kW facilities to projects exceeding 1GW, RED Engineering designs data centre infrastructure that is reliable, efficient, and future-ready.

Resilience

Our electrical and mechanical systems are designed for fault tolerance, with dual power paths, N+1 or 2N cooling, and segregated fire zones. As accredited Uptime Institute Tier Designers, with more than 30 certified professionals worldwide, RED has achieved 55 Tier certifications across 26 data centres - including the first Tier III modular facility. Designs are validated through simulations, outage testing, and maintenance planning.

Efficiency and sustainability

Energy efficiency is a core part of our designs. We use advanced cooling, air containment, and free-cooling strategies where climate allows. Our sustainability team provides consultancy for BREEAM, LEED, and other green standards, helping projects reduce carbon impact while maintaining performance.

Scalability

We plan for growth. Modular power and cooling blocks allow data centres to expand as demand grows, while systems are designed to support higher-density racks, liquid cooling, and evolving IT workloads. DCIM integration gives operators real-time insight into capacity, helping them plan expansions and manage resources efficiently.

Integration and commissioning

RED coordinates mechanical, electrical, plumbing, security, ICT, and sustainability services, ensuring all systems operate as designed. Commissioning spans enterprise builds to hyperscale campuses.

Compliance and certification

Our designs meet or exceed standards such as ISO/IEC 27001 and EN 50600. RED holds multiple ISO certifications and employs accredited professionals to ensure health, safety, and regulatory compliance throughout construction and operation.

Data centre infrastructure may be complex, but its goal is simple: keep computing services reliable, efficient, and secure. As workloads grow, especially with AI, facilities are adopting higher-density racks, advanced cooling, automation, and sustainable practices.

Our disciplined engineering approach, built on redundancy, capacity management, and tested procedures, reduces outages, cuts energy use, and simplifies upgrades.

Whether you’re planning a new build, upgrading existing infrastructure, or preparing for high-density workloads, RED delivers resilient, efficient, and future-ready solutions. Contact us today and let us make your data centre vision a reality.