Data centers are flocking to central Ohio, but what are they?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- According to Data Center Map, there are 173 data centers in Ohio, 106 of which are in Columbus. The economic impact of these data centers has been widely discussed, but the functions of it have been sidelined.

Data centers are large facilities that store computers and computing equipment. These giant computers can support companies’ IT systems, including servers, data storage drives or network equipment, according to Amazon Web Services. See previous coverage of Ohio data centers in the video player above.

In many ways they are the physical storage facility for virtually stored things. When you send something “to the cloud,” it’s not quite as intangible as it sounds. Just as your phone requires mechanics underneath the screen to power, think and connect, large-scale technology systems also need physical mechanisms to power them. 

According to the Data Center Coalition, data centers efficiently and securely store computing demands from many different sources in one physical space. Everything from streaming a favorite show to sharing photos is physically centralized in a data center. 

Although the influx of data centers to central Ohio is relatively new, data centers themselves have been around since the 1940s. According to Britannica, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer was called ENIAC, and it was created during World War II by an American physicist. 

ENIAC was colossal, measuring 50 by 30 feet in its place of residence, the basement of a University of Pennsylvania building. It generated a lot of heat and required its own cooling system, Britannica said. Although computers today are far more advanced and compact than ENIAC, large-scale software still requires large-scale storage facilities. 

Inside a data center, you can find routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, servers and other technologies. The digital structure inside a data center is also supported by things like power systems, fire suppression, network connections and backup generators. Just like ENIAC decades earlier, these high-functioning systems also need their own cooling systems, according to the Data Center Coalition. 

Amazon Web Services said there are three broad categories of infrastructure in data centers: computing, storage and network centers. Computing infrastructure has internal memory and processing power to store information and generate knowledge. Storage infrastructure offers enormous storage capacity to maintain information. Although computer data is intangible, it still requires physical space to store it, as seen when a phone runs out of storage. 

Network infrastructure, like cables, switches or firewalls, connect different data center components to one another and to devices beyond the data center. Data centers also include support infrastructure, like the cooling equipment or generators, to help support the main equipment and facilitate easy use. 

These data centers require major investments, often in the billions, although they are not substantial job creators. State announcements of new data centers typically promise thousands of new jobs. However, the average construction of a data center creates just 1,688 jobs and once built, the average center only generates 157 local jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The storage functions and high-tech nature of these facilities require fewer workers.