How Fault-Tolerant Data Center Infrastructure Eliminates Downtime Risks

These days, “keeping the lights on” is just one of the many requirements for powering data infrastructure in the long term.

It has evolved into a strategic asset that dictates an enterprise’s ability to innovate, scale, and compete in the global digital economy.

According to BigPanda, in 2024, the average cost of unplanned downtime reached $14,056 per minute, it has increased nearly 10% from 2022. No matter what the cost of the downtime, an outage is an operational disaster that erodes revenue and trust.

This article breaks down the core pillars of robust infrastructure: 

Power, Cooling, and Connectivity.

It will detail how Digital Realty Bersama provides the fault-tolerant foundation that Indonesia’s top enterprises require.

The Core Pillars of Modern Data Center Infrastructure

A data center is a complex ecosystem of power, cooling, and connectivity. 

It is engineered to manage and handle infrastructures that must run 24/7 and deliver uninterrupted performance in the face of high demand. 

As a result, unlike a standard server room, data center facilities are purpose-built with multiple layers of redundancy to ensure business continuity at all times.

To support mission-critical workloads, a facility must excel in four non-negotiable areas, starting with the Robust Power Systems. 

1. Robust Power Architectures 

Grid instability is a reality that IT leaders in Indonesia must plan for. 

High-performance infrastructure relies on a dual-feed design to ensure servers never go dark and keep running. Below are the essential components to power the infrastructures:

• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): Industrial-grade battery systems that condition power and bridge the gap between a grid failure and generator startup.
• Backup Generators: Diesel storage capable of running the entire facility for days (typically 24–48 hours minimum) without refueling.
• The “N” Redundancy Models:
  • N+1: One extra component for backup (standard for general enterprise).
  • 2N (System + System): Two completely independent power paths (A-feed and B-feed) running simultaneously. If one entire side fails, the other takes over instantly with zero interruption. This is the standard for Digital Realty Bersama’s Tier IV-design facilities (like CGK11).

2. Advanced Cooling for High-Density Workloads

As chip densities increase—driven by AI and high-performance computing (HPC)—cooling has become the primary infrastructure challenge.

• Precision Cooling: Unlike standard building AC, data centers use Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units to maintain strict temperature and humidity levels, preventing static discharge or overheating.
• Hot/Cold Aisle Containment: A physical barrier design that prevents hot exhaust air from mixing with cold supply air, maximizing efficiency.
• AI-Ready Liquid Cooling: With AI racks now exceeding 40kW, modern facilities must be engineered for Liquid Cooling (Direct-to-Chip or Rear Door Heat Exchangers). Digital Realty Bersama facilities are built with the floor loading capacity to support these next-gen deployments.

3. Connectivity & Carrier Neutrality

Infrastructure is useless if it cannot connect to the world.

• Carrier Neutrality: This allows you to choose from multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) rather than being locked into one. It fosters competition and ensures network redundancy.
• Interconnection: Top-tier facilities offer “Meet-Me-Rooms” (MMR) where enterprises can physically connect to cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and internet exchanges (like IIX) via cross-connects. This bypasses the public internet, offering lower latency and higher security.

Choosing Between Building and Colocating in a Purpose-Built

Choosing the right infrastructure model depends on your organization’s size, growth trajectory, and core competencies. 

For companies with highly specialized requirements or regulatory mandates, building and operating a dedicated facility can make sense. For most growing businesses, the operational realities of running an on-premise data center often outweigh the benefits. There are several examples to think about when trying to make a decision:

• CapEx vs. OpEx: 
  • Building a Tier III or Tier IV facility requires significant upfront capital investment. They must prepare the real estate, redundant power, generators, cooling systems, and all the requirements to power the data center. Additionally, they must look for people who understand how data centers work.
    
    Note that this is before a single server is ever racked. For organizations that need to deploy quickly, colocation offers a predictable operational expense model without sacrificing the infrastructure quality your business demands.
• Scalability: 
  • A purpose-built internal facility can absolutely meet your needs today, but future growth often means costly expansions or a second build-out. Colocation gives you the flexibility to scale incrementally. From a single rack to a private cage or dedicated data hall, aligned with your business as it evolves, without the lead time of a construction project.
• Reliability & Redundancy 
  • A carrier-grade colo facility is purpose-built for uptime, with redundant power feeds, multiple cooling systems, and 24/7 NOC support. Replicating that level of redundancy in an on-premise environment is possible, but the cost to do it right is substantial.
• Connectivity 
  • Major colo facilities sit at network interconnection points, giving you direct access to multiple carriers, cloud on-ramps (AWS, Azure, GCP), and IX peering, something nearly impossible to replicate on-premise at a competitive cost.

There are still more factors to consider when choosing to build or colocate, but for most organizations, the conversation often comes down to one critical question: 

Can your current infrastructure keep up with where your business is heading?

How Digital Realty Bersama Elevates Infrastructure

Digital Realty Bersama combines the global engineering standards of Digital Realty with the local operational expertise of Bersama Digital Infrastructure Asia.

Our infrastructure is a part of Digital Realty’s  PlatformDIGITAL®, a global data center platform that enables customers to scale their digital business.

By deploying on PlatformDIGITAL®, you gain access to a massive global ecosystem. As of the latest updates, the platform spans:

• 300+ Data Centers
• 50+ Metros (Cities) across six continents
• 5,000+ Customers (including major cloud providers, networks, and enterprises)

This platform is designed for any organization that needs to scale its digital infrastructure, from Hyperscalers (Cloud and Content Providers) to Enterprises (Banking, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail). It is particularly beneficial for companies with “data-heavy” workloads that require low latency and global reach. 

Click here to see more information about our service.