Enterprise hardware infrastructure includes servers, storage, network gear, and the racks and power that hold them. The right hardware blueprint changes with workload, scale, and budget.
2.2 Hardware Infrastructure
The four hardware roles
Role
Examples
Compute
Servers, workstations, virtual machines
Storage
NAS, SAN, direct-attached, object
Network
Switches, routers, firewalls, LB
Power
UPS, PDU, generator, cooling
Server form factors
Form factor
When to use
Rack 1U / 2U / 4U
Standard data centre unit
Blade
Shared chassis; dense; vendor lock-in
Tower
Branch offices, no rack environment
Hyper-converged
Compute + storage + network in one box
Storage tier hierarchy
Networking gear
Device
Role
L2 switch
Moves frames inside a VLAN
L3 switch
Routes between VLANs
Router
Moves packets between networks; WAN edge
Firewall
Policy enforcement at trust boundaries
Load balancer
L4 (TCP/UDP) or L7 (HTTP) traffic distribution
Power and cooling
Component
Purpose
UPS
Keeps things on during a blip
Generator
Keeps things on during a real outage
PDU
Metered power per rack
CRAC/CRAH
Precision cooling for high-density racks
A 5 kW rack of dense compute may need 4 kW of cooling - power is the real cost driver in dense facilities.
Mentor’s tip: Four hardware roles, four refresh schedules, one EA register. The single point of failure is usually power, not compute. Document every rack with its business owner before you talk about cloud migration.
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