← All glossary terms

Data Center Design and Operations

Cabinet

Cabinet is an enclosed or semi-enclosed rack used to house IT equipment. Cabinets can support security, airflow control, cabling, and colocation separation, but high-density deployments may require specialized cabinet and cooling designs.

Explore more terms

Distribution utility

Distribution utility owns or operates lower-voltage delivery facilities serving end users. For data centers, the distribution utility may handle service requests even when transmission upgrades or wholesale supply issues drive the real constraint.

Read definition →

Downtime

Downtime is time when a system or service is unavailable under the applicable definition. Downtime cost can include lost revenue, SLA credits, customer churn, operational disruption, and reputational damage.

Read definition →

Cage

Cage is a secured mesh or partitioned area within a colocation facility dedicated to a customer. It is common in retail and smaller wholesale deployments where tenants need physical separation without a private data hall.

Read definition →