Anyone who entrusts their critical IT infrastructure to an external partner asks a fundamental question: how safe is it really? What would have to happen for an entire data center to stop operating and cut my business off from key systems and data? Although this question may seem hypothetical, it is essential for assessing risk.

Let us look at it more closely, in the same way our experts do when they continuously analyze existing solutions and work on further improving security standards. What scenario would have to unfold for Talex Data Center to be brought to a complete standstill? Is it even possible?

Layer 1: External power supply

The foundation of the entire system is two fully independent power connections, routed to the data center from two different directions and connected to two separate points in the operator’s grid. At this very first level, the risk is already significantly reduced. A failure of one connection has no impact on the other. What would have to fail? There would have to be a total regional blackout affecting both power sources at the same time.

Layer 2: Guaranteed power supply – UPS

Let us assume that such a blackout occurs. At that moment, the UPS backup power systems come into play. At Talex, both power paths – A and B – are equipped with independent, redundant UPS systems. Their role is to take over immediately and keep the servers running until the generators are activated. What would have to fail? There would have to be a simultaneous, catastrophic failure of the UPS systems on both paths.

Layer 3: Long-term backup power – generators

UPS systems provide a safety buffer for several minutes. During that time, powerful diesel generators are started automatically. These, too, are fully redundant and assigned to independent power paths. What would have to fail? There would have to be a simultaneous failure of the generators on both paths.

Layer 4: Physical and fire separation

All key components of the power system – switchgear, UPS units, and generators – are physically and fire-separated from one another. They are located in different rooms, often in different parts of the building, and divided by high fire-resistance barriers. What would have to fail? An event would have to occur that simultaneously disabled both independent power paths despite this separation. In other words, it would require an incident on the scale of major external physical interference, such as an explosion.

A scenario with negligible probability

For Talex Data Center to stop operating completely, a chain of events would have to occur at the same moment: a total regional blackout, a simultaneous catastrophic failure on both independent power paths, and all of this would have to happen across two locations that are physically and fire-separated from one another.

The probability of such a combination of failures is extremely low. This is not a matter of luck, but the result of a deliberate and uncompromising design approach, aligned with the highest – fourth – availability class under the EN 50600 standard.