Which of the following items should be redundant in a data center?

Redundancy in a data center is crucial for ensuring high availability and operational resilience. Cooling systems are essential as they maintain optimal temperatures for servers, preventing overheating and hardware failures. If the primary cooling system fails, a redundant cooling system can take over, providing continuous operation.

While power distribution and outside power supply are also vital for keeping systems operational, the cooling aspect is particularly critical because excessive heat can lead to immediate system failures. Redundant power supplies can provide electrical reliability, but without proper cooling, systems can become operationally unsustainable, regardless of power availability. By having redundant cooling solutions, data centers protect themselves against downtime and hardware damage due to overheating, which reinforces the necessity of having those systems in place.