Inside a Microsoft Data Center

that is just insane! wonder what their power bill is like..lol

imagine being the sys admin of just one of those rooms!
 
Why the containers? Can you just load one up onto a container truck and haul it to a new location, servers inside and all set up?
 
That's what's inside the containers: the data racks, all ready to go, as I understand it. Bring one in, drop it into place (ok, not "drop" but you get the idea), port the necessary cabling into it from the backside and wham, instant petabytes... or whatever the actual capacity is.
 
sub.genius said:
That's what's inside the containers: the data racks, all ready to go, as I understand it. Bring one in, drop it into place (ok, not "drop" but you get the idea), port the necessary cabling into it from the backside and wham, instant petabytes... or whatever the actual capacity is.
Click to expand...

Yaa, I understand that's what is inside after they are put into place.

The article states "Although the containers are heavy (and even heavier when packed with servers), air skates allow them to be moved in place with just four workers. Eight hours later, the servers are up and running."
 
Ah, gotcha... does seem a bit odd but, I guess by not having them loaded upon delivery gives them better opportunity to customize them specifically for a given task, perhaps.
 
The only thing I can think of the advantages of using containers like that is everything is prebuilt and configured off site, then, just drop it off wherever and plug it in.
 
Some of these remind me of some of the server rooms I have visited while I was working for DISA.
 
Or maybe the containers provide a more efficient cooling system. I would think only the containers need to be cooled, rather than the entire floor.
 
sc0tty8 said:
The only thing I can think of the advantages of using containers like that is everything is prebuilt and configured off site, then, just drop it off wherever and plug it in.
Click to expand...

Is that the way you take it, that they are pre-built before being brought on site? The wording makes them sound as they are assembled and configured after being put in place.

With the pace of technology improvements though.. what was a considered high perfomrance and efficient set last year, is out dated by considerably better nonperforming hardware and increase energy efficiency this year.
 
Just when you think that MS is just a bunch of cubicles, you get pictures of these :D
 
The guts of the containers are built off site. The container is shipped to the location plugged in and configured.
It would take a team of 4 guys a lot longer than 8 hours to load up a container that size with equipment and run wires.
 
I worked at the Microsoft datacenter in the San Francisco Bay area for a while. It's quite an experience, and pretty cold.
 
You'd have to wear a lead protective cup if you were to stay in one of those rooms.
 
According to the senior manager in charge of all the infrastructure planning for MS data centers those containers are built off-site by a third party vendor. They are basically brought in, dropped off, water, electricity, and network are all plugged in, and then they are turned on and available to be used about 8 hours later.

He also told me that they don't worry about failures of hardware inside the containers. They let them degrade until they are past a certain point and then have the whole box replaced.
 
if only i wouldnt lose my job if i posted a picture of my lab's, they really are a sight to behold.
 
I suggest looking at google's servers, more effecient, cheaper to build, and more space compact.
 
the-one1 said:
imagine the poor sap who trips over the power cord....ooops.:p
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My company built the high voltage substation that feeds this data center. Trust me, there ain't no single power cord, well maybe, if you count the high voltage transmission lines that feed the building. The building is designed to consume 100+ megawatts. I believe phase one, currently complete, is something like 40MW.
 
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