View the full article published on Data Center Knowledge:Â https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/industry-perspectives/digging-deep-data-center-optimization
Given the current proliferation of Big Data analytics and the advent of IoT, the stakes are high for colocation customers seeking storage and compute solutions for increasingly massive quantities of data. To remain competitive, these organizations look to obtain the services of a colocation provider whose facility is highly secure, reliable and scalable — all at a price point that won’t break the bank. A tall order, but with the proper data center optimization strategy, colocation providers can meet the needs of new and existing customers, delivering ample space and power as well as resiliency and security while minimizing costs.
For some of the most successful colocation providers, the answer resides underground. By deploying a facility beneath the Earth’s surface, data center operators have the ability to provide customers with a wide range of enhanced offerings, including added security and resiliency as well as lower energy consumption.
The physical resiliency of an underground environment is completely unmatched in the data center world. The surrounding rock creates a natural shield from extreme weather including tornadoes and hurricanes that can make an above-ground data center vulnerable to an outage event. That said, some underground facility designers fail to house critical operations such as power supplies, generators and HVAC units underground given the complications associated with their deployment. This is a big mistake that can significantly diminish optimization.
Think about it this way. There’s a good reason why your organs are inside your body, protected by walls of bone, muscle and skin. These are the engines driving the human machine that are critical to its functionality. Without surrounding protection, organs would become vulnerable to outside forces, putting your life at risk. This is akin to an optimized underground colocation environment. However, building a data center space beneath the Earth’s surface isn’t enough. Critical power and operations must also be buried to ensure total protection against environmental vulnerabilities.
Todd Murren is the General Manager of the Bluebird Underground Data Center
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