Data Center Photos: MareNostrum, CIX

It’s always interesting to get a glimpse inside other data centers. This week I came across several data center web sites offering worthwhile photo tours of their facilities:

MareNostrum: Recently featured on Digg as The Most Beautiful Supercomputer in the World, MareNostrum is the most powerful supercomputer in Europe and ranked 13th in the world. It is built inside a former chapel at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, which provides a striking environment. In addition to the photo shown above, there are photo galleries of the chapel interior as well as the construction and installation of MareNostrum.

Cork Internet Exchange: The CIX web site offers a detailed photo tour of the fit-out of their 3,000 square foot data center in Cork, which co-founder Tom Raftery says is the first data center in Ireland outside of Dublin. Raftery’s blog provides ongoing updates on the installation of equipment at the facility. Here’s something you don’t see every day: a cross-section view of the cable connecting the diesel generator to the switch, showing the four bundles of copper wrapped in steel within the cable.