-
Inside Microsoft’s New Quincy Cloud Farm
An air-handling unit is lowered onto the top of an IT-PAC container, which is already pre-populated with servers, at the new Microsoft data center in Quincy, Washington.
Microsoft has competed construction on its new modular “cloud farm” data center in Quincy, Washington. The design of the next-generation facility is driven by Microsoft’s use of data center containers that come packed with up to 2,000 servers. These containers, known as IT-PACs (for pre-assembled components) can be deployed faster and cheaper than traditional raised floor data center space. The modular design helped Microsoft complete the initial deployment in Quincy in just eight months. Here’s a closer look at the modular data center technology being deployed in the new Quincy facility.
Another view of the assembly of the "PAC stack" of components in Quincy, as a crane lower the air handler unit onto the IT PAC.
This Power PAC houses equipment providing power distribution and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) protection for the IT modules. Power and IT modules can be configured for different levels of redundancy and reliability within the facility.
This view offers a look at the interior of the Quincy facility, a lightweight steel and aluminum structure that has been described as a modern version of a "tractor shed." The design improved the sustainability of the project by dramatically reducing the use of concrete.
Featured Cloud Articles
Building A Cloud-Savvy Model for TCO and ROI
Tools that most IT teams use to evaluate TCO and ROI are inadequate for application to the cloud.
How Storage is Shaping The Cloud Data Center
As cloud computing and virtualization continue to evolve, new demands are placed on storage and vendors are adapting to new IT trends.
Featured Modular Articles
Bringing Colo to the Customer: Modular Gets Local
IO has created a modular data center for LexisNexis within a short drive of the company’s global headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
Microsoft’s $1 Billion Data Center
With its latest expansion, Microsoft’s investment in its data center campus in southern Virginia has reached $997 million – and that’s minus the cost of a roof.
January 4th, 2011