Can data centers withstand hurricanes?

[Artashes]

When data centers are built, what wind speeds can they withstand? Can they also protect the facility from floods, too?

I was just reading how Verio was preparing for Hurricane Ivan and wondered about these questions.

Best,

 

[nocturnalhostin]

Well, it depends on the Data Center. I've worked for data centers that are simply in office buildings, for companies whose data centers are in the bottom of a school, and companies with data centers in more "secure" buildings.

There are even data centers that have rented out space in old nuke silos - it all depends on the company. Technically, a 14 year old whose parents are rich could have an OC-12 line comming into his house with a few server racks and be a data center.

Again...all depends on the company, their location (i.e., your not going to find a data center capable of withstanding tremendous enviromental problems in an area where environmental/weather disasters don't normally occur).

 

[Artashes]

Thanks for the insight. I was reading about Verio Data Center. I suppose they have their own serious building.

http://thewhir.com/marketwatch/ver091304.cfm

 

[60host]

Well when you build a data center it probably should meet some requirements.

 

[nocturnalhostin]

Well when you build a data center it probably should meet some requirements.

I'm sorry I can't help it...

I'll HUFF and i'll PUFF and i'll blow your data center down!

(Moral: Solid walls and a floor/celling are a good start, but not enough!)

:crazy:

 

[SemiServer]

Well, I know that most datacenters keep back up generaters. For example, Nocster keeps a 500 gallon generator that can run the entire datacenter for like 72 hours or longer. Of course, if a hurricane came through, it might knock out the bandwidth provider lines going into the datacenter, so therefore, a backup is useless.

The datacenter itself is quite structurly secure for high winds and severe rain. Floods are another story, but I'm assuming they have a solid foundation that's high enough off the ground to protect the machines for average minor floods.

 

[TRau]

One of the data centers that the company I work for uses is SavvySpace, nick named "The Bunker". It was built years ago to house mainframes and protect them from hostile (read nuke) attack on NYC. Very impressive place, underground with redundant everything, including being on two separate power grids.

 

[Artashes]

One of the data centers that the company I work for uses is SavvySpace, nick named "The Bunker". It was built years ago to house mainframes and protect them from hostile (read nuke) attack on NYC.

Sounds impressive. Does anyone have any pictures of the place? I would love to take a look at it.

Best,

 

[nocturnalhostin]

Yes. Thats what I was eluding to with the "nuke silo" thing in my earlier post.

http://www.thebunker.net/

Pictures avaliable on their website, its fun...

 

[nocturnalhostin]

Actually, not the same company he mentioned - but similar idea...

 

[ldcdc]

http://www.savvy.net - must be the one

http://www.thebunker.net - "The bunker" that I knew of.

 

[TRau]

Sounds impressive. Does anyone have any pictures of the place? I would love to take a look at it.

Best,

Go to http://savvyspace.com for their site.

Go to http://savvyspace.com/detail.asp?category_id=4&article_id=13 to go directly to the info about "The Bunker"

 

[SQNWK]

It varies from datacenter to datacenter, most datacenters aren't in the path of hurricanes also

 

[bcrob]

Thanks for the insight. I was reading about Verio Data Center. I suppose they have their own serious building.

http://thewhir.com/marketwatch/ver091304.cfm

We are tenants in the same complex as the Verio datacenter mentioned in that article and yes, this is definitely a serious building. It was constructed to withstand a category five hurricane with wind speeds in excess of 150mph, it’s sited above the 100-year flood plain and the generators have enough fuel on site to last for weeks.

Verio issued that announcement about Ivan but that storm never came anywhere close to us. On the other hand, Frances and Jeanne were very close. Even though most of the county lost power with both of those storms, this facility never did. There was an article about it in one of the local paper a few weeks ago… http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2004/09/19/a1f_alexcol_0919.html

 

[Artashes]

Great info, bcrob, thanks for sharing.

 

[arkitek]

yeah that was really interesting.. thanks :thumbsup: