Haven't we seen exactly the same before?
by
Jon+Chatow
·
· Score: 3, Informative
It's called thebunker.net, a refurbished former nuclear underground bomb shelter (sound familiar?), and was discussed on/. a while back. Given that "search is down", I can't provide a link, sorry. Personally, I can't see what this particular example of the type adds to the discussion here, but nevermind...
-- James F.
Isnt this a redundant concept but ?
by
q-soe
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
I like the idea but i was sitting here wondering that in this day of supposedly low cost bandsidth why would you go to the cost of building huge co-los in destruction proof environments ?
There is a secure need for co-lo fdacilites etc but why not just build a mirrod system with 4-5 sites carrying the data - a sort of broadband raid, this would cut down the need for these facilites.
Now this is only an idea and it might have a million logical reasons behind it but would it not be cheaper that concrete bunkers and dedicated power systems and such ? (i am asking would it or not?)
Or is it that clients like a cool ultra secure bunker - it makes them feel good and powerfull ?
Any thoughts?
-- I refuse to argue with Anonymous Cowards - if you want a discussion get an account....
Re:Isnt this a redundant concept but ?
by
RAruler
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Why? Paying for 4-5 sites would probably be more expensive than just one. This one was built in a space that was not being utilized to the max, they didn't have a group looking for 'The Ultimate Colocation Center'. It also saves cost, the cooling systems consist of a couple of fans. I'm assuming, but the cooling in some datacenters must be budget consuming beasts.
It also has some other unique features, it'd be awfully hard for someone to steal your box, as its inside a mine:) It's also pretty much immune from fires, some idiot with a car slamming into your building.. etc.. It also has a ton of room, something cities are in short supply, as well it'll be one of the first things powered back up. Besides, some people want their data stored in a place that is indeed bombproof. Hell, this thing might even be immune to EMP, because of its particular location.
--
--
Insert Witty Sig Here
Re:Isnt this a redundant concept but ?
by
nettdata
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
There is a secure need for co-lo facilites etc but why not just build a mirrored system with 4-5 sites carrying the data - a sort of broadband raid, this would cut down the need for these facilites
How about cost, performance, and design restrictions?
I think you're assuming that such a site would be serving basic, somewhat static html, in which case that may be an option. But I don't think that it would work out for a more complex application.
I design/develop/administrate a lot of Oracle-specific system architectures, specifically for sites with large numbers of financial transactions *cough - gambling - cough*, and let me tell you that such physically distributed systems can be EXPENSIVE, both in cash (eg: network/storage infrastructure is almost duplicated) and performance (latency involved in a physically distributed 2-phase commit will kill performance on the client side). Lets not even talk about the logistics involved in running/managing/designing a large physically distributed Oracle cluster!
Sometimes it is WAY cheaper to put all of your eggs into one cushy, bomb-proof basket.
--
$0.02 (CDN)
These guys really thought this out!
by
baptiste
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
I have to say I'm impressed!
First off though - the line "it has a virtually unlimited supply of free, humid, 50-degree Fahrenheit air. USDCO simply hooks up two large fans in each room" Humid? Err - isn't that a BAD thing for a data center? I know it was when I managed one. But man - 50 degrees abient temp would be sweet! The 10K sq ft data center I used to manage had like 5 Liebert cooling towers and it STILL seemed to get too warm at times!
I love how they know they'll be back on-grid quickly because of the food storage - and hey - you don't have to go up to the surface to eat lunch! Sweet!
How nice to see a tech company say "We've had VC offers because our business plan is obviously good and obviously different, but we want to grow organically. Alsoâ"it may be a Western Michigan thingâ"but we believe in something called 'service.' We don't want to expand too fast." If only more tech companies had realized that the VC money was a bad thing!
I wish them the best of luck! Course it would suck working there - man talk about being a pasty white geek!
Time to invest in some fiber to pipe in sunlight:)
Re:These guys really thought this out!
by
The+Mayor
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Dry air results in static electricity. Unless the data center is in a swamp (e.g. Houston, New Orleans), the data center probably has both a dehumidifier and a humidifier. Humidifiers are very common in data centers.
-- --Be human.
Re:These guys really thought this out!
by
NaturePhotog
·
· Score: 2
In theory, mines might be vulnerable to flooding or earthquakes, but these are geological rarities for inland Michigan.
Floods a "geological rarity" in Michigan? Not when I lived there. Every spring there are floods around the state on various rivers. I forget the name of the river that flows through Grand Rapids, but Grand Rapids wasn't named for fast-moving concert pianos...
In any event, near a river or not, most mines (don't know about gypsum mines) have some ground water seepage, and as a result have sumps and electrically powered pumps to keep the water at bay. I'd be a bit worried about losing power for an extended periods. Of course you have short-term data issues then, but it could easily lead to long-term...er...damage issues.
Not quite the same
by
XNormal
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
This mine should be at least as secure as a suburban datacenter for a lower physical security budget. It has cooling that is at least as reliable as a conventional datacenter for a lower budget. These should translate to cost savings for their customers.
These guys appear to concentrate on bringing a cost-effective service to their customers rather than nuclear bunker bragging rights. Have you seen the prices on thebunker.net?
--
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
Underground hackers of a different sort..
by
Myself
·
· Score: 2
This submission got rejected, but you might enjoy the RealAudio of Friday's Diane Rehm show (on NPR) about the exploration of Mammoth Cave. The politics between the explorers is amazingly similar to most hackers I know! Give a listen.
Plenty of demand in Michigan..
by
Myself
·
· Score: 2
There's a big NAP in Chicago, and Grand Rapids isn't far from there. Plenty of fat pipes run right past GR or Kalamazoo on their way from Chicago to Lansing.
There's another mine in Detroit that closed down a few years ago due to unfavorable economic conditions. We went on a tour just before they shut it down, thinking we'd be some of the last humans in that mine. (They were considering turning it into a nuclear waste storage facility, because the salt vein is so geologically stable.) They modernized and reopened the mine in 1998 though. Once the salt's removed from an area, it becomes useless. Data co-lo is an ideal way for the mine companies to get income from space that otherwise sits idle.
A big secure co-lo in Detroit would be great. We already have a few large above-ground facilities, and Detroit's a great place to locate NOCs because it doesn't have hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. We get the occasional tornado but those usually just rip up awnings. A subterranean co-lo, just a few miles from the NOC, seems like an ideal scenario.
"My data center is weirder than yours" competition
by
Wesley+Felter
·
· Score: 2
First HavenCo, then this; what will they think of next?
Slashdot Mirror
It's called thebunker.net, a refurbished former nuclear underground bomb shelter (sound familiar?), and was discussed on /. a while back. Given that "search is down", I can't provide a link, sorry. Personally, I can't see what this particular example of the type adds to the discussion here, but nevermind...
James F.
I like the idea but i was sitting here wondering that in this day of supposedly low cost bandsidth why would you go to the cost of building huge co-los in destruction proof environments ?
There is a secure need for co-lo fdacilites etc but why not just build a mirrod system with 4-5 sites carrying the data - a sort of broadband raid, this would cut down the need for these facilites.
Now this is only an idea and it might have a million logical reasons behind it but would it not be cheaper that concrete bunkers and dedicated power systems and such ? (i am asking would it or not?)
Or is it that clients like a cool ultra secure bunker - it makes them feel good and powerfull ?
Any thoughts?
I refuse to argue with Anonymous Cowards - if you want a discussion get an account....
First off though - the line "it has a virtually unlimited supply of free, humid, 50-degree Fahrenheit air. USDCO simply hooks up two large fans in each room" Humid? Err - isn't that a BAD thing for a data center? I know it was when I managed one. But man - 50 degrees abient temp would be sweet! The 10K sq ft data center I used to manage had like 5 Liebert cooling towers and it STILL seemed to get too warm at times!
I love how they know they'll be back on-grid quickly because of the food storage - and hey - you don't have to go up to the surface to eat lunch! Sweet!
How nice to see a tech company say "We've had VC offers because our business plan is obviously good and obviously different, but we want to grow organically. Alsoâ"it may be a Western Michigan thingâ"but we believe in something called 'service.' We don't want to expand too fast." If only more tech companies had realized that the VC money was a bad thing!
I wish them the best of luck! Course it would suck working there - man talk about being a pasty white geek! Time to invest in some fiber to pipe in sunlight :)
Top Most Bizarre/Disturbing Error Messages
Humidity, 50 degrees F ? Gasp, computers will get a cold.
{{.sig}}
This mine should be at least as secure as a suburban datacenter for a lower physical security budget. It has cooling that is at least as reliable as a conventional datacenter for a lower budget. These should translate to cost savings for their customers.
These guys appear to concentrate on bringing a cost-effective service to their customers rather than nuclear bunker bragging rights. Have you seen the prices on thebunker.net?
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
This submission got rejected, but you might enjoy the RealAudio of Friday's Diane Rehm show (on NPR) about the exploration of Mammoth Cave. The politics between the explorers is amazingly similar to most hackers I know! Give a listen.
There's a big NAP in Chicago, and Grand Rapids isn't far from there. Plenty of fat pipes run right past GR or Kalamazoo on their way from Chicago to Lansing.
There's another mine in Detroit that closed down a few years ago due to unfavorable economic conditions. We went on a tour just before they shut it down, thinking we'd be some of the last humans in that mine. (They were considering turning it into a nuclear waste storage facility, because the salt vein is so geologically stable.) They modernized and reopened the mine in 1998 though. Once the salt's removed from an area, it becomes useless. Data co-lo is an ideal way for the mine companies to get income from space that otherwise sits idle.
A big secure co-lo in Detroit would be great. We already have a few large above-ground facilities, and Detroit's a great place to locate NOCs because it doesn't have hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. We get the occasional tornado but those usually just rip up awnings. A subterranean co-lo, just a few miles from the NOC, seems like an ideal scenario.
First HavenCo, then this; what will they think of next?