Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Data Center Staff Will Sleep Among the Racks For London Olympics

Posted by samzenpus on from the best-room-in-the-house dept.

1sockchuck writes "Staff at Interxion's London data center are ready to hunker down during the Olympic Games this summer, nestled in snug sleeping pods adjacent to the racks. The arrangement will ensure that the facility will be fully-staffed if London's transit system is taxed by the huge crowds expected for the Games. While staff in many industries might object to a plan that expects them to sleep in their office, data center firms have a primary calling of keeping their facilities operational at all times. Is this too much readiness, or just enough?"

58 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, that's bullshit! by crazyjj · · Score: 4, Funny

    IT people don't sleep.

    --
    What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
    1. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by beh · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sorry, is this company _asking_ people to be "asleep at the job"?

    2. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by Victor_0x53h · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...just weep silently in their sleeping pods all night.

    3. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by geekmux · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sorry, is this company _asking_ people to be "asleep at the job"?

      No, they're merely resting their eyes during the hours that they are likely not being paid overtime for, that's all.

    4. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by rainmouse · · Score: 2

      ...just weep silently in their sleeping pods all night.

      Looks a bit like a multi-tiered crematorium to me...

    5. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by DigiShaman · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You didn't get the memo? IT people are machines. Typically they're good for between the ages of 21 through 40. You then expend them like a used husk. It's not an issue. There are endless supplies of smart, educated, born and raised on technology people to choose from. Only the elite will last longer without sleep. See, that's the resume' deciding factor there. ARE YOU MACHINE ENOUGH!? Well, are ya?

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    6. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Just be glad if they're not charged rent...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by g0bshiTe · · Score: 5, Funny

      I can see their T-shirts now.

      Summer Olympics 2012
      I survived Wake on LAN

      --
      I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
    8. Re:Oh, that's bullshit! by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Probably they have realised that the traffic chaos will be so bad it will cover most of the UK, and figured it will be better for them if people are rack-mounted that stuck in the traffic.

      I for one, fully expect that rack mount rails will be the only thing that moves in East London during the olympics.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  2. Depends on pay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Are they getting paid to be on duty 24/7?

    1. Re:Depends on pay by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes. In the US we call it being salaried.

    2. Re:Depends on pay by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Readiness" is just a cover story that they've told management; really it's going to be a month-long LAN party.

    3. Re:Depends on pay by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

      Employment law is ever so slightly different in the EU.

      True that. In the US, you are expected to sleep under your desk. Non of this 'pod' nonsense.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    4. Re:Depends on pay by g0bshiTe · · Score: 2

      Gives new meaning to "rack time".

      --
      I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  3. WHAT?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    WHAT DID YOU SAY?!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER ALL THIS FAN NOISE!

    (Hey Filter, learn to take a joke. I'm trying to act like I'm YELLING.)

  4. Sounds kind of fun, actually. by Hero+Zzyzzx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As long as it's voluntary, compensated and not a long-term thing it can be enjoyable to "batten down the hatches" for an expected surge in demand.

    1. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by ElScorcho · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah, if they are the types who actually enjoy their jobs and get along with their coworkers this could be a lot of fun. It might get old towards the end, but I personally wouldn't have a problem with it. If nothing else you'd be much closer as a group after something like that, plus I bet they'll all have fun stories to tell when it's over. Not to mention that if they have a decent employer who knows what they're asking for there'll probably be free food for that time.

      The only point of friction might be optimal sleeping spots. No one wants to sleep in the hot aisle, and you'd probably need earplugs.

      --
      Evil will always win, because Good is DUMB
    2. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by geekoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Any work request made to an employee who doesn't have any force behind them is never truly voluntary.

      People will remember you aren't a "team player". Of course those same people get to go home at night.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by NFN_NLN · · Score: 2

      I'll take proper pay and buy my own food, thanks.

      They could have spent money on load testing and/or extra redundancy before hand to reduce the risk of issues. There are some things that can't be solved by throwing money at it, and this isn't one of them. It just so happened that taking advantage of IT staff was the cheapest solution. Sadly, it usually is.

      The first solution would of had long lasting positive implications. What are they going to do during the next big event or even a crisis?... call in more IT staff again?

    4. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That's what I loved about my Japanese boss back when working for a Japanese company. He was there as long as I was. His rule was that he's the first in the office and the last one to go home. It may sound trivial considering that I didn't really need him for anything (me being technology, him being beancounting), but it is superior in morality to "ok, you stay here 'til midnight and finish that ... whatever, I'll be off for some golfing".

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by NFN_NLN · · Score: 2

      The Olympics is on a far different scale than just about any other event on Earth, though...

      Yes, the latest hypothesis in academic circles is "the Olympics" was the major contributing factor in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

      You have over sold the Olympics as an earthly event.

    6. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by himself · · Score: 2

      "Voluntary, compensated and not a long-term thing" you say? So, then, not like this guy whose blog as a Katrina-stranded sysadmin was so absorbing...but possibly required reading for .uk admins who might get this gig.

    7. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

      Their stated reason is fear of breakdown in transport. Implying that on duty staff would be stuck there, off duty staff would be at home. Coincident with the only real maximum load they will ever see.

      Setting up sleeping and washing facilities is unusually human for the employer. Most would throw you a package of wet wipes and tell you to bring your camping gear.

      If transport continues to work I assume responsibilities will be handed off. Then again slackers will surely slack.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    8. Re:Sounds kind of fun, actually. by Ihmhi · · Score: 2

      His rule was that he's the first in the office and the last one to go home.

      The whole "come early, leave late" thing is actually one of the shittiest parts of working in Japanese culture:

      Arriving early for work is common in Japan and shows commitment to colleagues and seniors. It is therefore not uncommon for Japanese workers to arrive 30 to 60 minutes early for work. Additionally, leaving work late expresses the same sort of commitment. Usually, the first person to leave will show his/her apology by saying “Osakinishitsurei shimasu” which translates to “excuse me for going first”. Generally, it is considered bad practice to leave before the boss does.

      Source: http://www.liveworkjapan.com/customs.shtml

      The practice is starting to wane, but do some Googling and find out how shitty it really is. Apparently, if you come to work on time and leave on time, you're "lazy" no matter how productive you are in the office.

      --
      Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
  5. Sure, it's reasonable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If....

    a) It's for a short time (check)
    b) It's critical (check)
    c) There's enough people on-staff to rotate who's doing this (not sure)
    d) There's substantial reward/overtime/extra PTO/something for doing something like this (not sure)

    So, it's 50% reasonable, maybe completely reasonable IN THIS CASE.

    1. Re:Sure, it's reasonable by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 2

      Sorry, the established threshold is clearly 60%. Every time.

  6. Sleep among the racks by necro81 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, that makes perfect sense! Do you know what a flat in London goes for these days? Twice that if you want climate control! I am thrilled to hear that the datacenter company cares so much about the well being of its employees.

    1. Re:Sleep among the racks by who_stole_my_kidneys · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I was just looking at a job out in London, until i compared the cost of living to where I'm am here in the US, the price of a one bedroom flat in London was 3X what I would pay here for a 1200 sq ft 3 bedroom apartment.

    2. Re:Sleep among the racks by gstrickler · · Score: 4, Interesting

      And it gives the staff the opportunity to rent out their flat for a rather nice bonus. Game on (or perhaps games on).

      --
      make imaginary.friends COUNT=100 VISIBLE=false
    3. Re:Sleep among the racks by hlavac · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's London, how much climate control is actually needed?

      An umbrella?

    4. Re:Sleep among the racks by hawguy · · Score: 3, Informative

      What part of NYC? A lot of difference between the Village, the Upper East and West Sides, Washington Heights, different parts of Brooklyn, etc.

      Then just give a few representative prices.

      A 3 bedroom 1200 ft^2 apartment in San Francisco is way out of my price range. You can get a decent 2 bedroom 900 ft^2 apartment for $2200 - $2700/month.

      If you want a luxury apartment in a new building, then you can spend $3000 - $5000 (or more)

    5. Re:Sleep among the racks by Gordonjcp · · Score: 3, Informative

      $1200 in NYC will get you halfway to owning a one room the size of a closet.

      ... and up here just about ten miles outside of Scotland's largest and most important city, Glasgow (sorry Edinburgh, I know you've got the Scottish Parliament building and all), the equivalent of roughly $700US gets you a two-bedroom farm cottage with a half acre garden. As an added bonus, London is hundreds of miles away.

  7. Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by Fallen+Kell · · Score: 2

    I mean come on. We keep our data center staffed 24x7 and do not need anyone sleeping there to do it. This is called simply not paying for what they need. If they need 24x7 support, they simply need 3 shifts of workers.

    --
    We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
    1. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From description...it sounds like the London transportation system may be overwhelmed and they simply may not be able to get replacement staff in the center in a timely manner.

    2. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by Dan+Dankleton · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From how I read it the problem isn't that they don't have the shifts, it's that the shift workers may not be able to get into or home from work.

      This is simply risk management. There is a risk that staff might have trouble commuting, so they are mitigating that risk.

    3. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Of course they know how shifts work: that's what they're doing now. The problem is the Olympics: most of the large data centres in London are right next door to the main Olympic site. Travelling in or around London, particularly anywhere near East London, during the Olympics is expected to be a complete nightmare. I was warning a previous employer two years ago that they had to start planing for the three months period when it was unlikely any of the staff would be able to travel to the data centre in London (let alone finding somewhere to stay overnight for out of hours work: the London Docklands Travelodge would be right out!)

      So yeah, knowing the density of data centres in the area and how close they will be to the Olympics, this sounds like a pretty damn sensible idea, to me.

    4. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by b0bby · · Score: 2

      The Olympics is certainly going to cause some problems for commuters in London. As the poster above noted, this seems like more of a situation where if you can't get home/are worried that you won't be able to get back in tomorrow due to the overload on the transportation network you could crash in one of these things. The other thing, of course, is that the company might be installing them just to get this kind of "look how much we care about your data" type of publicity...

    5. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by PybusJ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Interxion have got their message about how seriously they take their customers uptime and how far they go to plan for eventualities out to readers of Data Center Knowledge (and now to Slashdot). I'd say money well spent, regardless of whether anyone will use the pods for more than publicity shots (or even if Interxion seriously expected them to).

      That said, I'm not sure that Atlanta compares to London in terms of aging, and seriously creaking transport infrastructure. e.g. Atlanta has what is supposedly world's airport handling 90m travelers on its five runways; Heathrow handles 70m on just two runways both of which operate at over 98% capacity (plans to add a third were dropped when the current government was elected). The Victorian metro system is similarly overloaded having the distinction of being the oldest in the world while having to serve a population of almost 8 million.

    6. Re:Havn't they ever heard of shifts? by PybusJ · · Score: 2

      the company might be installing them just to get this kind of "look how much we care about your data" type of publicity

      Do you think? Seeing as this has now made the BBC news, complete with image showing the interxion logo, I'd say the pods have paid for themselves already :-)

  8. Hot Sex Pod by Internal+Modem · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The video is very optimistic about who will be sleeping in it (unless she's charging the IT guys hourly: Sexy Worker

  9. It's the Olympics by OzPeter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's the preeminent world class sporting event that is only held every 4 years for which most of the entire world tunes in. And for which you'd be lucky to get a job at for only once in your lifetime. Wouldn't you expect people to go that little extra distance - If not for the money, but for the pride of saying you contributed?

    --
    I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    1. Re:It's the Olympics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's a silly sporting event that happens every few years. It's not like they're landing on Mars for the first time or something.

    2. Re:It's the Olympics by b0bby · · Score: 2

      This isn't for Olympic staffers, just a data center company in London.

    3. Re:It's the Olympics by Asic+Eng · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's great that you enjoy it, but different people like different things, and that's fine. It's fine as long as you don't expect *others* (who may not be interested in the least) to go that extra distance for it.

      Personally I find it hard to see past the betrayal of every ideal the Olympic games ever stood for, the cheating in form of drug use, the abuse of children to push some nation's medal lists, the obscene waste of money to build an unnecessary sports infrastructure and the organized corruption which drives the selection of the location.

    4. Re:It's the Olympics by kiwimate · · Score: 2

      Why the hell are you even bothering to read and post then? Just move on to the next story, if you are that vehemently opposed to it. What is wrong with you? Let people who enjoy it, enjoy it. You don't enjoy it? Ignore it. Why do you (and many, many other socially disconnected trolls on /.) feel like you must disparage something that doesn't appeal to you? Just leave it alone.

  10. Re:My experience from Atlanta by samazon · · Score: 2
    London and Atlanta are two different metropolitan animals entirely.

    Atlanta: Population (2010)

    City 420,003

    Density 3,190/sq mi (1,232/km2)

    Urban 4,750,000

    Urban density 2,420/sq mi (935/km2)

    Metro 5,268,860 (9th)

    Metro density 630/sq mi (243/km2)

    London

    Population (July 2010 est.)[2]

    London 7,825,200

    Density 4,978/km2 (12,892/sq mi)

    Urban 8,278,251

    Metro 13,709,000

    Then take into account all the land around Atlanta... and all the land around London. Plus, it's totally fun to live at work! If you've ever worked a campaign, you know this!

    --
    I have the hiccups.
  11. HP/MP restored! by game+kid · · Score: 5, Funny

    But you're still hungry.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  12. They're close by SirDrinksAlot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Obviously they need to lock an IT jockey in each server *CAGE* and they will be responsible for those racks 24/7. Food should be brought them in pellet form and water dispensed from a large water bottle that requires it be licked to release it's Dihydrogen oxide goodness. Replace the floors with screens so they don't need to install any sanitary facilities other than like a garden hose to hose it down every once and a while. Even make it into an attraction and charge fees to tourists to view.

    IT jockey's arent people are they? If so this idea is wrong. Now if they were treated with some dignity at least then that's different. Also if you get paid for every hour you're on site or compensated accordingly then I probably wouldn't complain about making piles of money

  13. Fire suppression by Jaro · · Score: 2

    I hope they don't use carbon dioxide for fire suppression in the data center....

  14. Air Con by pablo_max · · Score: 4, Funny

    The actual reason is that it is one or the few places guaranteed to have air con in the coming super hot English summer.

  15. Why didn't they include sleeping quarters? by Picass0 · · Score: 2

    Considering the Olympics only runs for 2 weeks I can see where a condition of the job would be on call 24/7. Television never sleeps. So why didn't they build hotel rooms into the IT center? Why a bunch of stupid pods?

  16. Muttering something about `uptime' by bulldog060 · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/705/

  17. Maybe they're not getting paid... by Zcar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But there's money to be made in subletting a flat during an event like the Olympics. I lived in Lake Placid for the 1980 games and my father's department head at the college rented his house for $30k for the two weeks.

  18. Re:I'm sorry, this is ridiculous by 19thNervousBreakdown · · Score: 2

    Have you ever been a sysadmin? It's not just throwing bodies at a problem. I think most would rather do the overnight thing for a couple weeks than deal with whatever messes a two-week temp would make.

    --
    <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
  19. Employees vs. The Firm by MikeTheGreat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While staff in many industries might object to a plan that expects them to sleep in their office, data center firms have a primary calling of keeping their facilities operational at all times

    I love how the summary neatly dismisses the objections of the employees by citing the goal of the corporation. I can see this working well for a variety of other problems that the data center firms face, but let's just jump to the one the MBAs are salivating over:

    While staff in many industries might object to working without pay or benefits, data center firms have a primary calling of keeping their costs low and profits high

  20. Re:I'm sorry, this is ridiculous by JDG1980 · · Score: 2

    You really think that there will be rooms to rent during the Olympics? Yeah maybe .. but for really big $$$.

    But in the previous thread you were going on and on about how people should go to any lengths because they should take "pride" in the Olympics. Guess that only applies to the little people, not to corporations that might actually have to shell out some money.

  21. Re:Y2K all over again by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 2

    I think you could even keep a Windows 95 machine running for a month.

    But certainly not 49.8 days!
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216641

  22. We are landing on Mars! by Gavin+Scott · · Score: 2

    It's a silly sporting event that happens every few years. It's not like they're landing on Mars for the first time or something.

    Actually we are landing on Mars during the London Olympics!

    The nuclear-powered Mars rover Curiosity should arrive there around August 6th, smack in the middle of the Olympics.

    And I expect the coverage of that event to be WAAAAY more exciting than any of the Olympic events.

    G.

    P.S. Unless the new Rover ends up following the Simplified Planetary Landing Approach Trajectory that was so popular with some other Mars missions in the past.