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  1. #1

    Data Center Tour

    Hey all,
    I have always been searching for data center virtual tours, that shows the structure of building, different floors, working areas, generators, coolers, server racks .etc.

    I would like to see more of them, so if the web host companies participating here can provide me link to their data center tour (videos, pics) that will be great..

    Thanks in advance.
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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by rajpuri View Post
    Hey all,
    I have always been searching for data center virtual tours, that shows the structure of building, different floors, working areas, generators, coolers, server racks .etc.

    I would like to see more of them, so if the web host companies participating here can provide me link to their data center tour (videos, pics) that will be great..

    Thanks in advance.
    Many carrier neutral data centers probably will not make that type of video public. You may have better luck contacting colo providers directly that own and manage their own data centers and network.
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  3. #3
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    Best thing to do is to visit the datacenter yourself. Virtual tours only highlight the best of what the datacenter has, but you will never learn about their faults.
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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dynamic Concepts View Post
    Best thing to do is to visit the datacenter yourself. Virtual tours only highlight the best of what the datacenter has, but you will never learn about their faults.
    what kind of faults can be there at data centers.. since I need to know about the structure and all.. can you provide some ideas about the faults and all..?
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  5. #5
    Thats what i was asking about.. to study the all over structure..and knowing how actually all these providers are disaster resistant..
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  6. #6
    A good way is just to go to YouTube and search "data center tours." A bunch will pop up, including some sweet ones that showcase the Google container data centers. Equinix has a good one on there too.
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  7. #7
    InterServer.net has a data center webcam that you can move around and explore the facility. Pretty Cool!
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  8. #8
    We don't yet have any virtual tours of our facilities but we do have some photos up on our new site. It's something that we would eventually like to have on our site though.

    As far as something easy to look out for if you tour datacenters though is cleanliness. It's a good way to judge how professional a facility is and how much they care about what they do. Dust and grime is bad news, it gums up fans and generally makes a mess of things. If a facility can't be bothered with keeping things clean, I wouldn't bother doing business with them. Something else that I'd keep an eye on is the quality and organization of cabling. Well organized and labeled cables are an often overlooked aspect of running a datacenter.
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  9. #9

    DLR

    Digital Realty also has a data center tour on our the YouTube channel, you can check it out of our Cabot Road facility. Thanks!
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  10. #10
    Here's a cool one from San Diego showing off their individual cabinet cooling system design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQrHjpMhp2Q
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dynamic Concepts View Post
    Best thing to do is to visit the datacenter yourself. Virtual tours only highlight the best of what the datacenter has, but you will never learn about their faults.
    but dont you think that for a hosting provider letting people inside the "temple" would be a little bit too much?
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cloudc me View Post
    but dont you think that for a hosting provider letting people inside the "temple" would be a little bit too much?
    Any provider that is selling colocation should allow you inside the datacenter for a tour, after all you will be putting thousands of dollars worth of equipment in their facility. A tour is a great way to see how things are running, check temperatures, listen for alarms that aren't being attend to, make sure there is no consumer grade fans or AC, verify on-site fuel claims, etc.
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by flam316 View Post
    InterServer.net has a data center webcam that you can move around and explore the facility. Pretty Cool!
    wow, there is a lot of spaghetti cabling all over the place
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by flam316 View Post
    InterServer.net has a data center webcam that you can move around and explore the facility. Pretty Cool!
    Wow! What a complete mess http://ScrnSht.com/gvgsqj
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by gordonrp View Post
    Wow! What a complete mess http://ScrnSht.com/gvgsqj
    Does make me want to buy hot pink power cables though
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  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by StealthyHosting View Post
    Does make me want to buy hot pink power cables though
    I suspect they are red.
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by gordonrp View Post
    Wow! What a complete mess http://ScrnSht.com/gvgsqj

    Looks pretty average to me.

    As Dynamic Concepts said marketing photos only show you nice pictures of row upon row of identical servers all neatly cabled up the day they're installed.

    Once you've been running for 3 years and you've replaced 1/2 of your hardware with 8 different models a controlled mess becomes a reality.

    Though I'm not a fan of open racks as those cables are just waiting to be tripped over...
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by rajpuri View Post
    Thats what i was asking about.. to study the all over structure..and knowing how actually all these providers are disaster resistant..
    Varies wildly.

    I'd say the majority of space these days is converted warehouse or office space. Building codes control much of it.

    Physical security is always a consideration.
    There are some earth quote/nuke proof places out there.

    Most of the disaster preparation is about maintaining the operation regardless of external influences (i.e own fuel supply) rather than being physically indestructible.

    Floor loading is always a consideration, but even office space is surprisingly strong and with careful design and a structural engineer a DC can be retrofitted into most locations.
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by serverhouse View Post
    Looks pretty average to me.

    As Dynamic Concepts said marketing photos only show you nice pictures of row upon row of identical servers all neatly cabled up the day they're installed.

    Once you've been running for 3 years and you've replaced 1/2 of your hardware with 8 different models a controlled mess becomes a reality.

    Though I'm not a fan of open racks as those cables are just waiting to be tripped over...
    Replacing hardware shouldn't cause a mess like that, velcro straps make adding or removing cables and hardware a simple clean job.
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dynamic Concepts View Post
    Best thing to do is to visit the datacenter yourself. Virtual tours only highlight the best of what the datacenter has, but you will never learn about their faults.
    ^^ This. I have yet to meet a Data Center Sales person who would deny a potential lead the opportunity to tour the facility.
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  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by rajpuri View Post
    Hey all,
    I have always been searching for data center virtual tours, that shows the structure of building, different floors, working areas, generators, coolers, server racks .etc.

    I would like to see more of them, so if the web host companies participating here can provide me link to their data center tour (videos, pics) that will be great..

    Thanks in advance.
    Hivelocity's data center video tour- https://hivelocity.net/corporate-overview/infrastructure/tour/
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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by gordonrp View Post
    Wow! What a complete mess http://ScrnSht.com/gvgsqj
    a mess? gordon, clearly you have never seen a real mess lol

    Though I'm not a fan of open racks as those cables are just waiting to be tripped over...
    done that.. in that exact room to be specific
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  23. #23
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