November 4, 2009 at 14:42How I built my data center - part one, preparatory
As you know, any startup starts with the phrase "How are you for *** whether I’ll do it better myself."
In 2007, the situation with data centers in Moscow, and throughout Russia, was critical. It was possible to get there to a simple hoster only by appointment. They fought it at exorbitant prices, the servers were often overheated, the electricity was periodically absent, and as soon as the data center started to generate 2-3 gigabits of band, he immediately imagined himself the king of the mountain, tried to bum your traffic, and fought with dissenting people by letting my traffic through the narrow Cape Channel *** Telecom Abroad.
And communication with the night duty of the data center is a separate song. More often than not, it was easier to come and find the loose patch cord yourself than to try to get midnight from a little sane, wanting nothing young man. And it’s good if the attendant was there and it was possible to get to the data center at night. Some data centers worked from 9 to 5, except for holidays and weekends. The rest of the time there was ANYTHING. A server that crashed on a Friday night will wait at least until Monday afternoon.
A picture of what was happening inside a typical data center of that time.
Taken from the site Nag.ru
By that time, I was tired of this, and as a way out, I decided to build my own data center, focused on the requests of me and my users.
Namely, I wanted:
1) Normal, high-quality cooling with a large margin in case one of the air conditioners comes out.
2) Hassle-free electricity and always own diesel.
3) Channels to both local Tier1 and to the feast. Traffic should cost normal money.
4) His, well-trained and responsible round-the-clock shift on the site.
I shared my thoughts with friends and found sympathizers. A business plan was written. Slowly, money was found to launch and customers, so as not to work in the red after launch.
The future contractor for the construction of the data center was also found - Radius Group of Companies
Since January 2008, we started looking for a room. And not just like that, but with a size of 200-400 meters, with the release of 600 kW of electricity, with the mandatory registration of a lease for a period of 5 years. On the first floor. Without transit pipes. And what would be where to hang the air conditioners.
It was not so easy to find such a successful combination. The search for premises continued throughout 2008. There were many successful options, but alas, one way or another, we did not agree. Either electricity was at 2 prices, or a lease for no more than 3 years, or in general the plant went under reconstruction after 2 years.
So the whole of 2008 has passed. In winter, the number of objects suddenly increased sharply, and landlords suddenly began to agree to our conditions, and in January 2009 the premises were found. It was not a very pleasant sight.
Something like this
And on the other hand
So, the lease agreement is signed, we with specialists of the Radius group of companies rolled up our sleeves and began to do a working draft. Such a large, Talmud, pages of 1000. In which they described in detail how to make of what is, the extraordinary beauty we need. By March, the project was ready, and construction began.
As always, the most interesting in the next series
In 2007, the situation with data centers in Moscow, and throughout Russia, was critical. It was possible to get there to a simple hoster only by appointment. They fought it at exorbitant prices, the servers were often overheated, the electricity was periodically absent, and as soon as the data center started to generate 2-3 gigabits of band, he immediately imagined himself the king of the mountain, tried to bum your traffic, and fought with dissenting people by letting my traffic through the narrow Cape Channel *** Telecom Abroad.
And communication with the night duty of the data center is a separate song. More often than not, it was easier to come and find the loose patch cord yourself than to try to get midnight from a little sane, wanting nothing young man. And it’s good if the attendant was there and it was possible to get to the data center at night. Some data centers worked from 9 to 5, except for holidays and weekends. The rest of the time there was ANYTHING. A server that crashed on a Friday night will wait at least until Monday afternoon.
A picture of what was happening inside a typical data center of that time.
Taken from the site Nag.ru By that time, I was tired of this, and as a way out, I decided to build my own data center, focused on the requests of me and my users.
Namely, I wanted:
1) Normal, high-quality cooling with a large margin in case one of the air conditioners comes out.
2) Hassle-free electricity and always own diesel.
3) Channels to both local Tier1 and to the feast. Traffic should cost normal money.
4) His, well-trained and responsible round-the-clock shift on the site.
I shared my thoughts with friends and found sympathizers. A business plan was written. Slowly, money was found to launch and customers, so as not to work in the red after launch.
The future contractor for the construction of the data center was also found - Radius Group of Companies
Since January 2008, we started looking for a room. And not just like that, but with a size of 200-400 meters, with the release of 600 kW of electricity, with the mandatory registration of a lease for a period of 5 years. On the first floor. Without transit pipes. And what would be where to hang the air conditioners.
It was not so easy to find such a successful combination. The search for premises continued throughout 2008. There were many successful options, but alas, one way or another, we did not agree. Either electricity was at 2 prices, or a lease for no more than 3 years, or in general the plant went under reconstruction after 2 years.
So the whole of 2008 has passed. In winter, the number of objects suddenly increased sharply, and landlords suddenly began to agree to our conditions, and in January 2009 the premises were found. It was not a very pleasant sight.
Something like this
And on the other hand
So, the lease agreement is signed, we with specialists of the Radius group of companies rolled up our sleeves and began to do a working draft. Such a large, Talmud, pages of 1000. In which they described in detail how to make of what is, the extraordinary beauty we need. By March, the project was ready, and construction began.
As always, the most interesting in the next series