We just covered the NSA's new data center, so it seems appropriate to mention Visa's new data center, complete with a moat! Notice how castle features are still king for physically securing our data in the information age.
An excerpt:
The 8-acre facility looks like any other industrial park in a sleepy suburb. But the serene setting masks hundreds of cameras and a crack team of former military personnel. Hydraulic bollards beneath the road leading to the OCE can be quickly raised to stop an intruding car going 50 mph. Any speed faster, and the car can't navigate a hairpin turn, sending it into a drainage pond that functions as a modern-day moat.Here is the exact location of the data center. So much for trying to hide from Google Maps!
The data center resembles a fortress, with dogged attention to detail. It can withstand earthquakes and hurricane-force winds of up to 170 mph. A 1.5-million-gallon storage tank cools the system. Diesel generators onsite have enough power, in the event of an outage, to keep the center running for nine days. They generate enough electricity for 25,000 households.
Once you get clearance from a guard station, get an OK from a roving security guy in a golf cart, and surrender a photo and fingerprint inside, the adventure begins.
View Larger Map
2 comments:
Sounds like the security is pretty stiff! But it is understandable for such places to have high security level because they are protecting sensitive information. Although you can still see them in Google Maps, I’m sure you will have a hard time getting in. >.<
A moat?! Wow, security definitely seems tight. Any idea what kind of solution their using for data center management? Curious to know if it's an in-house solution or a third-party software.
- G. Mitchell
AlphaPoint DCIM
Post a Comment