See Where the Internet Lives—Tour Google's Data Centers
While Google is not exactly conducting public tours and handing out maps, for the first time they have allowed a controlled virtual peek into their inner sanctum—Google’s data centers where the servers are located.
Google selected photographer Connie Zhou, who has nailed her reputation as the premiere architecture and interiors photographer. Her stunning photos turn Google’s servers into works of art.
Take a photo gallery tour—Where the Internet Lives—inside Google’s high-tech data centers.
There’s even a self-guided street view tour inside the Google data center in Lenoir, North Carolina, and the video below is a guided street view tour.
In addition, author and WIRED reporter Steven Levy was allowed inside one of the company's data centers in order to write an article for WIRED.
Google shares its top five best practices for running an efficient data center:
- Measure Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). Working on the principle that you can’t manage what you don’t measure, Google samples at least once per second.
- Manage airflow. Google prevents the “hot aisle” air behind the server racks from mixing with the “cold aisle” in front of the server racks and uses appropriate ducting and permanent enclosures.
- Adjust the thermostat. It’s a myth that data centers need to be kept chilly.
- Use free cooling. Learn about the “Hot Huts” custom cooling systems.
- Optimize power distribution. Eliminate as many power conversion steps as possible, and keep high voltages as close as possible to the power supply to reduce line losses and other practices.
Chances are slim to none that Google will eventually take after Disney, who offers the general public live, behind-the-scenes Backstage Magic tours of its famous underground Utilidor tunnel system at Walt Disney World Resort.
Still, the glimpse of Google’s data centers is intriguing. And in a blog, Urs Hölzle, Google’s senior vice president of technical infrastructure, says “Stay tuned for more!” We’ll wait and see what’s next.
