6 Innovations that made the Data Center Industry

I have been reading much more than normal which makes it so I haven't been writing as much.  One good book I read is Steven Johnson's Book On How We Got to Now

“How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World [Kindle Edition]
Steven Johnson”

The 6 things are Glass (Fiber Optics), Cold (remove the heat), Sound (Digital/recording), Clean (Infrastructure), Time (data I/O), Light (Fiber Optics again).  For any of you data center nerds you will see how these 6 important inventions all made the data center industry possible.


Isn't Mobile-First, Cloud-First like saying you want to be Apple and AWS?

Arstechnica has an article saying that Microsoft is still Steve Ballmer's Microsoft and Satya is running things.

“One year in, it’s still Steve Ballmer’s Microsoft—Satya Nadella just runs it
Microsoft’s direction hasn’t changed. Its perception has.

by Peter Bright - Feb 4 2015, 4:01am PST
...
Over the long haul, Microsoft’s hope is that its new focus—whether you call it “Devices and Services” or “Mobile-first, cloud-first”—will make up for the dependence on PC sales. This transition is perhaps one of the best reasons for Nadella’s appointment as CEO. As one of the big cloud champions within the company under the old regime, it’s fitting that he should continue the work as leader of the new company. The new Microsoft may have started under the old CEO, but the new CEO has given it a kind of visibility and credibility that it lacked before.”

The last paragraph in closing is making a positive spin on the Mobile-first, cloud-first strategy.  But, when you think of who has made mobile-first I think of Apple and for cloud-first I think of AWS.

How can you put two things first?

And is what being said is be like Apple and AWS, but branded Microsoft?

I am confused.

Digital Realty's David Schirmacher now SVP of Design and Contruction after 3 years of running operations

I had heard that Digital Realty's David Schirmacher had a new role as SVP of Design and Construction last week and was waiting for public disclosure. David has updated his LinkedIn profile.

“Senior Vice President, Design and Construction
Digital Realty
January 2015 – Present (2 months)Greater New York City Area
Digital RealtySenior Vice President, Operations
Digital Realty
January 2012 – Present (3 years 2 months)Greater New York City Area
”
— www.linkedin.com/pub/david-schirmacher/10/100/605

Before David joined Digital we had many long conversations about the data center industry.  We now have much fewer, but our conversations had lasting value and it is a good move for David and Digital.  David used to run Design and Construction at Goldman Sachs so this is not a new role for him.

“VP, Global Head of Engineering and Critical Systems
Goldman Sachs
November 1998 – April 2010 (11 years 6 months)”

There are many ideas in my head of how Digital could be changing how it designs, constructs and operates its data centers, and I have a feeling it is going to be based on some of the ideas David and I used to talk about.

 

 

Green Data Center Timeline from Greenpeace

Green Data Centers have come along way since i started blogging on the subject in 2007.

Greenpeace has a timeline from their perspective on the green data center here.

Here are some of their early entries.

“September, 2011: Google increases transparency on its data center energy use

Google releases information on exactly how much energy it takes to provide searches, email, youtube videos and all other Google services, as well as its energy mix.

December, 2011: Facebook to renewable energy siting policy for data centers

Facebook commits to a siting policy with a stated preference to locate data centers in areas with renewable energy available, bringing to a close the 20-month Greenpeace Unfriend Coal campaign.

May, 2012: Apple commits to 100 % renewable energy for iCloud

Apple announces a doubling of its solar installation at its North Carolina data center, along with a commitment that all of its data centers will be powered by 100 % renewable energy.

June, 2012: eBay quits the coal grid for its Utah data center

eBay installs fuel cells for its Utah data center, setting them up in a way that allows the facility to run independently from the electricity grid, which is heavily powered by coal there.”
— http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/A-Green-Internet/Green-Internet-Timeline/