Microsoft opens Windy City data center

Microsoft's Chicago data center offers a merge of old and new techniques. The ground floor features sealed containers with tightly packed racks of servers, while the second floor houses more traditional server rooms.

(Credit: Microsoft)

CHICAGO--On most days it takes the right access badge and a biometric scan to make it inside the doors of Microsoft's massive data center. But on Wednesday, the company allowed a group of reporters, customers, and partners to tour the 700,000 square foot facility.

The data center, along with another just-opened facility in Dublin, Ireland and existing centers in San Antonio and Quincy, Wash., serve as the guts behind Microsoft's online ambitions, from Bing to Hotmail to Windows Azure.

But, for all its strategic import, the ground floor of the Chicago plant looks more like a truck parking lot than a traditional data center. In each parking spot, though, Microsoft can drop off a container packed with up to 2,000 servers.

Right now, only about a dozen of the 56 container spots are filled, but Microsoft executives said they expect that to change quickly. The software maker expects to eventually spend up to $500 million filling up the Chicago site with gear.

The site was originally slated to open months earlier, but Microsoft delayed things due to the economy. Eventually, though, it decided to move forward.

"Investing in these uncertain economic times is always a tough choice," said Arne Josefsberg, general manager of infrastructure services Microsoft's data center operations. But, he added, "We take a very long-term approach to the business.

The data center itself is housed in an unmarked warehouse in one of the Chicago area's many industrial districts. (The software maker didn't want the exact location disclosed.)

Microsoft picked the spot because of its convenient spot close to cheap and abundant power as well as the fact it sits atop a major Internet connection point that houses major east-west and north-south fiber routes.

"It's a lot about location, location, location," Josefsberg said.

I'll have a ton more to say in a follow-up post, including a bunch more pictures and some video interviews, but I wanted to share a few initial thoughts before hopping a plane to the Seattle area, where I will be working for the rest of the week.

[Mr. Dee]

Is there are ladder or stairway for the containers top? The look like over sized PC's. :)

[dargon19888]

They're shipping containers. My guess is that they have 'wheeled' ladder/stair cases that the can bring around as needed. I would suspect that they don't want to make it easy to access.

Its not that impressive.

[jaguar717]

I think it's a pretty neat idea, making a modular setup of modular setups of modular setups (blade servers in slots in containers in parking spots), plus then you just have a small sealed container to climate control instead of an entire room/building.

I'm not really sure why they'd pick Chicago though--yes they're near the fiber lines, but you could find that further down state (the major links run the length of the highway) or even in a free state. Most businesses are leaving Chicago, not many want to overpay for rent, taxes, union labor, and the myriad of fees and red tape set up by The Machine to bleed any productive activity dry.

It's not like a data center needs to be near a population center. I've often wondered why they don't build them all in Montana or some place else where everything is cheap and it's cold so the energy bills are that much lower.

[viper396]

@dargon19888, You can clearly see a wheeled access ladder on the right side of the picture. It's setup to be functional and modular, not about being visually impressive.

@jaguar717, the problem with places lke Montana is they often don't have the necessary communication and utility infastructure for a data center. The additional cost of installing and maintaining it all may negate the savings. Either way, the weather in Montana really isn't much different then Chicago, cold and snowy in winter and anywhere from 70 to 90 in the summer so I would call it a draw.

[LarcenIII]

Wow are they trying to copy Google to a "T" or what?

Google, invented this type of Deployment method, and has used it for years.

Of course it only makes sense to copy someone successful I guess, but If I was M$ I wouldn't be bragging about it too much. Bing is a bad copy of Google, and we all know that if Google wasn't there applying the pressure, we'd still be stuck with crappy MSN Live search.
Http://green.cx

[pfbarranis]

Darn, where's the photo gallery Ina? I live two hours from Chicago... does MSFT do tours of the data center? Heck, I'd even pay to get a tour! (Not a lot though...)

[Gold_Storm_Mac]

okkkk

[ry_jones]

Ina: while you're in Seattle, hit Beth's Cafe in up in Green Lake for 24 hour high-fat eating.

[sundance808]

Excellent location! If they're going to do cloud services services here as well I'll rent their resources as long as they have linux boxes!

[LarcenIII]

Hahahaha you made me laugh good.
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http://green.cx

[sting7k]

Neat.

[abbottpark]

This is the location out at 601 Northwest Avenue, northlake, illinois. It is a great location out by the expressway. This was where the old Kraft Foods Distribution Center was located. They had that building demolished and built a new state of the art building.

[Vegaman_Dan]

@abbotpark:

I do recall news a while ago saying MSFT was going to build a data center at the Kraft location. What you say makes sense.

Makes me want to fly out and see if my cardkey works. :)

[trs23]

Took about 10 seconds of searching to find out where it's at

http://maps.google.com/maps?geocode=CWrZLFwGaGoMFcysfwIdlNfC-g&q=microsoft+data+center&f=l&gl=us&sll=41.921535,-87.918348&sspn=0.011575,0.022745&ie=UTF8&radius=0.59&filter=0&rq=1&ev=zo&ll=41.921535,-87.918348&sp

[codynews]

I believe these are Verari FOREST containers.