Data Foundry Blog

Data Foundry to host cocktail party at Data Center World Las Vegas

Data Center World

Mark your calendars! Data Foundry will be hosting a cocktail party at the Mirage Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 20th from 7pm – 10pm. Join us after Data Center World to mingle with your peers over drinks and hors d’oeuvres. AFCOM Data Center Manager of the Year Finalist, Cameron Wynne will also be in attendance!

Contact your Data Foundry Sales Rep to receive an exclusive invitation. Entrance is by RSVP only.

What makes a data center a “World-Class Data Center”?

When we started the process of designing Texas 1, we knew our customers expected a World-Class Data Center (WCDC). From the cooling, power and networking systems to the very ground on which Texas 1 sits, every detail was carefully considered when building this state-of-the-art facility. We consulted industry experts to ensure the highest quality product was produced….a World-Class Data Center.

One of these industry experts, Mike Mosman, Vice President and CTO of CCG Facilities Integration, was asked what a WCDC meant to him, and here’s what he had to say:

“A WCDC is designed to be ‘Business Mission Responsive.’ For colocation, this means it’s designed to accommodate a wide variety of customer-specific business requirements and be able to adapt to customer business strategy changes, as well as growth over time.”

We couldn’t agree more. Building upon Mike’s perspective, we compiled data and feedback from other industry experts and recently published a white paper – The 5 Pillars of a World-Class Data Center.

Texas 1 Data Center in Austin, TXTexas 1 Data Center in Austin, TX

The 5 pillars of a World-Class Data Center:

  1. A Purpose-Built Facility
  2. Robust Utility and Facility Infrastructure
  3. High Performance Computing Capable
  4. Best-in-Class Equipment
  5. The Human Factor

Is your current data center a WCDC?

Download The 5 Pillars of a World-Class Data Center white paper and decide for yourself!

Want to see 500 Terabytes of Cloud Storage in Texas 1?

Golden Frog, a global software provider, recently selected Data Foundry’s Texas 1 data center to deploy one of their worldwide storage clusters for their Dump Truck online storage product.

Golden Frog posted on their blog a great photo of 500 terabytes of cloud storage in a single cabinet. Visit the Golden Frog blog for an image of the 500 terabyte cloud storage installation inside one of our special chimney cabinets.

By offering chimney cabinets and hot/cold aisle containment, Data Foundry’s purpose-built Texas 1 data center is uniquely designed to handle high performance/high density deployments such Golden Frog’s cloud storage solution.

Data Foundry’s New Partner Program

With the launch of our newest world-class facility, Texas 1, Data Foundry continues to transform Austin, TX into a destination city for data center colocation around the world. As part of this continued transformation, we are announcing a new partner program that already includes top channel partners like COLOTRAQ and SHI. This new program offers service providers, agents, and VARs the ability to seamlessly integrate our products & services into their existing suite of services and create new business avenues.

Data Foundry’s Partner Program also allows partners to provide a broader, more comprehensive solution to their current clients, or target new customers with state-of-the-art colocation options, reliable connectivity, and dedicated worksite recovery space.

Data Foundry is a trusted data center provider with a stellar industry reputation, so becoming a member of their new Channel Program was an easy decision. By incorporating Data Foundry’s product portfolio, including their new Texas 1 data center into our offerings, we can further ensure our clients receive the very best in cutting-edge services and support.

- Lou Peccoralo, Chief Operating Officer of COLOTRAQ.

To learn more about how you can become a partner, click here.

Power Outage at Candlestick Park

Just prior to the start of last night’s Monday Night Football game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the country saw firsthand what happens when a utility transformer suddenly explodes. As the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers was set to start, a utility transformer supplying power to the stadium blew up causing a power outage and delayed the start of the game by 20 minutes.

What was witnessed last night is the reality of utility feeds. They fail. Sometimes spectacularly!

Had Candlestick Park been powered by a “True Dual Feed” like Data Foundry’s Texas 1 Data Center, last night’s game would have started without a hitch.

What is “True Dual Feed” power and is your data center configured in such a manner? Most data center operators will misuse the term “dual feed” when communicating the power configuration of their respective facilities. In reality, using the term “dual feed” does not always mean that the facility is receiving two independent power feeds from the utility company to the data center as it might imply. To help explain the typical power feed configurations, we have prepared a white paper that utilizes the following classification system;

  • Class 1 – Single Feed
  • Class 2 – Single Substation
  • Class 3 – Dual Substations
  • Class 4 – True Dual Feed

To find out if your data center is truly dual fed, learn The Truth about Dual Power Feeds by downloading a free copy of our white paper. Click here to download.

Visiting Texas 1

Now that construction is complete, we can focus on sharing all of the details that make Texas 1 customer-friendly. We’ve previously blogged about the consideration that went into protecting and managing your equipment: energy-efficient cooling system, top-of-the-line security and the dual power substations. Now, we want to share some things we’ve done for the convenience of you and your staff.

Much consideration went into making your visits to Texas 1 easy and as productive as possible from the moment you start to move your equipment in.

Easy and Secure Access

Texas 1’s loading dock is in the front of the building, allowing our security to monitor all traffic in and out of the facility. This also makes it easy for clients to receive equipment that is shipped to the data center. In one stop, you can check in at the security booth and go into the staging area for unpacking equipment, configuring it, and racking it.

Customers can pull up at the loading dock, check in at the security booth, and unload in one place.Customers can pull up at the loading dock, check in at the security booth, and unload in one place.
Texas 1 was designed with no stairs or ramps for easy deployments.Texas 1 was designed with no stairs or ramps for easy deployments.

Workstations

There are several workstation areas located throughout Texas 1 with Internet access and VoIP phones. This provides technicians with relief away from the noise and cold air inside the server rooms to work on their laptops, place calls, and get the rest of their work done at their “home-away from home.”

Customers can just sit down, plug in and instantly be connected.Customers can just sit down, plug in and instantly be connected.

White Cabinets

Texas 1 has all white cabinets rather than the traditional black ones, making it easier for technicians to see inside the cabinets when cabling and configuring equipment. Often times, a flashlight is needed with black cabinets because it is too dark to see.

White cabinets reflect light, making installs smoother and more efficient.White cabinets reflect light, making installs smoother and more efficient.

Showers

Showers are available on the Texas 1 campus to accommodate the technicians who need to pull all-nighters or work extra hours.

Showers and break rooms available to customers make long visits more comfortable.Showers and break rooms available to customers make long visits more comfortable.

Texas 1 provides these extra accommodations to ensure customers are always comfortable when on-site. It’s this thoughtful attention to even the smallest detail that truly makes Texas 1 a unique, premier facility.

To learn about all of the features of Texas 1, visit http://www.datafoundry.com/tour/.

Raising the Bar: Data Foundry Completes SSAE 16 Type II Audit

Data Foundry’s Texas 1 and ADC data centers have successfully completed the SSAE 16 Type II compliance audit. What does that mean? You can have complete confidence that your critical data and infrastructure is in a facility which has verified internal business processes and IT controls in place.

Over a period of 6 months, independent auditors assessed Data Foundry’s policies, controls, and business processes leading to SSAE 16 SOC 1 Type II compliance. Data Foundry will continue to complete an SSAE 16 audit every six months to ensure that no reporting period is unaudited. Continuous completion of an SSAE 16 Type II audit is part of Data Foundry’s commitment to provide world-class data center management services to its customers. For more information, please see our SSAE 16 page.

Data Foundry Celebrates Texas 1

Data Foundry’s recent Texas 1 Grand Opening was a celebration to remember. With our clients, partners, and valued employees we shared a relaxing night full of easy conversation, live music and great Texas BBQ.

Guests mingled on the patio with wine and musicGuests mingled on the patio with wine and music
The latin jazz music of Soniquete entertained throughout the nightThe latin jazz music of Soniquete entertained throughout the night
Salt Lick provided a buffet of delicious barbecue.Salt Lick provided a buffet of delicious barbecue.

Surrounded by local flora and grasses, over 200 guests enjoyed themselves on the patio of our flagship data center on the Data Ranch campus. The cool night air – a rarity in Texas – made the wait until October to host this event worth it!

Texas 1 Night Time

The night was even more special as we also marked the 17th Anniversary of Data Foundry – celebrating with many employees; some of which have been with Data Foundry for 10+ years!

Texas 1 Cake

Our team was proud to share their accomplishments and hard work of this past year, inviting guests to tour the innerworkings of the magnificent Texas 1 data center. Tours led our guests through the dedicated worksite recovery space, generator rooms, 24×7 NOC, water cooled mechanical room, and the vast raised floor colocation area.

Many thanks to those that made it to the event and helped us celebrate this special occasion. If you weren’t able to attend, please contact us to schedule a personalized tour. We look forward to many more years serving our clients in the Data Foundry tradition.

Here are a few more pictures from the event:

Prospective Customers at Texas 1
Mingling with the Guests
Mingling with the Guests 2
Mingling with the Guests 3
End of the Night

Texas 1 – Open for Business

Texas 1, the first purpose-built, carrier-neutral data center in the Central Texas region is now open for business!

Texas 1 Main Entrance

The initial phase of the highly anticipated 250,000 SF data center is fully operational and the first customers are already moved in. As chronicled on our Construction Blog throughout the past year, Texas 1 is the first colocation facility on the 40-acre master-planned Data Ranch data center development in Austin, Texas.

Watch the time lapse video of its construction here!

Texas 1 offers secure colocation and disaster recovery solutions, including dedicated worksite recovery space. Its unique design includes independent and diverse power, water and network feeds with no single point of failure within any of these systems.

The site’s fully redundant power is fed from two independent substations with a dedicated feed enclosed in an end-to-end, concrete encased duct bank – a rare feature for data centers. The chilled water cooling system enables maximum cooling flexibility from standard single cabinet deployments to high density configurations. Even the most complex High Performance Computing (HPC) environments can be properly cooled and supported within Texas 1. With over 17 network carriers available, Texas 1 also provides customers a variety of carrier-neutral options for their network solution.

Fully Redundant
Multiple carriers are installed and live in the facility.Multiple carriers are installed and live in the facility.
Data Center customers have already started deploying into Texas 1Data Center customers have already started deploying into Texas 1.
Colocation cabinets are available for customers.Colocation cabinets are available for customers.
Regardless of the size of your deployment, Texas 1 has room for you!Regardless of the size of your deployment, Texas 1 has room for you!

The entire Data Foundry team is proud to open the doors of Texas 1 and start serving customers. Contact us today for a tour of Texas 1.

The Final Stages

Texas 1 data center is undergoing the final steps of commissioning!

In the commissioning process, we are doing our final operational testing. The systems within the building are tested and verified, including quality assurance for the electrical, cooling, water, lighting, plumbing, security and other systems throughout the facility.

This caps a multi-month process of testing and verifying each individual component followed by a comprehensive set of Integrated Systems Tests. Power interruptions, planned maintenances and equipment failures are all simulated to ensure that everything will run smoothly no matter what. Data Foundry staff have also been in the building getting hands-on expert training to prepare for any situation or need a customer may have.

Flag poles are up and the landscaping is in.Flag poles are up and the landscaping is in.
Landscaping
Landscaping
A front loading dock makes it easy for deliveries to be checked in and monitored by security personnelA front loading dock makes it easy for deliveries to be checked in and monitored by security personnel.
Biometric scanners and man traps help to protect the facility and your IT infrastructure beyond just the security boothBiometric scanners and man traps help to protect the facility and your IT infrastructure beyond just the security booth.
Worksite recovery space is available for customers to purchase dedicated offices and office spaceWorksite recovery space is available for customers to purchase dedicated offices and office space.
Customers can bring laptops and connect to these workstations along “Main Street” to log in directly to their servers in our facilityCustomers can bring laptops and connect to these workstations along “Main Street” to log in directly to
their servers in our facility.
The Network Operations Center (NOC) is where all the systems will be monitoredThe Network Operations Center (NOC) is where all the systems will be monitored.
Texas 1 uses FM-200, a top-of-the-line fire suppression system that leaves no residue as part of the best fire protection possible.Texas 1 uses FM-200, a top-of-the-line fire suppression system that leaves no residue as part of the best
fire protection possible.
As you can see, we are ready to open! Can you imagine your IT deployment set up right here in this safe, clean, state-of-the art facility? We've done all the hard work providing you unmatched flexibility and convenience, you get to enjoy our Class A server hospitality.As you can see, we are ready to open! Can you imagine your IT deployment set up right here in this safe, clean,
state-of-the art facility? We’ve done all the hard work providing you unmatched flexibility and convenience,
you get to enjoy our Class A server hospitality.
Street View
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