NEI Nuclear Notes

Hmm. What is a data center, and why should we be concerned? A data center is a facility that provides a safe, secure, powered home for computer servers. Generally companies rent space in a data center to house the servers that make their companies run. Data centers house everything from this blog, for example, to the massive Google search index (which is comprised of an estimated 450,000 servers). Data centers are big dollar, and the level of security is intense. Data centers are a study in how to secure an industrial facility. For the interested, take a tour of The Bunker , an example of how far companies will go to ensure the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of their data. Powering these facilities is no small matter. Many large-scale facilities are connected to 2 or more separate power grids to ensure a constant supply of power. Most have additional, redundant power generating capacity. In a study released in February, Jonathan Koomey, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley N...