Inside Las Vegas' Biggest Data Centre 106
twoheadedboy writes "Las Vegas data centres are just as opulent as the casinos which litter the vibrant city. SuperNAP is the biggest in all Las Vegas, with 400,000 square feet of servers using around 100 megawatts of power. There's some serious security too, comprised mostly of ex-US Marines who patrol the perimeter on foot and in Humvees, all armed with assault rifles. Private military contractors are needed in the IT world too, it seems. IT Pro got a look around this impressive DC."
Security overkill (Score:5, Interesting)
Speaking as somebody that has been inside the facility, the security can get a little bit of an "itchy trigger finger".
It's hard enough to do a job at the last notice, but having some beefed up ex-military guy from Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. is not all that it is cracked up to be. They walk around all dressed in black with pistols and assault rifles. That part is not a joke at all, and this is inside the facility.
So when you are trying to take a server out of a rack and service it, or take equipment out, it makes it just a ohhh so fun fun day to have one of those hopped up alpha male psychopaths have one hand on their weapon and the other hand on the radio. Seriously? I am inside a locked down facility. Get your fucking hands off the assault rifles when you start talking to me. I'm a fucking IT guy.
All because shit is moving fast in my world and some desk monkey did not talk fast enough to another desk monkey in their company.
It sounds great in literature and brochures, but when you actually have to walk down aisles and deal with those guys it is another matter entirely. I would rather just be in another data center where there are not armed guards walking around every corner with live ammo.
Re:Maybe your have some phobias and prejudices? (Score:3, Interesting)
Had 50 cabinets there. They don't carry assault rifles. Most do carry edged weapons and many probably carry 'personal' weapons (I know the Director of Security did at one time, anyway).
Security there is excellent. The team is very respectful of you, your gear, and the privacy of each of their customers. They have very rigid rules because companies invest millions of $$$ building co-location facility infrastructure within the SuperNAP facility. Add Rob Roy's vision of leveraging large customers to create buying consortium opportunities and excellent relationships with Federal, State, and local governments and you get a top-notch co-location facility. Sales and implementation are great too.
If you're used to very loose process and you're doing things on the fly, without a lot of planning, it can be a pain in the ass. If you plan and manage and communicate, it's less of a problem.