Server room in shipping containers
I was wondering if anyone have experience with building server rooms in shipping containers, how viable it is, and what to look out for.
We need more space, but can't build due to restrictions, so we are wondering about placing down some permanent containers to house servers, i know it has been done before, but i was wondering if anyone has any experience with this.
Could help me out a lot in upcoming meetings with building companies!
Thanks!
Solution 1:
To be fair, if it's a static container and you're building it on location, then the challenges are pretty much the same as any other data centre. E.g.
HVAC - Cooling, but also ensuring it doesn't get frosty or damp in the winter. Remember you'll need water for air con.
Power - How will you get sufficient power to the container and what about redundancy and resilience?
Connectivity - As above, how will you connect? Will you risk running a high cable, or pay to dig? Again, redundancy, future proofing etc
Security - How will you physically secure the environment from unauthorised access?
Access - Opposite to the above, will you have sufficient access to get in there and get things done
Weatherproofing - How weatherproof are the containers and what will you need to do to make them truly weatherproof. This depends on your environment, but I know I'd be tense when it was raining heavily. This also means your utility connects all need to be seriously weatherproof and that you have room to open the door without splashing everything!