Find out where Microsoft Azure data is stored
Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, gives a tour of Microsoft’s massive datacenter in Quincy, Washington, where the company runs its cloud operations. He starts by saying: “The view may be generic but this is actually one of my favorite places in the world”. He may be right, since it represents one of the most important infrastructures of the 21st century.
This is a part of Microsoft’s Columbia datacenter campus, which houses the computers that fuel our lives. There are more than 20 buildings – each of them large enough to house two commercial aircrafts and it probably has the longest and most substantial security checkpoint worldwide. But what’s really interesting is what’s inside.
What you can see in the video is just a glimpse of the types of server computers that we find in room after room and building after building on these campuses. There are almost half a million server computers storing data that would be able to fill more than 50.000 libraries which shows how important this infrastructure is. The way we live our lives, work and do research and development all rely on this enormous amount of data and computing power. This technology encourages innovation and globalization.
Microsoft’s datacenter infrastructure
As well as having an advanced digital framework, these campuses also have a highly-developed energy infrastructure. This is very important because if there is a power cut, since the computers need to keep running. There are more than 19.000 battery cells each, with power similar to those inside cars and more than 140 electrical generators that will start operating as well if needed, each of those being able to power the equivalent of 3.000 homes.
With the latest advances in emissions technology they actually give out less emission than a lawn mower that runs on diesel fuel. In fact there are tens of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel stored that are going to be replaced by the end of this decade. Either new generators that run on hydrogen power or new advanced fuel cells will provide the energy needed for the datacenter.
This center is extraordinary union between digital technology, energy, environmental science and the need for innovation. This is what gives life to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
