Apple's Massive North Carolina Data Center Ready By End of Year

[mdriftmeyer]

NC seems like a hot (temperature wise) place to have a data center. Cooling is a major cost factor in data centers. Would have been interesting if Apple had picked Maine, Quebec or Iceland to house a datacenter, all have first class data connections and low average climate temperatures.

This isn't about housing the Data Center in a foreign land. It's about managing huge pipes on the East Coast to off-set the load and demand the East Coast of the US demands.

I'd expect in the near Future for Apple to build a second data center in the Pacific Northwest to off-set the West Coast.

 

[Glitterkidd777]

how is this negative?

 

[deconstruct60]

[ Due to the massive size of the new data center, many have speculated that it will represent Apple's push into cloud computing.

Not sure why that is purposed as the dominate push. Listen to the other parts of the call. There are 100 million and rapidly growing iOS devices. Some aspects of their normal functions hit Apple servers. Facetime address lookup , Store browsing and buying , notifications ( all notifications get routed through Apple). By end of year could be 110 million devices. Let's say 5% at any one time are actively pinging Apple's servers over the course of a minute. That's 5.5 million connections. That is with 95% of the users not doing anything. What is Apple suppose to do if that jumps to 20% one day?

With iPad at 1M/month additions and Touch/Phone additions running around 4-5M/month that "low level user usage" number gets bigger every year. They aren't going to fill the entire complex up with computers before it goes online. It will be years before it fills up completely.

Second, Apple needs a back up for their one primary site now. It is not some smallish server farm. If there is a failure in Fremont (e.g, major earthquake), all of the services there will failover to the NC center. That in addition to the workload the NC center normally did will need to housed in one building. Apple is going to slice some of the work out of Fremont and send it to NC permanently, but they are both likely going to serve as emergency backups of the other. The NC complex will be bigger in square footage so not an equal share. However, not unusal to leave part of the building empty so they don't have to match perfectly to split the load.


Yeah there is some cloud-ish things they will do: GameCenter , mobileme additions , etc. that may land uniquely in NC. However, that is a repeat of the same problem they have know where critical service(s) is/are delivered out of one single location.

 

[ladeer]

Excellent points! This is just basic physical common sense.

horrible point.

data center location does not consider climate temperature as much as:
1. weather (Storm, lightening risk)
2. earthquake (lack of)
3. access to cheap power (next to a dam)
4. security and privacy
5. centrality (globally)
6. redundancy (u dont want two centers in the same geographical area)
among many others...

outside temperature is insignificant in NC. Cisco's new data center is in Texas; Google also in NC.

 

[santaliqueur]

NC seems like a hot (temperature wise) place to have a data center. Cooling is a major cost factor in data centers. Would have been interesting if Apple had picked Maine, Quebec or Iceland to house a datacenter, all have first class data connections and low average climate temperatures.

Perhaps there was cheap real estate? Perhaps there were massive tax benefits?

Too bad Apple didn't think about it AT ALL, right? You should have posted earlier, they could have read your post and saved millions.

 

[behrmon]

Way too big for a data center alone, especially when you look at the 13 dock doors. Why do they need these? Not a data center (only)?

Exactly what I was going to say only I counted 12 and 1 stairway.entrance.

 

[boncellis]

Hot on the heels of another earnings call: data center + (new) Apple TV and iOS devices = possible new revenue stream.

 

[tooz]

Good work apple. Much better to future proof now than to fix problems after the fact.

 

[Eso]

Its not about iTunes - its about wireless streaming/syncing of content on demand to a computer/iPhone etc over the internet

That would be called "streaming". If you notice I quoted the bit about wireless "syncing". Thanks though.

 

[HiRez]

NC seems like a hot (temperature wise) place to have a data center. Cooling is a major cost factor in data centers. Would have been interesting if Apple had picked Maine, Quebec or Iceland to house a datacenter, all have first class data connections and low average climate temperatures.

It may just be that the effect of the ambient temperature is insignificant compared to the heat generated by the machines inside. In that case other factors such as tax rates, available workforce, state and local regulations, etc. may be more important.

 

[deconstruct60]

This isn't about housing the Data Center in a foreign land. It's about managing huge pipes on the East Coast to off-set the load and demand the East Coast of the US demands.

It isn't just US East Coast. Apple needs to run more data traffic to offshore the East coast then up and down it. NC is close to one the landfall spots for fiber.

Likewise. A new optical line just dropped in SF area ( by Google and some other companies in partnership). Going bigger in area already have large data center has benefits. Same people move them to new building is easier.
I'm sure it will get bid out so Apple can get some huge deal on tax breaks but wouldn't bet on it going North. If it was a fourth center perhaps but not as a replacement for first or a third. A third at a southern offshore fiber jump off point would be more likely. Need to even out bandwidth and workload as much as chase cheap power.

 

[santaliqueur]

everything you say on a phone or type into your computer online is logged in an NSA database\

This way of "thinking" is extreme narcissism at best. What makes you think the government is sooooo interested in what you have to say?

Here is a protip about the government. They don't want to listen to your phone calls or monitor your web surfing. They only thing they want is...our money. That's it.

Also, your lack of all things technical is staggering. Might you realize how difficult it would be to log all telephone and internet communication? It would take a server farm the size of North Carolina itself.

 

[zarusoba]

All powered with what? Dirty coal? Elves busily pedalling?

 

[nozebleed]

A coworker got hired, for the chief electrical engineer job (or whatever it was posted as), just got back from Cupertino. I never got a call (yet?)

 

[GollumBoy]

This isn't about housing the Data Center in a foreign land. It's about managing huge pipes on the East Coast to off-set the load and demand the East Coast of the US demands.

I'd expect in the near Future for Apple to build a second data center in the Pacific Northwest to off-set the West Coast.

And one in Europe to off-set Europe?
And one in Asia to off-set Asia?
etc.

America isn't the only country/continent

 

[je_wallace]

data center location does not consider climate temperature as much as:
1. weather (Storm, lightening risk)
2. earthquake (lack of)
3. access to cheap power (next to a dam)
4. security and privacy
5. centrality (globally)
6. redundancy (u dont want two centers in the same geographical area)
among many others...

outside temperature is insignificant in NC. Cisco's new data center is in Texas; Google also in NC.

1. Maine & Quebec gets less lightening & storm warnings than NC look here http://www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/nc.php?x=1 & http://www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/me.php?x=1
2. Mote point Maine/Quebec are as stable as NC...maybe more so Iceland's got that LAVA thingy so I'll give you that one.
3. Cheap power? Some of the cheapest power is found in Quebec (hydro) & Iceland (geo-thermo (see Lava reference))
4. Didn't know NC is more secure than Maine or Quebec...good to know
5. Iceland is central to both North America & Europe.... but again, I might be missing the special sauce which makes NC more central....globally than an island which is between North American & Europe/Russia/etc.
6. Google's data center in NC puts a flat tire in your point here.

In all, I think the 5 or 6 other points about tax breaks and sweetheart deals probably explains more than your 6 points.

 

[deconstruct60]

Way too big for a data center alone, especially when you look at the 13 dock doors. Why do they need these? Not a data center (only)?

The scale in the video is hard to judge. Those "doors" are much bigger than a truck. Closer pictures with something to better judge the scale would help but those are just as likely to be exhaust/input openings for air. Remember you have to chill that whole complex that has been stuff to the gills with space heaters ( computers. ). Can either have internal diesels that switch on to provide emergency power (and blow lots of air out) or the inputs to the HVAC conditioners. Both of those lead to big holes in side of a building too (not next to each other of course but examples of why need that size cut out.)


The loading docks/doors are more likely the much smaller subset along the side toward the front (where cars/trucks park) of the building with that long, "half height" wall sticks out.

 

[goobot]

All powered with what? Dirty coal? Elves busily pedalling?

a pinwheel

 

[ThunderSkunk]

This way of "thinking" is extreme narcissism at best. What makes you think the government is sooooo interested in what you have to say?

Here is a protip about the government. They don't want to listen to your phone calls or monitor your web surfing. They only thing they want is...our money. That's it.

Also, your lack of all things technical is staggering. Might you realize how difficult it would be to log all telephone and internet communication? It would take a server farm the size of North Carolina itself.

Actually, you're both right, and wrong.

Phone calls are actually monitored and logged, but that does not mean recorded (not unless they're flagged), nor does it mean they're listened in on by a human being (they're not). And no, "the government" doesn't care, since there is no mythical, willful conscious government, and few of the people who comprise it care either, until something pos up and bites them in the ass. Then they care. ...about getting the hot potato off their desk. It's all about CYOA, as anyone with any governmental or military experience knows firsthand.

Attempts have been made with regard to internet traffic, but it's so varied and scattered it's pretty hodge-podge. Google, on the other hand...

 

[deconstruct60]

1. Maine & Quebec gets less lightening & storm warnings than NC look here
http://www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/nc.php?x=1 & http://www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/me.php?x=1

They do get more ice storms. Storms that damage broader electrical grid are a bigger problem than lightning ( can add local protection measures for the latter). Not that NC doesn't get them occasionally either. But there have been times when part of Quebec has been knocked out for long blocks of time.

3. Cheap power? Some of the cheapest power is found in Quebec (hydro)

NC has hydro and they have nukes. Nukes are subject to environmental conditions (drought , etc. ) . They also had industry and lost it. Not only cheap power but excess capacity also.

5. Iceland is central to both North America & Europe.... but again, I might be missing the special sauce which makes NC more central....globally

It is balance versus the other data center on the west coast.. Apple is getting much higher growth out of Asia than NA or Western Europe. There are also lots of people who live south of the Equator also. Apple needs to balance out whole East/West hemispheres not move closer to North Pole.


Staying inside of one country has benefits too. To large extent just have one set of data privacy and regulators to deal with if want to limit variation. In failover situations will also be easier to fly folks from other server farm to work long term if necessary if do not need work travel visas.

 

[iansilv]

Facetime Video Mail Messages will be what the datacenter is for

Imagine this- Facetime calls from iphone, ipod touch and ipad all running off an apple id. You call someone, the facetime call "rings" on all devices you have setup to receive your facetime calls.

what happens when the person you are calling is not online? That is a huge barrier to entry right now for video calling.

Imagine if you did not have to verify online status- you just called, like a phone call, and if the other person does not answer, you can leave a message, just like regular calling. Where would the video mail messages be stored- the apple data center. Suddenly, the last barrier to relying on videocalling is gone- no more worrying about whether someone is online- you can just leave them a video message.

 

[Ganesha]

All powered with what? Dirty coal? Elves busily pedalling?

Right next to McGuire Nuclear station.

 

[MrSmith]

Is Apple going to build a new faster Internet, too?

 

[Sequin]

Wow I didn't even know they were building that here. Obviously I've been oblivious to it all! LOL I had to look up Maiden since I had no idea where it was. I never seem to venture outside of the triangle ):

 

[0098386]

What if Apple made TVs???

Overpriced and underfeatured.
Why?