05 Dec 2008

Microsoft moots new data centre technology

As Microsoft spends huge amounts of money investing in cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS), costs and flexibility concerns within its data centre management are becoming an priority, an industry expert has commented.

J Nicholas Hoover, writing at InformationWeek, said the group wants to commoditise the build-out of its data centres and assemble new components on-site.

He noted that its new Generation Four Modular Data Centre (Gen 4) technology will use shipping containers carrying servers as their basic building block.

But unlike Microsoft's Gen 4 data centres at its hub in Chicago, the new version will include "modular units of prefabricated mechanical, electrical [and] security components", said the firm's general manager for data centre components Mike Manos earlier this week.

"Microsoft's already pushing the limits of database scalability with its shipping-container-based mega-data centre in Chicago, but it wants to take things a step further," he added.

Some 90 per cent of enterprises are planning to maintain or increase SaaS technology within their operations, according to research by Gartner.