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  • AMD's Atlanta datacenter notching up to top gear

    AMD's Atlanta datacenter notching up to top gear

    SUWANEE, GA. — Situated along a corridor of datacenters near Atlanta, GA, chip-making powerhouse AMD boasts a new facilities that it hopes will transform its business by reducing costs and increasing efficiency — cutting its global datacenter operations from 18 facilities to just two.

    While it may not scream excitement from the outside, AMD's Atlanta facility will eventually become the company's sole U.S. datacenter, with the other in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

    Disclosure: Zack Whittaker travelled as a guest of AMD. No agreements or non-disclosures were signed.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • AMD executives begin the tour

    AMD executives begin the tour

    The building itself is relatively unremarkable. But AMD isn't splashing its cash on decorative furniture and plush office space. It's investing vast sums into the new 150,000 sq. ft. datacenter in order to save as much as $8.5 million in annual savings. AMD has an 11-year lease on the property, which will run through until the end of the current decade.

    (From left-to-right: Andy Bynum, Corporate Vice President, Global Infrastructure & Operations; Jake Dominguez, Chief Information Officer; Lamar Washington, Critical Environment Manager)

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Security is tight at AMD's flagship U.S. datacenter

    Security is tight at AMD's flagship U.S. datacenter

    There is tight access control at the Atlanta datacenter, including wireless card readers to control access to various sectors of the building. Some areas are more restricted than others, including the main networking room — where the datacenter receives its 10 Gbps fiber line.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Despite vast office space, there are just a few staff in the premises

    Despite vast office space, there are just a few staff in the premises

    Just a handful of employees work at the Atlanta datacenter — 21 on-site staff to be exact — who share an open office space. The premises use only one-quarter of the available space so far, according to executives. But with the savings made, further investments can be made in the coming months and years.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Monitoring room keeps a close eye on vital datacenter functions

    Monitoring room keeps a close eye on vital datacenter functions

    Lamar Washington, the datacenter's manager, explains in the monitoring room the number of screens on desks and the wall that keep an eye on the vital functions of the facility. The dial displays, teams can keep an eye on power consumption, cooling, and other functions, which, as you might expect, need to stay in the green, or yellow — otherwise something clearly isn't working.

    Here he is explaining that a good portion of the facility's monitoring focuses on the temperature. Atlanta, during the summer, is anything but cool. During the late-fall, winter, and spring months, the datacenter can run in economize mode, which uses less power to cool the data racks.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Tape drives used for storage

    Tape drives used for storage

    Here, you can see a number of spare Dell tape drives that are able to store up to 3 terabytes (compressed) of data. These can be slotted into servers when they require replacement, or fail. And AMD uses technology from rivals and partners alike, including Dell and HP.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Stacks of replacement drives

    Stacks of replacement drives

    AMD executives weren't kidding — they have hundreds of spare drives in case others' fail. There are dozens of boxes of drives, which according to executives, in this room alone there are up to 2 petabytes. In terms of the overall datacenter tape storage capacity, the Atlanta facility is approaching the 5 petabyte capacity.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • The "build and burn" room

    The "build and burn" room

    Build it, overclock it, and burn it into the ground, a crucial litmus test for the various technologies and hardware components that may eventually find their way into the main datacenter. This room is about the size of an average New York City apartment — about 600-700 sq. ft. — and houses more than a dozen machines packed with hardware that run rapid-fire simulations. The room itself is significantly warmer than the other rooms, but in order to maximize its potential, the room does not haver air conditioning.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Overlock, yank, replace, rinse and repeat

    Overlock, yank, replace, rinse and repeat

    These computers are intended to burn and fail, executives said, by burning hot. The components are yanked out and replaced once they crumble. This helps determine the best technologies and hardware components for the server racks in the main part of the datacenter.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • The main data room

    The main data room

    This vast space will eventually hold about 5-10 halls, segregated from each other, and packed with server racks. AMD executives said a modular concept will be used in order to expand as and when it's necessary. Right now, the warehouse-sized room is relatively bare, but it can house hundreds of servers. This is one of two main data rooms in the facility.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Look up, more cables

    Look up, more cables

    The main distribution frame (MDF) room where these cables run into AMD considers a corporate secret, and photos were not permitted. In the central networking room where the datacenter's fiber cables flow into, there are network appliances from HP, Cisco, and Fortinet to supply firewalls and network distribution. It houses a fiber line that allows 10 Gbps speeds, but AMD declined to disclose how much of that line is used.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Security is insane (but don't worry, there are fire doors!)

    Security is insane (but don't worry, there are fire doors!)

    Again, security remains tight within the building, including spinning doors that allow only single-person access at a time. But don't worry about the fire regulations — you can just head out through the door on the right.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • "Diamond" data hall

    "Diamond" data hall

    The datacenter has room for 10 individual data halls. This, the "diamond" data hall, is one of two that are currently operational. This one room alone is about 1,500 sq. ft. — a fraction of the overall 6,000 sq. ft. of IT space that AMD plans to utilize.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Under-floor ventilation helps draw out the unwanted warm air

    Under-floor ventilation helps draw out the unwanted warm air

    The floors in the "diamond" data hall, like its other server rooms, are fitted with under-floor ventilation to help draw out the warm air booted out of the servers. This data hall isn't yet up to full capacity so it's not particularly warm, but the plastic sheets prevent the heat from escaping, and the warm air is channelled into the floor. 

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • High-density networking cables run throughout

    High-density networking cables run throughout

    More fiber and networking cables connect the main distribution frame (MDF) room to the server racks, maximizing the data flow and increasing the speed in which desktop apps are run at their various U.S. and global locations.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • The big decommission

    The big decommission

    AMD executives said the company was able to condense its global datacenter operations by decommissioning 76 percent of its physical servers, and 72 percent of its virtual servers.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • AMD's private cloud is much smaller than before, but huge in power and scale

    AMD's private cloud is much smaller than before, but huge in power and scale

    AMD now virtualizes more than 90 percent of its corporate datacenter needs. The company said this was not just to cut down on its own IT costs and expenditure, but also to increase efficiency, which the chipmaker wants to pass on to its customers. How? By making it faster at developing and rolling out products to the end-user by focusing on its own internal productivity. According to the executives, tasks that would normally take weeks now take just a few days thanks to the datacenter consolidation. 

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • See the power consumption in real-time

    See the power consumption in real-time

    In an innocuous looking wall-mounted panel, this display explains how much demand and output is needed to power the various chilling systems. According to AMD executives, the vast number of corporate datacenters (not limited to AMD) across the U.S. takes up about 1.5 percent of the country's power. In the next four years, that figure is expected to quadruple.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • The "chill" room

    The "chill" room

    Every datacenter needs a place to relax — no, it's not that kind of room — it's surprisingly loud. But it's vital function keeps the server racks cool so they can operate at maximum efficiency. Each one of these rooms has three chill engines, and eventually there will be four chill rooms. There's currently just one, but AMD plans to bulk out its cooling network as it expands through stages two, three, and four, which concludes in 2015.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • "Citrine" data hall

    "Citrine" data hall

    The next room packed with servers, dubbed the "citrine" data hall, is as warm as a New York City summer in mid-afternoon — so to the vast majority, it's not pleasant to stand around in for very long.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Temperature monitors to control cooling, ventilation

    Temperature monitors to control cooling, ventilation

    This data hall is significantly warmer than the "diamond" data hall because it is running at capacity. It's significantly warmer and not very humid as a result of the cooling engines ticking over. Here you can see a temperature gauge on the roof that monitors the temperature. If the cooling units were turned off, the room would exceed 100F in just five minutes, Washington said. 

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • AMD picks the best tech for the job

    AMD picks the best tech for the job

    Each hall is packed with a row of more than 200 servers, which houses Dell, HP machines with various AMD chips. The company said hundreds of two to-16-coreprocessors with 256GB of memory replaced the single and dual-core processors that were used in the Austin datacenter.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • 23 million jobs per month, thanks to server boosts

    23 million jobs per month, thanks to server boosts

    These servers, along with those in the "diamond" data hall, have been consolidated and condensed down to a point where they are powerful enough to run many as 23 million jobs per month. That's roughly 31,000 each hour.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • The second data room in waiting

    The second data room in waiting

    Another slightly smaller warehouse at the other end of the building won't be as filled with natural light for much longer. Currently used as a storage room, this space will house another batch of servers. 

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Air handling unit room controls the datacenter's airflow

    Air handling unit room controls the datacenter's airflow

    This room in the very back of the facility helps to recondition the warm air around the facility. It draws in fresh air from outside and conditions it, using free cooling techniques. If it's warm outside (particularly during the summer), the compressors kick into gear — and it's entirely automated.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Free cooling technology used to reduce costs

    Free cooling technology used to reduce costs

    The datacenter uses "free cooling" technology, which helps to economize the costs of running the datacenter. Low outside temperatures can help to cool the water that flows through the datacenter, in order to cool the server racks inside. This can be finely tuned to run overnights on particularly cool evenings, even during warmer months — automatically and autonomously — to lower power costs.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Backup generators in case of outages

    Backup generators in case of outages

    The datacenter has a row of diesel generators that can kick in at a moment's notice. With that moment taking about 10 seconds, vast uninterruptable power supply (UPS) batteries bridge that gap so that servers don't suddenly lose power or stop functioning. Each data hall has its own UPS room. AMD staff said the servers are on a closed transition switch, which means the servers (should) never suffer power downtime.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • UPS systems constantly monitor the power supply

    UPS systems constantly monitor the power supply

    Uninterruptable power supply batteries sit opposite the diesel generators. According to Washington, there have been very few failures of anything — from server drives, power supply, and motors, and so on. And where there is wear and tear, more often than not it's something small and can be easily replaced, he said. 

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Security, safety a high priority

    Security, safety a high priority

    Many of these wall-mounted alarms are situated around the datacenter, which flash if there are issues with the coolant systems, or if hydrogen levels are higher than expected.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Isolating water pipe valves for repair work

    Isolating water pipe valves for repair work

    These tags are attached to long closed-linked chains that allow staff to close valves and isolate areas in the pipework above in case of leaks or to get secondary flow to the pipes. These overhead pipes run chilled water that flows throughout the facility.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Each chiller weights about 420 tons

    Each chiller weights about 420 tons

    These massive chillers weigh more than about 20 mid-sized U.S. Army tanks each, and are designed to cool the water in-flow so it can be pumped around the facility and keep the server racks at a stable temperature. The entire water system can pump as much as 752 gallons of water through the facility each minute, Washington said.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • These pipes run from the city, and the backup water supply

    These pipes run from the city, and the backup water supply

    AMD's datacenter has contingencies in place for almost every eventuality. The water that flows through the facility is filtered and treated to maximize overall efficiency. The blue pipes feeds water from the city.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Backup tank can pump water through the datacenter for up to 32 minutes

    Backup tank can pump water through the datacenter for up to 32 minutes

    And should something catastrophic happen, the water tower in the back can pump water through the facility for as much as half-an-hour. It could take at minimum a couple of hours to replace the water in the tower during uptime.

    Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

    Photo by: ZDNet/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • 0
  • AMD's Atlanta datacenter notching up to top gear
  • AMD executives begin the tour
  • Security is tight at AMD's flagship U.S. datacenter
  • Despite vast office space, there are just a few staff in the premises
  • Monitoring room keeps a close eye on vital datacenter functions
  • Tape drives used for storage
  • Stacks of replacement drives
  • The "build and burn" room
  • Overlock, yank, replace, rinse and repeat
  • The main data room
  • Look up, more cables
  • Security is insane (but don't worry, there are fire doors!)
  • "Diamond" data hall
  • Under-floor ventilation helps draw out the unwanted warm air
  • High-density networking cables run throughout
  • The big decommission
  • AMD's private cloud is much smaller than before, but huge in power and scale
  • See the power consumption in real-time
  • The "chill" room
  • "Citrine" data hall
  • Temperature monitors to control cooling, ventilation
  • AMD picks the best tech for the job
  • 23 million jobs per month, thanks to server boosts
  • The second data room in waiting
  • Air handling unit room controls the datacenter's airflow
  • Free cooling technology used to reduce costs
  • Backup generators in case of outages
  • UPS systems constantly monitor the power supply
  • Security, safety a high priority
  • Isolating water pipe valves for repair work
  • Each chiller weights about 420 tons
  • These pipes run from the city, and the backup water supply
  • Backup tank can pump water through the datacenter for up to 32 minutes
31 of 33 NEXT PREV

An inside tour of AMD's Atlanta super-datacenter (pictures)

Imagine squeezing 18 buildings worth of servers, data racks, and networking gear into just two. That's exactly what AMD is doing. ZDNet was one of the first to tour the company's soon-to-be only U.S. datacenter.

Read More Read Less

Each chiller weights about 420 tons

These massive chillers weigh more than about 20 mid-sized U.S. Army tanks each, and are designed to cool the water in-flow so it can be pumped around the facility and keep the server racks at a stable temperature. The entire water system can pump as much as 752 gallons of water through the facility each minute, Washington said.

Published: March 26, 2014 -- 18:10 GMT (11:10 PDT)

Caption by: Zack Whittaker

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