Microsoft to open first phase of Dublin data center

Software giant Microsoft announced on Monday that it is set to open two new data centers next month, both with capacity to house containerized equipment.

Phase 1 of the Dublin, Ireland, facility will come online this Wednesday and will be the company’s first data center outside of the U.S. Along with it, the new facility in Chicago, Ill., will be used to support Microsoft’s Online, Live and cloud services, according to a blog post by the GM of Infrastructure Services Arne Josefsberg.

Microsoft’s Dublin facility on the 19-acre site in Grange Castle Business Park currently has about 303,000 square feet of data center floor, with 5.4 MW of power supplied to it. Its power supply will be expandable up to 22.2 MW, as the facility scales up.

In his post Josefsberg boasted energy efficiency of the data center’s cooling system, which extensively employs air-side economization. Microsoft spokeswoman Terri Baranick said the facility’s capability of housing shipping containers will allow it so use energy more efficiently as well.

The company settled on Dublin site because of its proximity to an ample power source and fiber-optic networks, affordable energy prices and a large pool of skilled labor, Baranick wrote in an email.

“Two of the most attractive aspects of this site were Microsoft’s successful operations in Ireland over the last 25 years and the location’s cool climate, which we can use in our outside-air cooling approach,” she wrote.

Microsoft claims to have undertaken similar energy efficiency measures at its new Chicago data center – Phase 1 scheduled to come online July 20. Josefsberg wrote the facility will save energy by deploying containerized servers.

Two-thirds of the data center will be optimized for housing containers. The technology helps boost energy efficiency by allowing for much higher equipment density than traditional data centers allow for, Josefsberg wrote. The 40-foot units will house 1,800-2,500 servers each.

Phase 1 of the Chicago data center enjoys 30 MW of power and will be able to receive up to 60 MW once the space is utilized to the maximum. The building covers 700,000 square feet total.

Josefsberg wrote the two new facilities will play a key role in the progress of Microsoft’s Software-plus-Services strategy.

Microsoft declined to disclose what brand of shipping containers it would use in its new facilities.

Former Yahoo! executive Kevin Timmons recently joined Microsoft as head of data center operations replacing Mike Manos who moved to Digital Realty Trust.