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Compute and Storage Evolution Project

To address the growing demand for physically hosted research computing the campus is embarking on a multi-year initiative to improve our data center capacity.

Part of this initiative involves transitioning Data Center hosting (compute and storage equipment) from the Communications Building to the new colocation facility (Colo) located in Washington state.

Current Data Center

The main data center is located in the basement of the Communications Building.

  • does not have sufficient power to allow for expansion
  • does not have fully redundant power
  • has a low level of physical security is insufficiently protected against natural disasters, e.g., fire, earthquake
  • does not have sufficient cooling to expand
  • has significant deferred maintenance

What is coloation or colo?

A colocation data center (often referred to as a colocation facility, or just "colo") is any large state-of-the-art facility that rents space to businesses to house their servers and other computing storage equipment.

A colocation data center will provide our campus with a reliable, secure, and energy efficient space to house IT assets.

Colo Benefits - here are the top 3 that align with campus priorities

  • Peace of mind. Emergencies happen (power, fire, earthquake, water damage) and our campus is vulnerable to natural disasters. The Colo meets strict emergency preparedness guidelines and redundancies are in place to ensure uninterrupted connection.

  • A lot more space and greater agility. There is no space left in our data center for the growing demand of physically hosting research and computer equipment. Moving to the Colo will free up valuable physical space in the Comms Bldg. for teaching and instruction.

  • Lower costs and renewable power. The Colo will reduce our power and cooling costs and improve the overall energy utilization using renewable (hydro-electric) source which aligns with the UC system Carbon Neutrality Initiative.

Targeted Timeline

Expansion to the Colo has already started. The remainder of compute and storage equipment currently residing in the Comms Bldg. is targeted to move by:

  • Aug 31, 2024: Academic equipment/services Research equipment/services

  • Dec 31, 2024: Administration equipment/services (ITS-managed equipment/services and relocate ITS infrastructure)

Colo Costs & Funding

  • Power and space will continue to be centrally funded with no recharge to divisions, departments or individuals for these services.

  • ITS recharge will continue for services currently performed for the Comms Bldg. data center.

  • ITS infrastructure, such as network and information security equipment, will be funded as part of the overall ITS budget.

Questions?

Reach out to Compute and Storage Evolution project lead Bill Storey bstorey@ucsc.edu.