How I built my data center - part one, preparatory

As you know, any startup begins with the phrase “How could you do it, ***, I’d better do it myself”.

In 2007, the situation with data centers in Moscow, and indeed throughout Russia, was critical. To get there a simple hoster was possible only by appointment. They fought at exorbitant prices, the server was often overheated, there was no electricity from time to time, and again, it was enough to start generating 2-3 gigabit lanes, as he immediately imagined himself king of the mountain, trying to barge with your traffic, and with disagreeables he fought by letting my traffic through the narrow sewn channel *** telecom abroad.
And communication with night duty data center is a separate song. Most often, it was easier to come and find the loose patchcord myself than to try to get a little sane, not wanting a young man for half the night. And it is good if the person on duty was at night and it was possible to get to the data center at night. Some data centers worked from 9 to 5, except for holidays and weekends. The rest of the time there was no one. The server, which fell on Friday evening, will lie at least until Monday day.

A picture of what was going on inside a typical datacenter of that time.
Taken from the site Nag.ru
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By that time, I was pretty tired of it, and, as a way out, I decided to build my data center focused on the queries of me and my users.

Namely, like:
1) Normal, high-quality cooling with a large margin in case of exit of one of the air conditioners.
2) Trouble-free electricity and necessarily own diesel.
3) Channels and to local Tier1 and to feast. Traffic should be worth the normal money.
4) Own, well-trained and sane round-the-clock shift on the site.

I shared my thoughts with friends and found sympathizers. A business plan was written. Slowly, money was found to launch and customers that would not work in the minus after the launch.

The future contractor for the construction of the data center was also found - Radius Group of Companies

Since January 2008, we began to look for a room. And not just like that, but the size of 200-400 meters, with the release of 600 kW of electricity, with the mandatory registration of the lease agreement for a period of 5 years. On the first floor. Without transit pipes. And what would be where to hang air conditioners.
Such a successful combination was not so easy to find. The search for the premises continued throughout 2008. There were many successful options, but alas, one way or another we did not agree. Either electricity was at 2 prices, or a lease agreement for no more than 3 years, or in general the plant went under reconstruction after 2 years.

So the whole year 2008 has passed. In winter, the number of objects suddenly increased, and landlords suddenly began to agree to our terms, and in January 2009 the premises were found. It was not a very pleasant sight.

Something like this



And on the other hand



So, the lease agreement was signed, we with the specialists of the Radius group of companies rolled up their sleeves and began to make a working draft. Big such a Talmud, pages on 1000. In which they described in detail how to make of what is, an extraordinary beauty, necessary to us. By March, the project was ready, and construction began.

As always, the most interesting in the next series