Microsoft is doing some pretty amazing things with their new data centers.  I’m most impressed with these “Container Bays” that can hold 1800-2400 servers and are essentially large cargo containers (like the kind used on ocean going ships bring goods to the US) full of servers.  They are self contained data centers within themselves.  They appear to be designed to never have to be opened.  Could they be placed anywhere with the right power available and internet connections?  Is that their design?

This video show their data center concept and how the containers will be built, transported and plugged in.

 
Microsoft Generation 4 Data Centers

This video shows the arrival of some of the Container Bays into the Chicago Data Center.

Microsoft Chicago Data Center Container Bay

Amazing!

More information on these Next Generation Data Centers can be found on the Green Data Center Blog  and the ms datacenter blog.

Thanks to Steve Clayton for the blog post that pointed me to the second video and other blogs.