Monday, April 19, 2010

Volcanic Ash & Data Centers: To be Determined

According to this ChannelWeb article, the volcanic eruption in Iceland that brought air travel to a screeching halt may have some unpleasant ramifications for data centers:

“Data centers are constructed to withstand environmental extremes and natural disasters, but volcanic ash is known for its ability to wreak havoc on desktops, servers, and basically any type of IT infrastructure that has moving parts.”

Lighting doesn’t strike twice, but volcanoes are known for repeated eruptions. Despite a push for Iceland as a prime location for data centers (competitively priced hydroelectric power and geothermal energy, electricity from emission-free, sustainable natural resources), concerns about volcanic ash may cause companies to reevaluate.

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