Ribbon cutting held for data center at security site

A new modular data center at the Nevada National Security Site debuted at the end of January.

A news release on the national security site’s website stated that Nevada National Security Site employees cut the ribbon at the data center on Jan. 24. The center is located at the security site in what’s known as Area 6.

“It’s a very, very successful project,” said Mission Support Senior Director Ray Alexander. “This is a key facility that will help support the experimentation. We like to celebrate our achievements—specifically, the achievements of our people.”

According to the release, the data center features “equipment with a smaller footprint; the MDC (modular data center) is a joint venture between NNSS (Nevada National Security Site) Procurement, Enterprise Infrastructure Programs and Information Technology that will support Site modernization for years to come.”

“The team came up with unique ways to efficiently and effectively ensure we were good stewards of government funds,” said Information Technology Director Chris Rankin. “We’re a team of options. We’re always looking at how can we do things better, faster, more efficient. It’s one team, one mission.”

The data center’s interior has several features: “cooling and heat extractors, a moisture control center and fire suppression system,” the release stated.

The release continued on stating “minimal surface space ensures clutter or waste is kept to a minimum. Overhead wiring allows for improved ventilation.”

“Everything about this building is remotely monitored – we know what’s happening,” Rankin said.

“Thanks to technological advances that make equipment more compact and efficient, the MDC has capacity to support mission expansion along with future IT resource consolidation,” the release stated. “Even with the current minimal space used, the existing system has duplicate data boxes to create a stable environment.”

“It’s deployed in a manner that uses standards,” said Rankin in the release. Rankin added “that components are not older than three to five years and are constantly rotated through new installation, repair and replacement processes for stability and flexibility.”

It was also noted in the news release that a key feature in the data center’s design is “scalability.”

“The concept of the structure, used by major technology companies, allows for expansion in the future if space is needed,” the release stated.

“We didn’t want to build a new building,” said Principal Infrastructure Analyst Ron Duplex. “We wanted a modular-type facility that’s dedicated to the data center.”

Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com