As the natural environment becomes increasingly harsh, underground data centers are becoming a trend

Scientific research over the past few decades has shown that as global climate trends shift, extreme weather events are becoming more and more likely. Heat waves, storms, floods, tropical cyclones, and tornadoes will all occur more frequently due to significant changes in weather patterns. Fortunately, the data center market and technology are also constantly evolving and advancing to ensure the integrity and security of data center infrastructure as these unpredictable factors increase.

Survey reports show that natural disasters and extreme weather are the two highest-level threats facing human society, and data center facilities are no exception. The attack of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 caused websites such as Huffington Post and Buzzfeed to be unable to log in, and the operation of their data centers was affected by the hurricane. Extreme weather activities are becoming a question of "when" rather than "if". Record-breaking storms in terms of destructive power occur frequently. For example, the recent Hurricane Florence has become a reality that threatens the data centers of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google in North Carolina. Therefore, these events are now a major concern for data center providers, no matter where their infrastructure is located.

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Cities, for their part, should demonstrate special responsibility when it comes to disasters. Cities have huge concentrations of human, financial, and physical capital, making them particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. At the same time, edge computing doesn’t seem to be safe. Edge networks are often located in coastal areas, which are vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and storms, and the likelihood of prolonged power outages is much greater.

The future of data center and colocation security and resiliency is underground structures, an emerging trend. This type of advanced deployment means critical operations can be shielded from the hazards of weather events, allowing providers to regain control of otherwise uncontrollable variables. When carefully selected in the right geographic area for data center construction, underground facilities have so far successfully maintained resilience, reliability, and security, especially when compared to standard above-ground facilities.

This advancement in data center technology and the market has enabled providers to uniquely protect their equipment, maximizing security and minimizing risk. Globally, underground data center facilities are becoming a new wave in the industry, with these locations featuring multi-story structures and millions of square feet. Often these facilities are converted from abandoned underground bunkers, with locations such as Fort Knox in Switzerland and the Bunker in the UK being converted into data centers with advanced technology, complete with facial recognition surveillance and electromagnetic pulse protection systems. These bunker-converted data centers provide natural barriers and enhanced security compared to data centers built on the ground.

Bluebird Network's underground data center is located in a limestone mine in Springfield, Missouri, allowing it to take advantage of all the benefits of natural facility protection. When a data center is deployed underground, the natural stone structure forms a safety barrier against events such as hurricanes or tornadoes, protecting the data center facility from all disasters except extreme earthquakes. Therefore, the data center can take advantage of this inherent protection and strengthen it with artificial security measures to further ensure that all customers' data and hardware are fully protected and provide a 100% uptime guarantee.

Located 85 feet underground, Bluebird Network's underground data center is isolated from the surrounding environment, giving the facility its own biosphere, meaning that temperature and operating conditions do not need to be carefully regulated. This reduces power consumption and energy costs while increasing efficiency and performance.

As natural disasters on Earth become increasingly unpredictable, protecting critical data centers may become the responsibility of operators and end users. As a result, the data center market will redefine data center security, efficiency, and reliability.

Since natural disasters are the most unpredictable and formidable adversaries that humans can encounter, underground data centers offer advantages far beyond traditional facilities and can ensure that providers and their customers’ businesses are more secure.