Sun Updates its Mobile Datacenter

Sun Microsystems has updated its MD D20 mobile datacenter to increase the density of the servers, offering more space for rack-mounted units and allowing customers to choose from a broader array of larger rack-mount networking and server devices.

The Sun MD systems are densely-packed datacenters within a standard shipping container. It comes in 20 and 40-foot versions. The D20 has room for seven racks, including four with a usable depth of 78.1 cm while the remaining three have usable depth of 115 cm. The previous generation, the S20, only held the 78.1 cm units.

As a result, the D20 can hold 240 rack units, compared to 280 for the S20, but that also allows it to carry larger servers, such as the SPARC Enterprise M4000 and M5000 servers, StorageTek SL500 Modular Library and the StorageTek 9985V System.

The Sun MD mobile datacenters also support a wide range of third-party equipment in both the standard and deep rack configurations.

The datacenters contain not only the systems but the power and cooling necessary to operate the system, making them usable in any climate. One of the most famous of the MD deployments is an undisclosed datacenter in Japan, 100 meters down an abandoned mine, where they rely on the natural ambient cool climate to do the work of fighting the heat.