AOL Brings Micro Data Center Indoors, Adds Wheels

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AOL has introduced an indoor version of its Micro Data Center, complete with casters that allow the rack-size unit to be rolled to its destination. The design is an adaptation of AOL's original Micro-DC, announced lastmonth, which allows the company to house servers in enclosures located outdoors.

Michael Manos, the CTO of AOL Services, says the new design provides additional flexibility as AOL seeks to remake its infrastructure using nimble, unmanned IT facilities that can be managed remotely.

"This will allow our footprint, automation and all, to live inside any data center colocation environment or the interior of any office building anywhere around the planet, and retain the extremely low maintenance profile that we were targeting from an operational cost perspective," Manos wrote in a blog post announcing the new form factor.

The AOL micro data center can run high-density server deployments in virtually any climate, and doesn’t require the industrial-strength infrastructure typical of most data centers.

"Could we have just deployed racks of servers, network kit, etc. like we have always done? Sure," Manos acknowledged. "But by continuing to productize our infrastructure we continue to drive down the costs relating to our short term and long term infrastructure costs. In my mind, productizing your infrastructure, is actually the next evolution in standardization of your infrastruAOL has introduced an indoor version of its Micro Data Center, complete with casters that allow the rack-size unit to be rolled to its destination. Read more! cture."