You can disregard the references to Lance “requiring” me to go on the tour … and the formality of Jon having to sign a note that said I successfully completed the tour. The references to those were just for dramatic effect since Lance and I are pretty much eye-to-eye about everything that needs to happen for PHIL’s DC to succeed, and we both thought it would be good to have signed documentation that I went on a tour.

As I mentioned at the end of the tour, I didn’t find the tour to be a complete waste of time because I was able to observe some of the biggest hurdles in building and maintaining a data center. Is redundancy really necessary … or is it just redundant? What the heck did Jon say in the UPS room? How fast does a person have to run on a single treadmill for that treadmill to power 40,000 servers?

While I try to source my own “PHIL’s DC” rack identifiers, my adoring public can take time to go through this video with a fine-toothed comb to suggest any potential data center innovations that you think I may have overlooked. I already have the most innovative and efficient data center designed in my head, but I’ll consider crediting you if you share an idea … even if (and by if, I mean “when”) I’ve already thought of it.

I’ve got a hot lead on some slightly used hardware, so the next time you see me, the PHIL’s DC inventory area should be fully stocked and ready for my own truck day.

-PHIL