Inside the internet: Google reveals data stores

The server room in Douglas County, Georgia. Credit: Google

Google has released images from some of its thirteen data centres, showing the servers used by millions of internet users every day.

Data centres are industrial sized computer warehouses that store computer system servers and their associated parts. Data centres have been criticised by environmental groups such as Greenpeace for their impact on the environment.

Google says it is a carbon-neutral company.

Google has thirteen data stores dotted across the world:

Americas:

  • Berkeley County, South Carolina

  • Council Bluffs, Iowa

  • Douglas County, Georgia

  • Quilicura, Chile

  • Mayes County, Oklahoma

  • Lenoir, North Carolina

  • The Dalles Oregon

The server rooms. Credit: Google

Asia:

  • Hong Kong

  • Singapore

  • Taiwan

A Google staff member at their Oregon plant fixing one of the millions of servers stored there. Credit: Google

Europe

  • Hamina, Finland

  • St Ghislan, Belgium

  • Dublin, Ireland

Together the thirteen locations are responsible for processing all of the internet requests made on Google, storing information on Google users, and backing up this information.

Millions of servers work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to do this. Each server rack has four switches, connected by a different coloured cable.

A server room in Mayes County, Oklahoma.B Credit: Google

The cables are all colour coded to denote different things, this makes it easier to identify which cable needs replacing when things go wrong.

The cables are organised by specific hue Credit: Google

In order to keep the servers functioning correctly, they must be kept cool.

Behind the server isle hundreds of fans funnel hot air from the server racks into a cooling unit to be recirculated.

Behind the server isle. Credit: Google

The green slights are the server status LEDs reflecting from the front of the servers.

Thousands of feet of pipe lines the inside of the data centres carry hot air out to be cooled, and push hundreds of thousands of litres of processed water back in.

Pipes take hot air out of the plants and push cool air and water in Credit: Google

They too are colour coded, and each has its specific route. The blue pipes (above) supply cold water and the red pipes return the warm water back to be cooled.

The large cooling towers help keep the servers at the right tempeturature Credit: Google.

All data is backed up in a library room, Robotic arms (visible at the end of the aisle) load and unload tapes.

Two shots from the library room, Berkeley County, South Carolina.

All failed drives are destroyed on site, as part of what Google says is its "commitment to keeping data safe."

All failed drives are destroyed on site to protect users' data. Credit: Google

To take a full tour inside and see more stunning pictures click here.