Since this article first ran in January 2000, Microsoft moved part of its server operation to a second data center 45 miles away, a site with newer networking infrastructure and greater growth potential. We migrated in stages by setting up new hardware in the new location, bringing these servers online with mirrored content, and then phasing out the servers in the old location. The fact that no one even noticed is a testament to the kind of planning that goes on around our Web operations. Here we share a glimpse into our data center and some of our best practices, updated for the new millenium. When you first step inside Microsoft's data centers, it feels like an ordinary building in a typical office park.
Availability is core discipline for any large-scale Web site.
Thanks to our Single IP solution and Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server, responsiveness has never been better and users are automatically routed to an available server when one or more machines are down for maintenance or debugging. But, as with any large data center, there are millions of daily server events to wade through, and issues do crop up that require support. That's what this team monitors and manages. The operations center features an array of desks situated in front of several large screens surrounded by smaller monitors. Information about those daily events, generated by a combination of customer help tickets and server messages, trickles across the displays.