Patent ID: 8743543

Claim:
A method of deploying a modular data center comprising: providing a cooling plant that comprises a cooling fluid source, a cooling fluid source output, and a cooling fluid source input; coupling a connecting hub to the cooling plant, the connecting hub comprising a plurality of docking regions, each docking region including an electrical power source, a data communication interface, a cooling fluid supply that is fluidly coupled to the cooling fluid source output, and a cooling fluid return that is fluidly coupled to the cooling fluid source input; providing a first modular computing environment that comprises a specified amount of computing power through a specified plurality of computing devices, a plurality of cooling units that comprise cooling fluid input stubouts and cooling fluid output stubouts, and a human-occupiable aisle that extends between rows of racks that support the specified plurality of computing devices; connecting the first modular computing environment to a first docking region of the plurality of docking regions by i) fluidly connecting the cooling fluid input stubouts to the cooling fluid supply, ii) fluidly connecting the cooling fluid output stubouts to the cooling fluid return, and iii) connecting the specified plurality of computing devices of the first modular computing environment to the electrical power source and the data communication interface; subsequent to connecting the first modular computing environment to the first docking region, determining a requirement for an additional amount of computing power greater than the specified amount of computing power; based on the determination, providing a second modular computing environment that comprises a specified amount of computing power through a specified plurality of computing devices, a plurality of cooling units that comprise cooling fluid input stubouts and cooling fluid output stubouts, and a human-occupiable aisle that extends between rows of racks that support the specified plurality of computing devices; and connecting the second modular computing environment to a second docking region of the plurality of docking regions by i) fluidly connecting the cooling fluid input stubouts of the second modular computing environment to the cooling fluid supply, ii) fluidly connecting the cooling fluid output stubouts of the second modular computing environment to the cooling fluid return, and iii) connecting the specified plurality of computing devices of the second modular computing environment to the electrical power source and the data communication interface.