Yes, you read that right.
First, some background from The New York Times:
Sun Microsystems and Rackable Systems were the first large hardware makers to embrace the idea of taking all of the servers, storage systems, networking gear and cooling and power units that make up a data center and packing them into a shipping container.
So, where does Dell fit in?
Microsoft has been the main advocate of containers, saying they will form the basis of its future data center designs. Some of Dell’s first containers will go to a new Microsoft data center near Chicago, according to Forrest Norrod, the vice president in charge of Dell’s Data Center Solutions business.
The container notion takes some getting used to for customers accustomed to housing their computing gear in a shimmering new facility. But those traditional data center concepts are starting to give way to practicality.
“The general perception of data centers as these pristine environments has been broken down,” said Drew Schulke, a product manager in Dell’s Data Center Solutions group. “These approaches are getting more credibility, especially with capital markets being where they are.”
My only advice? Have it all backed up in case a tornado decides to head toward the servers. They like trailers.