BEHIND THE SCENES AT HETZNER’S IMPRESSIVE SAMRAND DATA CENTRE

When Hetzner launched its Samrand data centre in October 2013, the industry took note. Built on Hetzner Germany’s unique data centre design, which was adapted for the South African climate, the lower cost and efficient cooling enabled Hetzner to reduce the barrier to entry into the colocation market.

The data centre offers uninterrupted power through 2N fully redundant, physically-separated A+B feeds and has the ability to run indefinitely without utility power using its diesel generators. The facility has the capacity to hold 53,000 litres of fuel, with a diesel refueling strategy in place to ensure its fuel tanks are replenished long before they are exhausted.

Hetzner’s data centre connectivity is provided through diverse, redundant fibre routes connecting the facility to a 10Gbps fibre ring. The facility is multi-homed via EOH-NS, Metrofibre Networx, JINX, and Napafrica.

The data centre offers a carrier-neutral model for colocation customers, providing freedom of choice as to who they use for upstream service providers and pointto-point connections. Many well-known operators are available to customers, including EOH, Telkom, Internet Solutions, DFA, SEACOM, XDSL, Bitco, and Cybersmart.

Security is another priority for Hetzner, with 24/7 on-site security, patrol teams, access control using boom gates with ID verification, and vehicle registration logs. The facility is monitored by CCTV camera surveillance both externally and internally - and biometric access is installed on all access points. There is also a mantrap facility at the main entrance to prevent tailgating.

The facility’s effective and efficient cooling system features N+2 redundancy on all air conditioning units. When ambient temperature allows for it, the data centre makes use of free cooling - achieved through its proprietary air conditioning system. The effectiveness of Hetzner’s free cooling has a direct impact on its customer’s energy bill and the environment. In 2015, the data centre achieved an impressive Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) rating of 1.17 – much better than the industry average of 1.7.

A unique selling point of Hetzner’s colocation products is the simplicity and affordability which it offers its clients. There are no recurring cross-connect fees, the service can be discontinued with 30 days’ notice, and new rack orders are commissioned within an hour. ■