Subterranean “data bunkers” in unusual locations continue to stir the imagination of the technology world. The latest data hideout to enter the spotlight is the
“Swiss Fort Knox” facility deep below the Swiss Alps, which offers ultra-secure data storage in a nuke-proof data center. The facility was
featured in the November issue of Wired magazine.
Like many of the data bunkers, the Swiss Fort Knox facility takes advantage of existing infrastructure. in this case an old Cold War bunker built by the Swiss military and designed to survive a nuclear blast. The facility is really two separate data centers about 10 kilometers apart, which were developed over the past 15 years by
SIAG (Secure Infostor AG), a Swiss provider of IT security solutions. Two related companies, Mount 10 Swiss Data Backup and SISPACE AG, provide services within Swiss Fort Knox bunker, with
Mount 10 providing secure data backup while SISPACE focuses on records storage and management.
The data center also takes advantage of the cooling potential presented by its location deep under the mountains. The facility uses Mother Nature as its chiller, pulling glacial water from an underground lake to use in its cooling systems. It also features survivalist-level security measures, including face-recognition surveillance software, bulletproof plastics and vault doors courtesy of the Swiss banking industry.
More details of the facility’s operation are available at the web sites for Mount 10 and Swiss Fort Knox.
Underground Secure Data Center Operations
Technology based companies are building new data centers in old mines, caves, and bunkers to host computer equipment below the Earth's surface.
Underground Secure Data Center Operations have a upward trend.
Operations launched in inactive gypsum mines, caves, old abandoned coal mines, abandoned solid limestone mines, positioned deep below the bedrock mines, abandoned hydrogen bomb nuclear bunkers, bunkers deep underground and secure from disasters, both natural and man-made.
The facility have advantages over traditional data centers, such as increased security, lower cost, scalability and ideal environmental conditions. There economic model works, despite the proliferation of data center providers, thanks largely to the natural qualities inherent in the Underground Data Centers.
With 10,000, to to over a 1,000,000 square feet available, there is lots of space to be subdivided to accommodate the growth needs of clients. In addition, the Underground Data Centers has an unlimited supply of naturally cool, 50-degree air, providing the ideal temperature and humidity for computer equipment with minimal HVAC cost.
They are the most secure data centers in the world and unparalleled in terms of square footage, scalability and environmental control.
Yet, while the physical and cost benefits of being underground make them attractive, they have to also invested heavily in high-speed connectivity and redundant power and fiber systems to ensure there operations are not just secure, but also state-of-the-art.
There initially focused on providing disaster recovery solutions, and backup co-location services.
Clients lease space for their own servers, while other provides secure facilities, power and bandwidth. They offers redundant power sources and multiple high-speed Internet connections through OC connected to SONET ring linked to outside connectivity providers through redundant fiber cables.
Underground Data Centers company augments there core services to include disaster recovery solutions, call centers, NOC, wireless connectivity and more.
Strategic partnering with international, and national information technology company, enable them to offer technology solutions ranging from system design and implementation to the sale of software and equipment.
The natural qualities of the Underground Data Centers allow them to offer the best of both worlds premier services and security at highly competitive rates.
Underground Data Centers were established starting in 1990's but really came into there own after September 11 attacks in 2001 when there founders realized the former mines, and bunker offered optimal conditions for a data center. The mines, and bunkers offered superior environmental conditions for electronic equipment, almost invulnerable security and they located near power grids.
Adam Couture, a Mass.-based analyst for Gartner Inc. said Underground Data Centers could find a niche serving businesses that want to reduce vulnerability to any future attacks. Some Underground Data Centers fact sheet said that the Underground Data Center would protect the data center from a cruise missile explosion or plane crash.
Every company after September 11 attacks in 2001 are all going back and re-evaluating their business-continuity plans, This doesn't say everybody's changing them, but everybody's going back and revisiting them in the wake of what happened and the Underground Data Center may be just that.
Comparison chart: Underground data centers
Five facilities compared
| Name | InfoBunker, LLC | The Bunker | Montgomery Westland | Cavern Technologies | Iron Mountain The Underground |
| Location | Des Moines, Iowa* | Dover, UK | Montgomery, Tex. | Lenexa, Kan. | Butler County, Penn.* |
| In business since | 2006 | 1999 | 2007 | 2007 | Opened by National Storage in 1954. Acquired by Iron Mountain 1998. |
| Security /access control | Biometric; keypad; pan, tilt and zoom cameras; door event and camera logging | CCTV, dogs, guards, fence | Gated, with access control card, biometrics and a 24x7 security guard | Security guard, biometric scan, smart card access and motion detection alarms | 24-hour armed guards, visitor escorts, magnetometer, x-ray scanner, closed-circuit television, badge access and other physical and electronic measures for securing the mine's perimeter and vaults |
| Distance underground (feet) | 50 | 100 | 60 | 125 | 220 |
| Ceiling height in data center space (feet) | 16 | 12 to 50 | 10 | 16 to 18 | 15 (10 feet from raised floor to dropped ceiling) |
| Original use | Military communications bunker | Royal Air Force military bunker | Private bunker designed to survive a nuclear attack. Complex built in 1982 by Louis Kung (Nephew of Madam Chang Kai Shek) as a residence and headquarters for his oil company, including a secret, 40,000 square foot nuclear fallout shelter. The office building uses bulletproof glass on the first floor and reception area and 3-inch concrete walls with fold-down steel gun ports to protect the bunker 60 feet below. | Limestone mine originally developed by an asphalt company that used the materials in road pavement | Limestone mine |
| Total data center space (square feet) | 34,000 | 50,000 | 28,000 plus 90,000 of office space in a hardened, above-ground building. | 40,000 | 60,000 |
| Total space in facility | 65,000 | 60,000 | 28,000 | 3 million | 145 acres developed; 1,000 acres total |
| Data center clients include | Insurance company, telephone company, teaching hospital, financial services, e-commerce, security
monitoring/surveillance, veterinary, county government | Banking, mission critical Web applications, online trading | NASA/T-Systems, Aker Solutions, Continental Airlines, Houston Chronicle, Express Jet | Healthcare, insurance, universities, technology, manufacturing, professional services | Marriott International Inc., Iron Mountain, three U.S. government agencies |
| Number of hosted primary or backup data centers | 2 | 50+ | 13 | 26 | 5 |
| Services offered | Leased data center space, disaster recovery space, wholesale bandwidth | Fully managed platforms, partly managed platforms, co-location | Disaster recovery/business continuity, co-location and managed services | Data center space leasing, design, construction and management | Data center leasing, design, construction and maintenance services |
| Distance from nearest large city | Des Moines, about 45 miles* | Canterbury, 10 miles; London, 60 miles | Houston, 40 miles | Kansas City, 15 miles | Pittsburgh, 55 miles |
| Location of cooling system, includng cooling towers | Underground | Underground | Above and below ground. All cooling towers above ground in secure facility. | Air cooled systems located underground. Cooling towers located outside
| Chillers located above ground to take advantage of "free cooling." Pumps located underground. |
| Location of generators and fuel tanks | Underground | Above ground and below ground | Two below ground, four above ground. All fuel tanks buried topside. | Underground | Underground |
*Declined to cite exact location/disatance for security reasons.
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