Touring the Center of the Internet and an AI Data Center at Equinix Silicon Valley

Equinix Physical Security

With an enormous collection of valuable hardware inside Equinix’s data centers – never mind the value of the data within those servers and the value of them running – a big part of designing and operating a data center is physical security.

Equinix’s Silicon Valley facility employs multiple layers of security here. This starts with the basics: fences, cameras, security guards, and guard houses. It is not easy to set foot anywhere near the individual data centers, and for good reason. Here is a fun nugget for you. The video that goes along with this tour has an “oner” or “one-shot” of getting into the data center. If you saw the film 1917, it was the inspiration for this. There were so many layers to the security that I thought it would be cool to show folks the entire chain.

For authorized users, a card and a biometric scan are needed just to get in the front door.

Even then, there is a guard stationed just inside to handle issues or to help visitors get signed in, and so forth.

Like most high security facilities, Equinix employs a “mantrap” further inside – a vestibule where only one door can be open at a time. This prevents unauthorized visitors from tailgating/piggybacking to gain further access, along with generally controlling the flow of people further into the data center.

Once past the mantrap, SV10/SV11 features a small lounge and common area.

While users can proceed further into the data center, cards are still needed to access the data halls and, ultimately, a user/company’s specific cage, keeping wandering hands (and competitors) from accessing cages they should not.

Of course, there are cameras everywhere as well, to keep an eye on those in the facility.

Unlike the aforementioned SV1, however, the newer SV11 is a bit different. In short, rather than building a complete security checkpoint and other human accommodations into SV11, Equinix uses the neighboring SV10 as the entrance and provides SV11 with amenities. A sky bridge connects the two buildings.

As a result, if you want to use a customer lounge or conference room, that is in SV10. Likewise, you go through the security on SV10 to get to SV11. Cameras in SV11 are also monitored at the SV10 guard house.

This means SV11 is pretty spartan from a human standpoint. Though by sharing facilities with SV10, it saved on construction time and costs for Equinix. It also let Equinix maximize the design of SV11 for data center operations. With that, we are going to check out SV11 and a special AI cluster within the building.