Japan Data Center Update 34: Next-Generation Technologies Reshape Data Center Deployment and Resilience

NYK and partners develop port-based floating data center concept as step toward offshore deployment

A consortium comprising NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) Line, Eurus Energy Holdings, NTT FACILITIES, and MUFG Bank has announced that it has developed a “port-based floating data center” concept. The proposed business model would install a floating data center alongside a quay in a port area and utilize existing power and communications infrastructure as well as other resources. After the deployment of floating data centers in port areas, the group’s ultimate aim is to also develop offshore data centers farther out at sea. NYK Line will oversee the overall project and lead business development.

An image of a port-based floating data center (Source: NYK Line).

Hitachi and NTT demonstrate automated data center recovery over 600 kilometers

Hitachi, Hitachi Vantara, and NTT docomo Business have demonstrated that, even if a disaster affects a data center, they can automatically restore its systems at a backup data center located more than 600 kilometers away, roughly the distance between Tokyo and Osaka, and resume operations in about 10 minutes. The companies confirmed that the entire system, including the operating system, database, and applications, could be restored end to end. According to Hitachi and the other companies, this marks the world’s first successful demonstration of fully automated recovery across a geographically dispersed environment.

The demonstration used the Borderless Data Share (BDS), which combines Hitachi’s storage virtualization technology with the All-Photonics Network (APN). NTT Group is developing the APN as a core technology for its next-generation high-speed communications infrastructure, IOWN.