Interview Heaven and earth Cloud Box CEO Xu Hongzhong: Cloud box in the focus of in-depth

Absrtact: In the strong Forest data center market, the World cloud box The advantages of this young company? More importantly, how to switch users to the container data center to buy behavior?

Profile: Xu Hongzhong, Beijing Tiandi Cloud Box Technology Co., Ltd. CEO

Interview Venue: Beijing Cloud Base

Interview background: The Beijing "Cloud base" is located in Beijing "Xiangyun Project" is the first cloud computing incubation and demonstration base, currently has dozens of cloud computing for the main business of the emerging companies stationed in it. These companies occupy different parts of the cloud computing industry chain, and their product portfolio is a complete cloud computing solution.

No doubt, the provision of container-type data center in Beijing Tiandi Cloud Box Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Heaven and earth Cloud Box") is one of the key enterprises in the cloud industry chain. But what is the advantage of this young company in the data center market, where the forest is strong? More importantly, how to move users to the container-type data center of the wait-and-see mood into buying behavior? To this end, the "Network World" executive editor FAI and Beijing Tiandi Cloud Box Technology Co., Ltd. CEO Xu Hongzhong in-depth discussion.

The cornerstone of the cloud

In the last six months, some domestic and foreign manufacturers, including Cisco, wave and Century interconnection, have made a High-profile announcement to enter the container-type data center market, which once again attracted the attention of the industry. In particular, manufacturers often "hook" container-type data centers with cloud computing, asking whether this is true or just a "hitch" in cloud computing.

"Network World" executive editor FAI and Beijing Tiandi Cloud Box Technology Co., Ltd. CEO Xu Hongzhong photo.

FAI: Do you think cloud computing has a certain need for a container-type data center?

Xu Hongzhong: Of course, cloud computing can also be built in the traditional mode of data center, but cloud computing brings the three challenges of scale, cost and elasticity. The real cloud, especially the public cloud, from the point of view of the data center, certainly has a considerable scale, so low-cost, short construction cycle, high elasticity, high-density container-type data center will immediately show the advantages. This is one of the main reasons we have seen the recent rise of container-type data centers in the market.

FAI: What are the characteristics of the "cloud box" compared to similar products in the market?

Xu Hongzhong: We Give "cloud box" summed up five points: many, fast, good, provincial, full. Among them, many, refers to the density of the cloud box, multiple nodes, the calculation capacity is 5 times times the same area as the traditional room; quick, it means rapid deployment and rapid expansion, cloud box deployment time is only 6 weeks; well, it means modularization makes it possible to extend software and hardware upgrades very quickly and easily. Province, one refers to the energy consumption, The Pue value of the cloud box can be reduced to 1.1, energy saving can reach 50%, the second is to save space, save 75% of space, reduce TCO; all, refers to the cloud box can be customized according to customer demand, a total of 8 products, are the Mini, 1 series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X5 series, X7 series, M series, can meet the diversification of enterprises, Comprehensive needs.

In addition, compared to foreign manufacturers, we have a better understanding of the needs of Chinese data center builders and users, especially for later use and maintenance needs.

FAI: Can this design now be able to meet the requirements of the TIA-942 standard (data Center telecommunications infrastructure standards)?

Xu Hongzhong: "Cloud box" at present can do T2 level, some of our early users are internet companies, they feel that T2 can be, up to T3. Of course, according to T4 standards to do, not technically difficult, mainly the cost will be higher.

FAI: "Cloud Box" includes servers, storage, network components, are they based on open standards?

Xu Hongzhong: The hardware is basically standard, you can install other people's servers, storage and network. However, we recommend users to use the server and storage of our brother Unit sky-cloud company. Because the "cloud box" management software on our own server, the storage management granularity will be finer, for example, can be managed to each CPU, can be based on each CPU temperature to interact with the outside of the refrigeration system, you can control the temperature of each server fan, then the overall data center efficiency is higher. If other vendors are willing to open the interface to me, can do so fine-grained management. At present, HP's blade server can also be tube to each CPU.

FAI: In data center management, there is a management framework or standards, you can coordinate the various vendors API interface, and then everyone to support this standard.

Xu Hongzhong: There is no standard, nor a fact of the eldest. Data center management is technically difficult, because it involves all aspects of the data center, but it is mostly an open question, and who has the first thing to do so fine-grained control. Many manufacturers are moving in this direction, and everyone wants to be the standard of fact.

Ideal and reality

In the current production of container-type data center manufacturers, the World cloud box can be said to be the most focused. Because of IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Wave and other IT vendors, container-type data center is only a number of their product line, not even the main business, only the world cloud box as a "settle down" the fundamental. Therefore, in the container-type data center of the market, the world cloud box is particularly active and input, and even shouted "Let ' cloud Box ' as popular as the refrigerator" slogan. Can you do that in a cloud box?

FAI: Although many manufacturers now push the container-type data center, but the user follow up this speed is obviously behind the enthusiasm of the manufacturer. What do you think of this phenomenon?

Xu Hongzhong: We are also thinking about this problem. Container-type data center investment less, and save electricity, maintenance and convenience, is a turnkey project, why no one to use it? We have studied the United States. In the United States, this is also a relatively new thing, the use of the volume also began to go up in 2009. Users in addition to the military mainly Internet companies mainly.

In China, we also feel that the military is a very typical user. The removable properties of the container data center should be particularly suited to the military's special application scenarios. In fact, we comb the "cloud box" for at least 8 kinds of application scenarios, such as industrial parks, research institutes, IDC new and expanded, mining fields, universities, intelligent cities, residential communities, disaster preparedness centers.

Take the industrial park as an example. Like our "cloud base" building, a floor has been opened to serve as data center rooms for dozens of enterprises in the building. However, when the building was built, it did not take into account the fact that it would be used as a data centre room in the future and that its load-bearing and power supply would be built in accordance with the standard commercial building specifications. Therefore, this room we do not dare to do too dense, each frame is not afraid to plug full server, and soon saturated. Therefore, we put a "cloud box" next to the building, as the entire "cloud base" data Center for the expansion of the use. I believe that many industrial parks have encountered the same problems as ours, which will be a very potential application scenario.

FAI: The future of the container data Center for further upgrades, maintenance, users may have some concerns, how to ensure that? and a traditional data center life cycle of up to 20-30 years, the general container data Center design life is not so long.

Xu Hongzhong: That's a very good question. When we communicate with our clients, they ask the same question, they will feel that the container-type data center is not a long-term building, always a little temporary flavor. Therefore, we can now "cloud box" box with construction materials to do, can promise to the user a 60-year warranty period, and the general Container data Center design life is ten years.

In terms of capacity expansion, the container-type data center would have been very convenient to expand. And, we can make the size of the expansion of small, so that four racks as a basic unit. That is, in the expansion, can be 4 racks, 4 racks of such a granularity to expand, which is already very convenient for the people building the data center.

Of course, the user may be worried that today I am using the "cloud box", Tomorrow I may buy IBM or HP's container-type data center, this will not lead to follow-up management problems? We have just mentioned that there is not a standard in data center management, but we promise to give you an open interface. In the future, if users want to choose other products, you only need them compatible with the "cloud box" management system can be, so as to achieve smooth expansion of other manufacturers products. Therefore, the focus is on the management of the buyer.

FAI: What kind of development goal did you set for the "Cloud box"?

Xu Hongzhong: Our original plan is a year 7, 80 million turnover, now this goal has not changed, but the target users may not be our original emphasis on the Internet companies, but to the army, enterprises to dig users.

(Responsible editor: admin)