Trustees approve $64M data center

With the ability to protect one of IU’s most valuable assets from direct hit from a tornado, a $64 million design plan for the Cyber Infrastructure Facility was approved last Friday at the IU board of trustees’ meeting at IU-South Bend.\nThe facility, a project that might be completed in the next two years, will be home to a partially underground data center to hold computers and information-technology equipment, including the Big Red supercomputer. It will also house an office building for information-technology employees. \nBob Meadows, the University architect, said the facility is necessary to keep expanding IU’s data processing system and beyond.\nThe equipment is currently housed in the Wrubel Computing Center at the old University School building, 2711 E. 10th St., which is “not strengthened or hardened for natural disaster,” Meadows said.\nMeadows said the equipment is valuable and is in danger if a tornado or other natural disaster were to hit the building. \n“Interim Provost Michael McRobbie, from the day he arrived, has been talking about getting a new facility – and getting one that is harder – in addition to a new data center,” Meadows said.\nThe new data center would contain generators along with other equipment to allow for uninterrupted data flow.If a tornado did hit the facility, Meadows said, everything would still run and withstand the hit.\nThe new facility will be near 10th Street and the 45/46 bypass. Funding from the state legislature is awaiting approval.\n“That’s the key – state budget approval – and if it is approved we will proceed,” Meadows said. \nThe Cyber Infrastructure Facility includes a data center and a “cyber information building,” which includes offices.\nIf funds are approved, construction for the data center will begin this summer and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2008. \nIf all funds requested are granted, the construction of the office building will begin this summer as well, with expected completion in 2009. \nThe idea for the facility has been circulating for four to five years. Meadows said various locations were considered before settling on the 10th Street-bypass location. Meadows said the location they chose will be up to $20 million cheaper than other options.