A Day at Hetzner Online in the Falkenstein Data Center

Summary

My visit to Hetzner Online in Falkenstein goes far beyond a tour of a single server, as the site reveals an impressive combination of industrial precision, technical depth and logistically sophisticated infrastructure. As soon as you enter the extensive grounds, it becomes clear that this is a data center park that has grown over many years and is now one of the most comprehensive sites of its kind in Germany. The paths between the individual areas are long and winding, the buildings are spread over a large area and even the internal transport routes look more like the access roads of a small industrial area. Anyone planning a similar project should really be prepared to walk several kilometers and prefer sturdy footwear, as even the employees walk considerable distances every day in this environment. And because I know you’d rather watch someone else sweating in the heat, I’ve made a movie of this experience today: And if you’d like to read about what you see, here’s a brief overview of today’s action: The highly structured layout of the site is already apparent at the main entrance. After registering, the tour leads directly past the colocation area, where customers can operate their own hardware and access a fully-fledged data center environment. The modular arrangement of the racks, the clearly separated supply routes and the functional design convey an image of precise organization that was to run through the entire visit. From there, we moved on to the midi data centers, which are designed as compact modules and yet meet all the requirements of a modern data center. This part of the park clearly demonstrates Hetzner’s focus on practicality, as there is nothing superfluous here. Everything is designed for smooth processes, short maintenance times and high energy efficiency. The simplicity on the outside is deceptive, because the infrastructure inside meets the requirements of a large-scale IT operation in every respect. The route then led me to the areas where ...