In October we moved an online backup provider’s equipment between two Equinix data centres in Frankfurt, from FR5 to FR2. At FR5 the kit sat in racks on three different floors. At FR2 it all went into one location. This Frankfurt data centre move started at 09:00 on a Saturday and finished at around midnight.

We had moved the same client’s London equipment earlier in the year, so this was a second move for a returning client.

What moved

• 62 devices, 104U of equipment, about 1,760 kg in total
• 43 × 2U servers
• 2 × 4U 60-bay storage chassis, around 100 kg each
• 10 × 1U servers
• 7 switches

Why a 12-tonne lorry

At around 1,760 kg, the load was more than a large van can legally carry. We drove a 12-tonne vehicle over from the UK with a crew of four and eight 14U rack-format flight cases.

Three floors into one

Consolidating racks from three floors into one location changes the job. Every device needs a planned position in the new racks before it leaves the old ones, so nothing ends up on the data hall floor at FR2 waiting for a decision about where it goes.

The day itself

Access was delayed by an hour by a system outage at Equinix, which nobody on site could do anything about. With three floors to clear and one location to build, the day ran long. We finished at around midnight, with everything racked at FR2.

When you plan a move inside a data centre campus, allow for access delays. Booking and security systems do go down, and a Saturday window is only as long as the site lets it be.

Planning a Frankfurt data centre move?

Read more about data centre relocation between the UK and Germany and our relocation service, or get in touch to plan your move.