Mitsubishi Corporation

Press Room

October 7, 2013
Mitsubishi Corporation

Mitsubishi Corporation Launches New Data Center Services in Central Tokyo

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has opened a new data center facility in the Mitaka area of metropolitan Tokyo. The new facility, inaugurated in October this year, covers 14,600㎡ of floor space, and is located in the MCC Mitaka Building complex. Together with the existing data center facility (the North Block), Mitaka Data Center occupies 40,000 m² of floor space, and is well-placed to respond to the growing demand for data center services.
 
The Center is built with anti-seismic structures, state-of-the-art technology and flexible design concept which allows for responding to diverse and sophisticated requirements from customers. Its facilities are also equipped for the highest environmental performance. Mitaka Data Center is the first among similar facilities in the vicinity of Tokyo to fully implement an “outdoor air cooling system”, capable of achieving  a 30% reduction in power consumption when compared with conventional data centers. Office space in the North Block of the complex can also be used as the base for the supervision of data center operations, an answer for the increasing emphasis on Business Continuity Planning (BCP).
 
MC has been providing data center services for about 30 years, and will draw on the successes and know-how accumulated over that period to provide high quality data center services to customers.
 
Background
The proliferation of smart phones and other mobile devices, the increased use of cloud computing in corporate systems and the rapidly growing introduction of IT into social infrastructure, such as “smart cities”, have become somewhat the norm in recent years. Companies are also seeking to improve efficiency and flexibility by engaging networking services that enable them to safely access their data without the limitations of location, time, or computing device. The result of this trend is an increasing demand for data centers.
 
In Japan, in particular, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the probability of subsequent disasters have inspired business leaders to reflect on how to ensure the protection of information systems and enable business continuity in the event of such disasters. There is also a greater call for data centers to come up with strategies that reduce energy consumption and the burden on the environment.
 
Special Features of the Mitaka Data Center
1.   Accessible, Low-Risk, Business Continuity Friendly Location
The Mitaka Data Center is located in Mitaka City, a suburb of central Tokyo, allowing for easy access by train or car. Located on the Musashino Uplands, Mitaka lies on solid ground, away from active faults. Mitaka is a safe place against tsunami or liquefaction given its 20km distance from the Tokyo Bay coastline. Even in case of disaster, transportation restrictions have minimum impact on access to the Mitaka area. By drawing on its expertise as a global integrated business enterprise, MC has the capacity to complement that element of security by securing and supplying fuel for in-house power generation to ensure uninterrupted power supply, thereby protecting clients’ valuable information assets in the event of a disaster.
 
2.   High Level of Disaster-Resistance and Safety
The new building is constructed with the latest anti-seismic structures, consistent with the nationally highest figure of 3.0 on PML*1 assessment. Even with the occurrence of an earthquake the size of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the impact on the Building and IT equipment of customers is expected to minimal. For power supply, both main lines and spare lines for high-tension current are laid to ensure high-volume, high-quality electricity supply, and all the in-house facilities have redundant structures to ensure reliable operation. Generators have fuel storage for 72 hours at full capacity to back up power supply.
 
The Center is also consistent with a Level 4 classification on the J-Tier*2 assessment, the highest level, for reliability and safety. The building and installations also follow the standards set out by FISC, The Center for Financial Industry Information Systems*3, including the latest state-of-the-art, 24-hour, year-round manned guard security systems for highly reliable levels of stability and enhanced safety.
 
3.   Facility Designed to Respond Flexibly to a Range of Needs
The power connection and air conditioning equipment available in the server room support an average of 6kVA per rack. In addition, the basic floor height is 4,575mm, with a further raised access space of 800mm. The set-up facilitates high-integration, high density mounting and the racks and cages in place allow for tiered installment. In response to the diversity of needs, the space is designed to accommodate weights of up to 1.5t/m² and allows clients the freedom to choose their own layout. Data center operational services will be provided by IT Frontier, MC’s wholly owned subsidiary.
 
4.   High Energy Efficiency and Environmentally Friendly Design
Besides being the only such facility in central Tokyo to provide complete “outdoor air cooling”, Mitaka Data Center has implemented PUE 1.22* at maximum efficiency based on the use of high-efficiency thermal heating or ‘cool pits’, and human sensors for lighting. The Center also qualifies for an “S” rank when assessed by the CASBEE* measure, having integrated roof greening and the use of rain water into its facilities.
MCC Mitaka Building, South Block
Outline of Mitaka Data Center
■ Building
1).    Name:                    MCC Mitaka Building, South Tower
2).    Location:                Mitaki City, Tokyo
3).    Building Area:          4, 175.18㎡
4).    Floor Space:            14,586.24㎡
5).    Building Structure:    4 storeys above ground; Reinforced Steel Structure; Earthquake-resistant: Bearing Pile Foundation
6).    No. of Racks:                      2,400
7).    Weight Capacity:      1,500kg/㎡
8).    Basic Floor Height:   4,575㎜ (Free Access Space 800㎜)
9).    Date of Completion: End September, 2013
■Installations
1).    Voltage:                 66,000V (Special High Voltage) (both main and spare wiring)
2).    Capacity:                6kVA/rack
3).    Cooling System:       Under floor cooling system; outdoor air cooling system; air-cooled heat pump chillers
4).    Fire Safetey:           N2 gas fire suppression and indoor fire hydrants installed
5).    Telephone Lines:      Multi-carrier; 2-system set-up; includes carrier node system
6).    Power Generation:    2,500kVA diesel powered generator; N+1 standby equipped for 72 hours of continuous supply; storage for Class A heavy oil
 
*1PML PML, or Probable Maximum Loss, is a measure for predicting earthquake damage (Probability of Maximum Loss). The tool came about as one of the pieces of insurance information used in the US fire insurance industry, but subsequently became more widely applied, including in evaluations for earthquake insurance and other disaster risk. PML is calculated by dividing the expected damage by the prevailing value of the building, but the general idea is that the sum for property damage is used as a base. A new earthquake-resistant building is expected to have a PML of about 10.
*2J-Tier “Tier”, a set of standards formulated by The Uptime Institute regarding the establishment of data centers in the US, is well known, but less so perhaps is the “Data Center Facility Standard” (commonly referred to as “J-Tier”) formulated by the Japan Data Center Council (JDCC). This standard was drafted in light of circumstances specific to Japan, and with the objective of raising the level of reliability in the industry in Japan. The levels on the J-Tier range from 1 to 4, with Level 4 indicating high levels of safety and redundant configuration in the event of an earthquake or disaster. Mitaka Data Center registers a Level 4, the highest level of reliability, when assessed on the basis of J-Tier.
*3FISC: FISC, The Center for Financial Industry Information Systems, conducts investigation and research into the safety of the financial information systems of financial institutions. Based on their investigation, FISC draws up standards to secure the safety of financial services-related computer systems centers and publishes the findings of their research. FISC was established in 1984 under a permit granted by the then Ministry of Finance.
*PUE: PUE, Power Usage Effectiveness, refers to the measure used to determine how effectively data centers use power. PUE is calculated by dividing the total power of the facility by the power used by its IT equipment. The total power consumed by a data center overall includes both IT equipment and auxiliary facilities such as cooling. In theory, a high PUE should register at close to 1.0. 
*CASBEE: CASBEE, or Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency, is the green building management system used in Japan to rate the environmental performance of a building on the basis of multifaceted and objective criteria. The highest rank on the five-grade CASBEE system is “S” (excellent), followed by “A” (very good), B+ (good), B- (fairly poor), and C (poor).
 
About Mitsubishi Corporation
1).    Date Established:      April 1, 1950
2).    Representative:        Ken Kobayashi, President & CEO
3).    No. of Employees:     65,975 (consolidated, as of year ended March 31, 2013)
4).    Business Activities:   MC has seven Business Groups which develop operations in the diverse fields of Global Environment & Infrastructure; Industrial Finance, Logistics & Development; Energy; Metals; Machinery; Chemicals; and Living Essentials. MC also recently established a Business service Group.
5).    Homepage:              http://www.mitsubishicorp.com

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