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First American goes for Data Center Virtualization




The 22,000-square-foot data center, nearly two years old, is built on 30 columns incorporated with vulcanized rubber layers that work as seismic isolators designed to withstand an 8.5-magnitude earthquake. The isolators allow the entire structure to sway 24 inches in any direction horizontally, according to a company spokeswoman.

First American offered reporters a tour of its earthquake-hardened data center here yesterday, which will be matched soon by another near Dallas.

But even if the building were somehow destroyed, First American could depend on data center virtualization technologies to provide disaster recovery with the Dallas data center, officials said.

Virtualization for First American has resulted from a comprehensive $100 million IT upgrade first planned in 2004, which began with a data center consolidation and has led to voice-over-IP technology and other changes, said Evan Jafa, chief technology officer of First American. The company had $8.5 billion in revenues in 2006, and provides business information to mortgage bankers and consumers on a range of topics.


They do virtualize the OS with VMware. And as the guys pointed correctly its the "Culture Change and managing the transition" that is the key to a successful strategy. The rest is here.

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