Intrusion detection for submerged datacenters

• US 9,913,409 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cutler, Benjamin F., Whitaker, Norman Ashton
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus
• Application Number:
  US15/167,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/033 Rearing or breeding invertebrates; New breeds of invertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0046 using natural energy, e.g. solar energy, energy from the ground
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 1/02 using naturally cold water, e.g. household tap water
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/022 for immersion in a natural body of water, e.g. marine radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0028 for cooling heat generating elements, e.g. for cooling electronic components or electric devices for cooling semiconductors H01L23/34, for cooling electric apparatus H05K7/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1495 providing data protection in case of earthquakes, floods, storms, nuclear explosions, intrusions, fire
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1497 Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20236 by immersion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20709 for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2079 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

Examples of the disclosure provide a datacenter configured for operation while submerged in water. The datacenter includes one or more physically separable modules. The datacenter also includes an intrusion detection system that has one or more intrusion detection modules.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an intrusion detection system coupled to a datacenter configured for operation while submerged in water, the datacenter comprising one or more physically separable modules, the intrusion detection system comprising one or more intrusion detection modules configured to detect underwater intrusion attempts directed towards the datacenter while submerged in the water, the one or more intrusion detection modules further configured to;

responsive to a detection of an intrusion into the datacenter submerged in the water, triggering an alert for network operations;

broadcasting warnings into a surrounding environment;

ceasing network traffic;

failing over to a geo-replicated copy of the datacenter; and

permanently rendering local data of the datacenter inaccessible by flooding the datacenter submerged in the water.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a power generator, coupled to at least one of the datacenter or the intrusion detection system, that generates power from the movement of the water or air.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an energy storage module, coupled to the datacenter, that stores energy for use by the datacenter.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a compound module comprising two or more of the following;

a datacenter module, a power generator module, and a power storage module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more intrusion detection modules further comprise one or more intrusion detection sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more intrusion detection modules include at least one of a camera, an accelerometer, a vibration sensor, a magnetometer, a water pressure sensor, a hydrophone, a sonar device, or a laser.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more intrusion detection modules are coupled directly to the one or more physically separable modules of the datacenter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intrusion detection system includes a perimeter barrier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the one or more intrusion detection modules is coupled to the perimeter barrier.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more intrusion detection modules include at least one of an acoustic sensor, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, or a fiber network integrity sensor.

11. In a computing environment, a method for detecting intrusion into a datacenter submerged in water, the method performed at least in part on a processor, the method comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a hydrophone or a sonar device;

determining whether an anomaly is detected using the received data;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly is detected, identifying the anomaly;

determining whether the identified anomaly indicates an underwater intrusion;

responsive to a determination that the detected anomaly is not an intrusion indication, outputting a change detection notice;

responsive to a determination that the detected anomaly indicates the underwater intrusion, initiating a search for the underwater intrusion;

ceasing network traffic;

failing over to a geo-replicated copy of the datacenter; and

permanently rendering local data of the datacenter inaccessible by flooding the datacenter submerged in the water.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the anomaly further comprises:

identifying a change in the environment by a distinct observation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the anomaly further comprises:

identifying a change in connectivity of the datacenter to a network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the data from the plurality of sensors further comprises:

receiving the data from one or more intrusion detection modules of an intrusion detection system associated with the datacenter.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the data from the plurality of sensors further comprises:

receiving the data from one or more datacenter modules.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the data from the plurality of sensors further comprises:

receiving the data from one or more remote facilities, including publicly accessible ocean or weather sensors or reports, or Automatic Identification System (AIS) reports.

17. In a computing environment, a method for performing protective actions upon detection of an intrusion into a datacenter submerged in water, the method performed at least in part on a processor, the method comprising one or more of:

triggering an alert for network operations;

broadcasting warnings into a surrounding environment;

ceasing network traffic;

failing over to a geo-replicated copy of the datacenter; and

permanently rendering local data of the datacenter inaccessible by flooding the datacenter submerged in the water.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein broadcasting the warnings into the surrounding environment further comprises:

broadcasting the warnings into surrounding water of the datacenter using an acoustic emissions component.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein further rendering the data inaccessible further comprises:

ignoring all network traffic pending receipt of a special sequence of packets.