The HP POD  (Performance Optimized Datacenter) is stealing the show at the HP Tech Forum 2009. The POD is set up and you can tour the POD, talk to the experts and also see the power house running the POD. Kevin Egan & Steve Cumings from HP are informative, graciously answering all questions and helping us to all fully grasp the coolness of the HP POD.

Here is a quick overview of the HP POD in plain English by Jason Newton:

Here are the technical slides from Kevin Egan's technical break out session:

Some quick take-away points:

HP POD solves the customer challenges:

• Capacity Limitations
• More energy efficiency needed
• Increased pressures on capital expenses

Highlights:

• HP can ship the POD fully loaded in six weeks
• Lower operating expenses – more efficient
• 22 racks 50U high --- 11000U  in 40x9 container
• POD cools the IT… closely coupled cooling. NO mixing of hot & cold air.
  Usually cool whole datacenter or certain areas.. not as efficient.
• HP’s highest density – non proprietary too.
• HP can cater to extreme hot or cold temperatures. Plumbing is the issue – keeping temps right.
• The POD is powered by ActivePower www.activepower.com. Partner with HP for the power house – Flywheel, 600Lbs spinning away! They also had a very cool tour. See Jason Newton’s POD in plain English tour above for info & photos from the tours.
• Questions on security always come up. Can someone drive away my datacenter? Someone would reaaalllly want to do this, as the POR averages 100,000 lbs. Would need 007 to pull that off. Just get the regular security in place.
• HP is investing heavily in POD technology & structure. 20FT version coming out in Q4. At the Houston Campus, they are building out 5 in a spine. HP has a full roadmap for the POD. The PODs offer a huge opportunity to defer capital expenses
• One customer has as a totally remote using iLO – only stepping in to make upgrades, change out any hardware.
• TCO Comparison available. Kevin’s team would be abile to run this for customers. Contact them here.

All companies have the same problems. Who are the POD customers?

• Capacity expansion 40%
• Scale out 30%
• Disaster Recovery 10%
• Transitional 10%
• Military & Custom  10%

Lastly: Every HP POD conversation goes to people wanting to live in it!!!

Key quotes from our Featured Bloggers at Tech Forum on the HP POD:

"I think a lot of us drool at the processing and storage capacity potential that the POD represents, but there are a lot of other factors that make the POD a serious, almost no-brainer contender when planning for a datacenter solution."

Shane Pitman, from his blog Neowin, read more at HP Technology Forum & Expo POD tour

 I will post more pics in the next few days of the POD too.

Let us know your thoughts & impressions on the HP POD. Are you ready for a mobile data center?