The Perfect Start: A New Rack

We've built countless racks over the years. They're the foundation of every data center—the physical place where our entire digital society operates. As our founder Daniel perfectly captured in his blog at Techland (Be warned: he's seriously talking about potential life without Netflix. We know, terrifying.), they're the engine room of the internet. But what does it actually take to bring a rack to life?

First Things First: The Uplink

Once the location is secured, everything begins with one critical question: Do we have connectivity? Typically, this means establishing BGP uplinks that connect with other BGP routers across the network. BGP—the Border Gateway Protocol—is essentially the traffic control system of the internet, determining how data flows between networks.

No uplink, no internet. No internet, no digital business.

Building the Foundation

With connectivity established, we move methodically through the layers:

Network Infrastructure: Switches configure VLANs, creating isolated network segments. Firewalls establish security perimeters. Each component is precisely positioned and configured.

Server Deployment: Modern servers are virtualization powerhouses—one physical machine hosting hundreds of virtual guests. This is where efficiency meets scalability.

Container Orchestration: Another layer of segmentation emerges through Kubernetes and Docker. What once required dedicated servers—like a WordPress site—now runs as lightweight containers alongside hundreds of other applications.

Beyond the Basics

The foundation is just the beginning. High availability ensures no single point of failure. Monitoring systems provide 24/7 visibility. Backup systems protect against disaster. Each layer adds resilience. Finally, we reach the application level—where business logic meets infrastructure. Here, the complexity becomes invisible to end users, but the engineering challenges multiply.

The Magic Remains

It might seem straightforward on the surface, but each rack represents thousands of decisions, configurations, and optimizations. Despite all the complexity we've added over the years—virtualization, containers, cloud abstractions—there's still something magical about that first rack.

It's a physical gateway to the infinite digital world. A tangible foundation for intangible innovation.

And every time we build one, we're reminded: great digital experiences start with great infrastructure. Always.