Background Introduction

As the leading web portal in Japan, Yahoo Japan offers a diverse range of online services, including search engines, news, e-commerce, and financial services. To maintain their market dominance and ensure a seamless user experience, Yahoo Japan needed robust, scalable on-premises servers for their data centers.

Previously, Yahoo Japan used an OEM model, where different departments independently purchased servers with various configurations. This method, while expedient for delivery, resulted in a heterogeneous mix of servers, making in-house maintenance complex and heavily dependent on OEM support.

Challenge

With the expansion of Yahoo Japan's in-house cloud environments, the need for high-spec servers increased. Each department required specific configurations at different times, necessitating flexible delivery schedules. The cost of high-spec servers became a critical factor, and the fragmented approach led to high maintenance costs and inefficient communication with server parts vendors due to the OEM model.

Solution

Yahoo Japan turned to the Open Compute Project (OCP) for a more open, vendor-neutral approach to their server needs. Partnering with MiTAC, an experienced ODM server manufacturer and OCP Platinum member, they embarked on a journey to transform their data center infrastructure.

MiTAC provided customized OCP server solutions, including L11 racks equipped with Intel dual-socket OCP servers (Tioga Pass E7278) in 21" Open Rack v2. These solutions were thoroughly tested and validated, ensuring seamless integration. Unlike traditional L10 racks, the L11 racks were pre-assembled at MiTAC's factory, simplifying the installation process at Yahoo Japan's data center.

Benefits

Cost Savings: The ODM model offered by MiTAC provided competitive pricing, significantly reducing deployment costs. Yahoo Japan could now standardize server configurations, facilitating self-managed maintenance and reducing reliance on vendor support.

Improved Communication and Transparency: The OCP model improved communication with server component vendors, streamlining feedback processes and enhancing parts verification, information sharing, and overall quality control.

Enhanced Maintainability: The MiTAC OCP Tioga Pass servers featured a tool-less front access design, allowing engineers to perform maintenance tasks more efficiently. This innovative design eliminated the need to access the back of the rack, saving time and reducing operational inefficiencies.

By leveraging MiTAC's expertise and OCP's open-source approach, Yahoo Japan successfully optimized their data center infrastructure. This collaboration not only addressed their immediate challenges but also set the stage for future growth and innovation.