33296727
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Cloud provider Rackspace is looking to the emerging open source hardware ecosystem to transform its data centers. The cloud provider spends $200 million a year on servers and storage, and sees the Open Compute Project as the key to reducing its costs on hardware design and operations. Rackspace is keen on the potential of the new Open Rack program, and its buying power is motivating HP and Dell to develop for the new standard — partly because Rackspace has also been talking with original design manufacturers like Quantra and Wistron, It's an early look at how open source hardware could have a virtuous impact on the server economy. “I think the OEMs were not very interested (in Open Compute) initially,” said Rackspace COO Mark Roenigk. “But in the last six months they have become really focused.""Link to Original Source
33236923
submission
1sockchuck writes
"New photos from inside Google's data centers show servers housed in racks on wheels. In recent years, cloud builders have begun having servers delivered pre-populated in racks for "rack-and-roll" deployment. The photos were released as part of a presentation explaining how an email travels through Google's infrastructure to your inbox. But they offer clues (and raise questions) about the inner realm of the data centers where Google houses its 900,000-plus servers."Link to Original Source
33110817
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Apple will double the size of a solar array at its data center in North Carolina, the company said today. The additional solar panels, along with landfill-powered fuel cells from Bloom Energy, means that the iDataCenter will be entirely powered by renewable energy. The expanded commitment was welcomed by Greenpeace, which has expressed concern about Apple’s energy sourcing in a series of demonstrations and blog posts. “You have huge buying power," Greenpeace's Gary Cook told a data center industry conference this week. "You have the opportunity to shift the marketplace and demand cleaner power from your utilities.""Link to Original Source
33075359
submission
1sockchuck writes
"The open source infrastructure management tool Chef has now been downloaded more than 1 million times, the project announced today.Opscode will release a number of new features for Chef today at its first #ChefCon user conference, including plugins to provide easier installation on a broad selection of major public clouds."Link to Original Source
32532465
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Are you ready for wider servers? The Open Compute Project today shared details on Open Rack, a new standard for hyperscale data centers, which will feature 21-inch server slots, rather than the traditional 19 inches. "We are ditching the 19-inch rack standard," said Facebook's Frank Frankovsky, who said the wider design offered better heat removal and a unified approach to power, including a 12 volt busbar. The Open Compute Project, developed by Facebook to advance open source hardware design, believes an open approach can avoid the mistakes of blade server chassis design."Link to Original Source
32436345
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Apple's North Carolina data center will tap landfills for biogas, which will then be converted into electricity using fuel cells from Bloom Energy. The 24 "Bloom boxes" will have a capacity of 4.8 megawatts of power, and along with a large solar array, will provide Apple with a significant on-site generation of sustainable energy. Microsoft is also developing biogas-powered data plants where modular data centers will be housed near water treatment plants and landfills. GigaOm has a useful primer on biogas in data centers, as well as video of the new higher capacity Bloom boxes that will support Apple's server farm."Link to Original Source
31808591
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Microsoft is planning data plants that bring together data centers and renewable power generation. Microsoft’s plan to streamline its infrastructure involves placing data centers with wind power or facilities that generate power from biomass and waste gases. “Through massive integration of power plants and data centers, there could be huge efficiency gains by eliminating the need for transmission lines, substations, and transformers (as well as the associated transmission losses) that we see in today’s power distribution ecosystem,” write Microsoft's Christian Belady and Vijay Gill. This approach differs from the sustainability path taken by Google, which has foregone on-site power in favor of power purchase agreements that put more wind power on local grids."Link to Original Source
31576167
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Staff at Interxion's London data center are ready to hunker down during the Olympic Games this summer, nestled in snug sleeping pods adjacent to the racks. The arrangement will ensure that the facility will be fully-staffed if London's transit system is taxed by the huge crowds expected for the Games. While staff in many industries might object to a plan that expects them to sleep in their office, data center firms have a primary calling of keeping their facilities operational at all times. Is this too much readiness, or just enough?"Link to Original Source
31263763
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Google has announced plans to use a thermal storage system for the first time in its new data center in Taiwan.Thermal storage systems typically use ice or liquid coolant that can be chilled and then used in heat exchange systems. The systems "charge" by running chillers overnight when power rates are cheaper, and then supplementing cooling systems during peak daytime hours. A number of other data centers are already using this strategy."Link to Original Source
31093813
submission
1sockchuck writes
"Will Solid State Drives (SSDs) be a differentiator for cloud computing services? A small but growing number of cloud providers are offering platforms featuring SSDs, including Storm on Demand and MorphLabs, which is teaming with Dell on its offering. Storm says the use of SSDs has boosted the power and speed of its platform, performing data base queries more rapidly than traditional disk-based clouds. “By improving upon our already rapid I/O performance, we are eager to see the new horizons our customers are able to explore,” said Storm CEO Mathew Hill."Link to Original Source
