miller60 writes "Google doesn't allow the public inside its secret data centers. But a recent groundbreaking event at the company's new South Carolina data center provided glimpses of the exterior of the facility, which shows a design that has evolved since Google's Oregon data center made front page news. A new feature: an open, lighted area resembling a parking deck (containers?). Still missing: moats filled with sharks with friggin' laser beams on their head."
aslong as you can put the main unit in a waterproof container, i dont see why not, but the water will diffuse the light more rapidly than air, especially if the sharks kick up a load of silt in their frenzy, so the range may be limited
if the sharks are bad at aiming, they will just burn the skin, rather than focusing on one spot to burn a hole, but it may infact be preferable for the sharks to have their dinner 'fried off' rather than vapourised
...water will diffuse the light more rapidly than air
I think in actual operation the sharks would poke their
head out of the water (like Flipper the dolphin) to fire
the laser. I'm pretty sure the sharks would require special
goggles to aim accurately in the air.
Everyone keeps assuming the sharks will control the laser beams. Why not a laser-emitting weapon that instead uses the shark as a biological guidance and propulsion system?
Answer1: I would assume so, as long as the contraption itself was waterproof. And since lasers are just focused beams of light, they are subject to the laws of refraction, meaning that the laser would hit whatever the shark was looking at - below or above the water. (Note: this assumes the Scott Evil method of attaching lasers to sharks, whereby lasers are positioned above the shark's head, directly in front of the dorsal fin)
Answer2: I'm not sure about lasers, but most sharks are quite good at aiming the
Am I the only one that finds it depressing that it is an anonymous grey building. Something like a bond-villain's hideout in a volcano would be more appropriate for one of the world's information super hubs.
Having worked in a few data centers over the course of my life... They are continuing the long-standing tradition of nondescript concrete/cinder block buildings that have hosted data centers for decades.
Nobody, including Google, wants to advertise their data centers- they want them to look like ordinary warehouses or industrial buildings.
It's pretty much required from a security standpoint, and is why Google is very secretive of its data center locations. You might even have a Google data center in the airport industrial park right down the street.
Would you really expect a big steel and glass architectural wonder with "Google" emblazoned all over it? I would expect nothing more or less from a Google data center than a big ugly concrete box in an industrial park. They (big ugly concrete boxes) are easy to guard and air condition, and don't require a receptionist or PR staff.
It's pretty much required from a security standpoint, and is why Google is very secretive of its data center locations. You might even have a Google data center in the airport industrial park right down the street.
You're not suggesting that somebody who would be a security concern for Google would have a hard time finding one of their data centers, are you?
The "secret location" thing doesn't make much sense, but reinforced concrete IS both a better insulator and harder to break than glass. This deters theft and keeps costs down.
Pictures of a big warehouse-like building! Amazing! Why, I've never seen one! Looks like a giant... uhhhhhh.... box! w00t! Those pics are just sooo 1337!
Can we say we've reached the height of Google-worship when pictures of the exterior of a data center warrant a front page mention on Slashdot?
Now, if there were pictures of the interior (you know, where the interesting stuff is), I could see wanting to feature it, but the outside of the building? This is like saying you have a big scoop about the internal working of the NSA and then showing a picture of their front gate.
Now, if there were pictures of the interior (you know, where the interesting stuff is), I could see wanting to feature it
You did read the article, didn't you? "For a full pictorial history of the inside of Google's data centers, see James Hamilton's blog [mvdirona.com] (scroll down when you get there for the photos), where James has posted some photos supplied by Google's Jeff Dean."
How long do you suppose you have to build data centers before Google hires you and tells you to go nuts? That's amazing, and I'd love to just walk around in it asking the guy questions who designed it.
I can't imagine how much electrical engineering, physics, and IT years of experience were required to put that thing together.
Anyone get to work in something approaching this level?
I work in the data center design industry, and if you have a 4-year EE or ME degree and the interest you can get into the design engineering end fairly easily. I have been on the design and build teams of 3 centers now (non-GOOG) and am currently working on additional 2. Great growth industry and yes, there is quite a bit (years) of design work that goes into a well designed DC.
"...an open, lighted area resembling a parking deck..."
The open, lighted area, could also just be a loading dock, a covered storage area, a parking garage, building utilities area (above-ground 'basement') or any number of 'non-sinister' things. Remember, Google is a 'do no evil' company.
...this wasn't an anonymous whistleblower article! Here's a URL in the document: file:///C:/Documents and Settings/Rich Miller/My Documents/New Folder/data/20081021212457/index.html
I'm busted. Guess it was also dumb to put that "By Rich Miller" on the article. Here's the actual URL [flickr.com] for the photo on Flickr, which we've fixed.
I bet the 2 level structure is a large parking garage so every employee can drive their Hummer H2 and fit it in the garage.
The open air design will allow them to leave the H2s idling all day so the A/C can run and keep the interior at the perfect temp.
Ah - Green datacenter.
A first guess is that InterNet commerce eventually will decrease the number physical stores that need be constructed. However, there are some interesting anomalies along the way. During Web 1.0 some merchants like Amazon and Webvan invested heavily in new warehouses. One succeeded and the other went bankrupt.
Now we see the search engines and cloud computers are building massive data centers around the world. In the long run they may reduce or replace corporate data centers.
Youd'd thing with the InterNet rising to the top of the world economy, you might see some some class in its limited physcial constructions. However these data centers are as dull and drab as any industrial construction.
As somebody who's work in and around huge datacenter facilities for years, I'm not impressed at all. It looks like any other well organized purpose built large scale datacenter I've ever been to.
Actually I think the REAL question should be: Do you honestly think Sarah Palin is qualified to be President of the USA? Because lets face it,we are talking about a 72 year old cancer survivor. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to bet on him surviving for eight more,or even four more years. While I think Biden sucks ass IMHO he is 1000% more qualified to be president than Mrs "Real America" hockey mom.
Don't forget this is a woman who said,quote "Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those wh
moats filled with sharks with friggin' laser beams (Score:5, Funny)
Question2: Assuming the affirmative to question one, how good is your average shark at aiming them?
Re:moats filled with sharks with friggin' laser be (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:moats filled with sharks with friggin' laser be (Score:5, Funny)
I think in actual operation the sharks would poke their
head out of the water (like Flipper the dolphin) to fire
the laser. I'm pretty sure the sharks would require special
goggles to aim accurately in the air.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Everyone keeps assuming the sharks will control the laser beams. Why not a laser-emitting weapon that instead uses the shark as a biological guidance and propulsion system?
Re: (Score:1)
Answer1: I would assume so, as long as the contraption itself was waterproof. And since lasers are just focused beams of light, they are subject to the laws of refraction, meaning that the laser would hit whatever the shark was looking at - below or above the water. (Note: this assumes the Scott Evil method of attaching lasers to sharks, whereby lasers are positioned above the shark's head, directly in front of the dorsal fin)
Answer2: I'm not sure about lasers, but most sharks are quite good at aiming the
Re:moats filled with sharks with friggin' laser be (Score:5, Informative)
Yes laser works underwater [csumb.edu], Otters have better aim though, they also easily dodge lasers so expect no Otter battles..
Parent
We don't need no stinking sharks! (Score:2)
We've got plenty of alligators for our moats here in SC and they don't need pathetic little lasers.
Am I the only one that finds it depressing (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Am I the only one that finds it depressing (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
No, just normal... (Score:5, Interesting)
Having worked in a few data centers over the course of my life... They are continuing the long-standing tradition of nondescript concrete/cinder block buildings that have hosted data centers for decades.
Nobody, including Google, wants to advertise their data centers- they want them to look like ordinary warehouses or industrial buildings.
It's pretty much required from a security standpoint, and is why Google is very secretive of its data center locations. You might even have a Google data center in the airport industrial park right down the street.
Would you really expect a big steel and glass architectural wonder with "Google" emblazoned all over it? I would expect nothing more or less from a Google data center than a big ugly concrete box in an industrial park. They (big ugly concrete boxes) are easy to guard and air condition, and don't require a receptionist or PR staff.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
It's pretty much required from a security standpoint, and is why Google is very secretive of its data center locations. You might even have a Google data center in the airport industrial park right down the street.
You're not suggesting that somebody who would be a security concern for Google would have a hard time finding one of their data centers, are you?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ooooohhh.....ahhhhh.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Pictures of a big warehouse-like building! Amazing! Why, I've never seen one! Looks like a giant ... uhhhhhh.... box! w00t! Those pics are just sooo 1337!
Re:Ooooohhh.....ahhhhh.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Can we say we've reached the height of Google-worship when pictures of the exterior of a data center warrant a front page mention on Slashdot?
Now, if there were pictures of the interior (you know, where the interesting stuff is), I could see wanting to feature it, but the outside of the building? This is like saying you have a big scoop about the internal working of the NSA and then showing a picture of their front gate.
Parent
Re:Ooooohhh.....ahhhhh.... (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:1)
Now, if there were pictures of the interior (you know, where the interesting stuff is), I could see wanting to feature it
You did read the article, didn't you?
"For a full pictorial history of the inside of Google's data centers, see James Hamilton's blog [mvdirona.com] (scroll down when you get there for the photos), where James has posted some photos supplied by Google's Jeff Dean."
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, I have an image from the inside of Google Headquarters [folk.uio.no]... lots of empty space :)
Where do you sign up to play with toys like that? (Score:3, Interesting)
How long do you suppose you have to build data centers before Google hires you and tells you to go nuts? That's amazing, and I'd love to just walk around in it asking the guy questions who designed it.
I can't imagine how much electrical engineering, physics, and IT years of experience were required to put that thing together.
Anyone get to work in something approaching this level?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Yep, me. I actually work in the SC location. I was hired after submitting my resume to www.google.com/jobs. Cheers. :)
Re: (Score:2)
haha Busted!
So seriously, can I come play?
Re: (Score:1, Informative)
I work in the data center design industry, and if you have a 4-year EE or ME degree and the interest you can get into the design engineering end fairly easily. I have been on the design and build teams of 3 centers now (non-GOOG) and am currently working on additional 2. Great growth industry and yes, there is quite a bit (years) of design work that goes into a well designed DC.
Hey! (Score:2, Funny)
Some of my best friends are sharks with friggin' laser beams attached to their friggin' heads, you insensitive clod!
How much foil? (Score:3, Funny)
And how much foil do you have to wear on your head to kiss these friends?
New Design? (Score:2)
The open, lighted area, could also just be a loading dock, a covered storage area, a parking garage, building utilities area (above-ground 'basement') or any number of 'non-sinister' things. Remember, Google is a 'do no evil' company.
Google Maps Link (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Google Maps Link (Score:5, Funny)
They don't even have streetview of their own building!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Of course not! Everyone knows that's a huge privacy issue. :-)
Re: (Score:2)
They don't even have streetview of their own building!
No, but Microsoft does. [live.com] More recent photo, too. Looks unfinished in the Gmaps photo..
Re: (Score:2)
Interesting edit job on the building itself too. Looks ethereal.
slashdotted (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
DCK has remained up through many prior Slashdottings
the tubes (Score:1)
search queries going through all those series of tubes
Re: (Score:2)
It may be just me, but it looks like a bunch of old drive-up bank windows with air tubes.
Re: (Score:2)
look at all the tubes coming out of it
And they are right next to the truck loading docks. Is this where the data is transfered from the trucks to the tubes?
Thank goodness.... (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re: (Score:2)
Parking for H2s (Score:2)
The open air design will allow them to leave the H2s idling all day so the A/C can run and keep the interior at the perfect temp.
Ah - Green datacenter.
does the InterNet increase or decrease buildings? (Score:2)
Now we see the search engines and cloud computers are building massive data centers around the world. In the long run they may reduce or replace corporate data centers.
"Temples of the Internet" (Score:2)
Not impressed (Score:2)
As somebody who's work in and around huge datacenter facilities for years, I'm not impressed at all. It looks like any other well organized purpose built large scale datacenter I've ever been to.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
free rats and free water for every citizen!
I suspect that will be a good campaign promise for the 2010 and 2012 election cycles.
Re: (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re: sarah (Score:1, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Actually I think the REAL question should be: Do you honestly think Sarah Palin is qualified to be President of the USA? Because lets face it,we are talking about a 72 year old cancer survivor. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to bet on him surviving for eight more,or even four more years. While I think Biden sucks ass IMHO he is 1000% more qualified to be president than Mrs "Real America" hockey mom.
Don't forget this is a woman who said,quote "Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those wh
Re: (Score:2)