Microsoft says future data centres will be underwater

J

Jamie McKane

MyBroadband Journalist
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
7,000
Reaction score
1,008
Microsoft says future data centres will be underwater

Speaking at the Microsoft's Future Decoded conference in London, CEO Satya Nadella said that part of the company's plans for future data centers includes underwater server farms, Ars Technica reports.

Microsoft has been experimenting with underwater servers for some time, and in 2016 Project Natick put a server pod underwater off the coast of California.
 
I wonder if they have to pay for the usage of the 'ocean' or if they have to sign some sort of lease with the gov? Or can you just drop a DC into the ocean for free?
 
Would that not generate heat making the ocean water around the servers warmer, a docci on warming oceans says it's already happening, doubt it needs more help.
 
You would need a LOT of underwater servers to warm the sea that much
 
LCBXX said:
Microsoft will literally try to boil the ocean.
Click to expand...

Silly thing to say
The ocean is far too vast.

you can fill your sink halfway with boiling water. Ouch. Very hot. start adding cold water and, well, not so bad anymore.
The ocean is always in motion. Any hot water generated will be negated by the cold currents coming in. The hot water will be overwhelmed by the massive amounts of cold water.
The area around the servers will be hot, sure, but 'boil' the ocean? The ENTIRE ocean? Silly.
 
I think this will create more problems than it solves.

Currently, your server technicians do not need scuba gear in order to replace a bad drive controller. Nor do you have any risk of an oil tanker dropping its anchor on your cluster.
 
konfab said:
I think this will create more problems than it solves.

Currently, your server technicians do not need scuba gear in order to replace a bad drive controller. Nor do you have any risk of an oil tanker dropping its anchor on your cluster.
Click to expand...
Yeah, this was my question. How do they deal with it if anything goes wrong? Cooling cost savings have to be more than the cost of repairs. Not saying it won't happen in the future, just questioning if can be done now profitably.
 
Hemps said:
Would that not generate heat making the ocean water around the servers warmer, a docci on warming oceans says it's already happening, doubt it needs more help.
Click to expand...
The oceans are so big that even if every data centre in the world was under water it wouldn't change a thing.
 
konfab said:
I think this will create more problems than it solves.

Currently, your server technicians do not need scuba gear in order to replace a bad drive controller. Nor do you have any risk of an oil tanker dropping its anchor on your cluster.
Click to expand...

Why would you need scuba gear? The entrance will be on land. They would not need to go that deep.
Elevators exist.

Hell. they've got underwater hotel rooms in Dubai
 
konfab said:
I think this will create more problems than it solves.

Currently, your server technicians do not need scuba gear in order to replace a bad drive controller. Nor do you have any risk of an oil tanker dropping its anchor on your cluster.
Click to expand...
Under water robots (or drones)

IF they get this right I imagine there will be quite a few benefits:

-No property rental.
-Cheap cooling.
-Not bound by laws of any particular country.

The thing is that would be really exciting is that this could act as a node on one of those under sea cable lines. Well placed data centres could even reduce the overall load on the internet.
 
ToxicBunny said:
If you're going to try and throw shade at a VERY workable and smart idea.. at least don't make yourself look like a right royal idiot and quote something that was never said by Microsoft or Bill Gates
Click to expand...
I have no issue with the idea.. wish I had the cash to do something similar here in CT.
I am not trying to throw shade at the idea at all. I was trying to illustrate a point that Microcrap just like to take an idea and blow smoke up everyone's arses..
 
Beyond.Celsus said:
Silly thing to say
The ocean is far too vast.
Click to expand...
steve-harvey-answer-board.gif
 
Nerfherder said:
Under water robots (or drones)

IF they get this right I imagine there will be quite a few benefits:

-No property rental.
-Cheap cooling.
-Not bound by laws of any particular country.

The thing is that would be really exciting is that this could act as a node on one of those under sea cable lines. Well placed data centres could even reduce the overall load on the internet.
Click to expand...

You can solve the cooling problem by putting the centers near the ocean. I think you loose the latency argument the moment you are considering international waters
 
We will have to watch out for the sharks who will be stealing our data.


Naah with the population going the way it is - it makes sense to us the space we humans cannot live in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X