Microsoft wants to put its servers under the sea.

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Microsoft has been testing a prototype data center that can operate hundreds of feet below the ocean surface.

The company hopes this will help speed up everything from browsing the internet to downloading music.

The test, named Project Natick, took 105-days and involved placing a steel capsule — eight feet in diameter —30 feet underwater in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of San Luis Obispo.
http://natick.research.microsoft.com/

Microsoft placed 100 different sensors on the capsule to measure pressure, humidity, motion and other conditions in the case of leaks.

It consumed computing power equivalent to 300 desktop PCs and Microsoft researchers claim it was the first time a datacenter has been placed below the ocean's surface

The capsule held up and engineers were even able to run commercial data-processing projects from Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service.

Microsoft has now started designing an underwater data center that will be four times the size of the current prototype.

https://news.microsoft.com/features...-first-time/#sm.001mr4r651lpf3511fg15x6kw3hsf

 

[alucasa]

MS has been trying to do it for a while now. I guess they are finally seeing fruits of their labor.

 

[Papahyooie]

The cost associated with fixing anything on it surely has to outweigh any benefits.

On the bright side, "Underwater Server Support Technician" will be a real thing...

 

[Tatty_Two]

They are awash with new idea's, wonder if the majority of music downloads were songs by Billy Ocean......

 

[Durvelle27]

They are awash with new idea's, wonder if the majority of music downloads were songs by Billy Ocean......

 

[dorsetknob]

They would have Been appreciated more if they had
Bought a Valley Somewhere
Built a Water proof Data center
Dammed the Valley then Flooded it
Generate the power needed to run it from hydroelectric power

This would benefit somewhere ( Like California/Nevada ) with a Secure(ish) Water Supply ( THEY AS HELL NEED IT )

Dry tunnel Access for making Maintenance/upgrades Easier
the whole project would be Less expensive in the End as i'm Sure Grants/subsidy's and other financial subsidies could be Screwed out of STATE and Federal Budgets

 

[slozomby]

They would have Been appreciated more if they had
Bought a Valley Somewhere
Built a Water proof Data center
Dammed the Valley then Flooded it
Generate the power needed to run it from hydroelectric power

This would benefit somewhere ( Like California/Nevada ) with a Secure(ish) Water Supply ( THEY AS HELL NEED IT )

Dry tunnel Access for making Maintenance/upgrades Easier
the whole project would be Less expensive in the End as i'm Sure Grants/subsidy's and other financial subsidies could be Screwed out of STATE and Federal Budgets

queue 20 years of permitting and studies and other random bureaucratic nightmares.

as nice as the weather is in SLO you could just build an open air datacenter.

but personally i think trying to find a use for the other 2/3rds of the planet that doesn't involve dumping refuse or hunting whales is a good thing.

 

[dorsetknob]

How Can Building a Data Center in the Base of a Dam next /adjacent to a Turbine Room be Difficult
Cost wise the cost can be recovered by Selling Spare Electricity and Outflowing water
Both are in high demand on the (mid and ) West Coast of America
State and Federal Grants/ loans help pay for it ( and written off as tax expenditure by Rich corps ) as they are going to fund needed Infrastructure Projects and improvments.

 

[slozomby]

How Can Building a Data Center in the Base of a Dam next /adjacent to a Turbine Room be Difficult
Cost wise the cost can be recovered by Selling Spare Electricity and Outflowing water
Both are in high demand on the (mid and ) West Coast of America
State and Federal Grants/ loans help pay for it ( and written off as tax expenditure by Rich corps ) as they are going to fund needed Infrastructure Projects and improvments.

permitting for the dam, environment studies to make sure there isn't a rare dung beetle and effects downstream, buying all the land (even with imminent domain)......

those things take lots of time. things that the great dam building of the 40's didn't have to deal with.

 

[dorsetknob]

California's economy has at most 10 years before it seriously Crashes due to lack of water
its suffering serious enviormental damage now due to a Water Shortage
Southern Nevada/Arizona /new Mexico /Utah in the same Climate difficulty
All the Western Desert States need more infrastructure investment in Water management
which means Dams and Reservoir needed for extra Capacity
Federal and state cannot afford this investment on their own -they need Cash rich pardners

 

[rtwjunkie]

They would have Been appreciated more if they had
Bought a Valley Somewhere
Built a Water proof Data center
Dammed the Valley then Flooded it
Generate the power needed to run it from hydroelectric power

This would benefit somewhere ( Like California/Nevada ) with a Secure(ish) Water Supply ( THEY AS HELL NEED IT )

Dry tunnel Access for making Maintenance/upgrades Easier
the whole project would be Less expensive in the End as i'm Sure Grants/subsidy's and other financial subsidies could be Screwed out of STATE and Federal Budgets

The more I read that, the more it sounds like a REALLY good idea!

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

When i read the first link in post #1 i discovered why it is underwater......its all to do with location and very little to do with the fact that it is underwater.


No land to buy, no planning permission required and super quick deployment.



What are the customer benefits of Project Natick?

• Rapid provisioning: Ability to deploy a datacenter from start to finish in 90 days.
  • Enables rapid response to market demand, quick deployment for natural disasters and special events such as World Cup.
• Latency: Latency is how long it takes data to travel between its source and destination. Half of the world’s population lives within 200 km of the ocean so placing datacenters offshore increases the proximity of the datacenter to the population dramatically reducing latency and providing better responsiveness.

 

[peche]

No land to buy, no planning permission required and super quick deployment.

you cannot trow what ever you want to the ocean, there several organizations taking care of it, so you will be on the eye ball of at least someone....

What are the customer benefits of Project Natick?

• Rapid provisioning: Ability to deploy a datacenter from start to finish in 90 days.
  • Enables rapid response to market demand, quick deployment for natural disasters and special events such as World Cup.
• Latency: Latency is how long it takes data to travel between its source and destination. Half of the world’s population lives within 200 km of the ocean so placing datacenters offshore increases the proximity of the datacenter to the population dramatically reducing latency and providing better responsiveness.

benefits are great, but what about maintenance, response in malfunction or damage?

Regards,

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

you cannot trow what ever you want to the ocean, there several organizations taking care of it, so you will be on the eye ball of at least someone....

the biggest source of pollution will be the anti- fouling paint it is covered in.

benefits are great, but what about maintenance, response in malfunction or damage?

they will just winch it up, fix it and chuck it back in i expect.

 

[peche]

r

the biggest source of pollution will be the anti- fouling paint it is covered in.

Rust on metal? paint degradation through the time the capsule is underwater...? also the impact for all undersea flora and fauna? thats something i bet somebody its trying to use against them....

they will just winch it up, fix it and chuck it back in i expect.

costs? you arent clinching a piece of paper.... how frequent it could be?

 

[INSTG8R]

Watercooled?

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Rust on metal? paint degradation through the time the capsule is underwater...? also the impact for all undersea flora and fauna? thats something i bet somebody its trying to use against them

Anti - fouling paint is used all over the world to prptect against algal and other growth on submerged objects. It also prevents rusting. As regards cost-----nothing could be simpler than finding the tethering bouy and winching it up, as demonstrated in the video in post #1

Watercooled?

yes.

 

[peche]

Anti - fouling paint is used all over the world to prptect against algal and other growth on submerged objects. It also prevents rusting. As regards cost-----nothing could be simpler than finding the tethering bouy and winching it up, as demonstrated in the video in post #1

thanks, those were my doubts

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Anti- fouling paint is toxic, thats how it works.


there is a remote drilling gas rig planted on the sea bed under the North Sea, (between UK and Norway) 1000m's down that cant be retrieved or serviced, it has a lifespan of 40 years even under those conditions.

Edit
My error, there are 24 of them in one gas field alone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormen_Lange_(gas_field)

 

[thebluebumblebee]

which means Dams and Reservoir needed for extra Capacity

For what water?

 

[dorsetknob]

"Jesus Wept "
some people don't read posts properly before they deam to reply

For what water?

what i wrote was and highlighted in RED is the bit you missed reading

All the Western Desert States need more infrastructure investment in Water management
which means Dams and Reservoir needed for extra Capacity

Does it need further explanation ????

 

[thebluebumblebee]

which means Dams and Reservoir needed for extra Capacity

And what I'm telling you is that you can build all the dams and reservoirs you want, but there's no water to put in them.

Water management

They need to look to Israel to see what they've done. Israel now has a surplus of water and is sharing it with its neighbors.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I hate to piss in your reservoir boys, but, the whole point of this project is to place these things under the sea close to areas of population ...NOT build reservoirs so you can submerge servers.......


In a nutshell
Fresh water supply has nothing to do with sinking servers. Clicking on the links in post #1 does provide further insight which is why i include them......

 

[peche]

I hate to piss in your reservoir boys, but, the whole point of this project is to place these things under the sea close to areas of population ...NOT build reservoirs so you can submerge servers.......

agreed, cooling its another thing!