Share20,000 megabytes under the sea
Microsoft has tested a prototype called Project Natick of a self-contained data center that can operate hundreds of meters below the surface of the ocean off the Pacific coast, reducing the need for expensive cooling.
Microsoft has tested a prototype called Project Natick of a self-contained data center that can operate hundreds of meters below the surface of the ocean off the Pacific coast, reducing the need for expensive cooling.
This project could be a solution to the growing energy demands of the computing world. Right now, it takes as much energy to operate a large-scale data center in a year as it does to power a sizeable town. Placing data centers underwater not only helps keep their contents cool, but also has logistical advantages. Sub-sea systems are easier to deploy when extra capacity is needed. The results are said to be promising.
The project team members say it is possible that one day, underwater data centers could be self-powered using turbines or tidal power to generate electricity.
Now Microsoft is gearing up for the next phase of Project Natick, the deployment of a data center about the size of a container, four times larger than the previous one and can hold 20 times more server capacity, used on a cargo vessel.
This project could be a solution to the growing energy demands of the computing world. Right now, it takes as much energy to operate a large-scale data center in a year as it does to power a sizeable town. Placing data centers underwater not only helps keep their contents cool, but also has logistical advantages. Sub-sea systems are easier to deploy when extra capacity is needed. The results are said to be promising.
The project team members say it is possible that one day, underwater data centers could be self-powered using turbines or tidal power to generate electricity.
Now Microsoft is gearing up for the next phase of Project Natick, the deployment of a data center about the size of a container, four times larger than the previous one and can hold 20 times more server capacity, used on a cargo vessel.