On 9/30/11 15:19 , Steven G. Huter wrote:
I can't tell you the kind of servers, but I can say that I was recently in Prineville, OR, where FB is building a data center (and a second data center). I was used to the ol data centers - you know, where there's raised floors, cabinets, cool air, a guard and a few guys around with some screens?
But this was massive. I was amazed at the size - a few city blocks long and a city block wide, with a transformer and power line the size of a small city. I wonder if the Feds were involved.
the bonneville power administration.
hey joelja
this August 2011 article in the Economist outlines some relevant info about the prineville, oregon FB datacenter.
ambient cooling is important just like power is important, by sonic.net gets ~240days of ambient in santa rosa so it's feasible wholesale market prices a driven by availability from the largest producer. so you'll pay market price as benchmarked at the bonnevilla transmission yard just as is much of california and az the refence price is at palo verde az. there's only one coal plan in oregon and it's 600MW of generating capacity in boardman that's portland general electric. we've got a 20MW interuptable contract with siliconvalley power precisely becuase it's vanishingly close to the wholesale rate compared to PGEs pricing structure so if you ever wonder why the DCs are in sunnyvale and santa clara but not mountainview, there's a good reason.
steve