Topic: Google Server Design

[Perspective]

Neat.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10209580-92.html


Each server runs its own 12 volt battery instead of having a main UPS for backup. Pretty simple idea and apparently way more efficient.

[ober]

That's freaking cool.

[VBprogrammer]

I caught this on another site - took it hook line and sinker for way too long.

[ober]

Wait... that's an april fool's joke??

[VBprogrammer]

Lol, yes, I'm glad it caught you to! I think its one of the best ones I've seen because everyone knows google does use consumer hardware. The bit that got me was having a patent on the battery bit - laptops could easily be considered prior art! Then I noticed the date.

[charlie]

You sure about that?

by Shankland  April 2, 2009 2:59 PM PDT
    Just to be clear, since a lot of people are asking me, no, this is not an April Fools' joke. It's the real thing. Google itself will be publishing much of the information itself later, including slides from the presentations and the videos. Google people said so at the event, and Google's Twitter account confirmed it publicly today: http://twitter.com/google/status/1440093160

[Perspective]

The article has been updated on April 2 with stats corrections as well. I don't think it's a joke.

[hans]

I'm not sure. Google has been known before to release real info on April 1. I guess Gmail was an April Fool's not prank. This might be one of those situations.

[Dumah]

If there were a blackout they would need power for routers, backup devices, monitors, firewalls and a holy f*ckload of other kit. I doubt they have soldered batteries to all of those too. Looks like a hoax to me.

[VBprogrammer]

Not to mention that one big piece of kit is almost always more efficient than a million little ones. I can't think of any good reason having 1000 batteries in a freight container would be more efficient than a handful of industrial UPS systems.

[hans]

It's totally real.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10215392-92.html