Slashdot Mirror
Google's Secretive Data Center
valdean wrote in with a NYTimes article about Google which says "On the banks of the windswept Columbia River [in Oregon], Google is working on a secret weapon in its quest to dominate the next generation of Internet computing. But it is hard to keep a secret when it is a computing center as big as two football fields, with twin cooling plants protruding four stories into the sky...' What's the goal of this new complex? Expanding Google's raw computer power. It's one more piece in the Googleplex, the massive global computer network that is estimated to span 25 locations and 450,000 servers.'
They probably use the water for cooling, and maybe hydro power - even if they're not using the hydro from where they are, power has got to be cheaper there, due to lower distribution costs from wherever the nearest hydro plant is.
There is always the alternative of google to stop moaning, get their head out of their arse and put their money where their mouth is by creating the next Google product: Google Peering
The only reason for no-net-neutrality being a threat in the US is the fact that there is no US public peering left. The tier 1 cartel peers between themselves and does not allow anyone in. As a result an average small ISP as well as all content providers in the US has 2 uplinks to two providers and that is it. An average small ISP and all content providers in the EU has 2 uplinks and 30+ peering agreements across the Linx, Belgix, DGIX, etc. All of these are less congested than an average US private peering.
As a result, while the tier 1s would like to pressure the content providers the same way, they lack the leverage as they do not have full control over the net
So all Google (and the other winnie moaners) need to do is reestablish public peering in the US and run it properly (subcontract it to Linx to do it if they do not have the brains). Alternatively the Tier 1 cartel will take them by the balls and their wallets will follow
Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
http://www.sigsegv.cx/
A network engineer for google has to know their shit. GED and a pulse? Try CCNP and a bachelor's. Not to mention their extensive interview process.
What makes you think I have no ambition?
I applied for a sys admin position in a Google data center in 2004 and was accepted but turned down the job. Their data center admins are contractors without benefits. At the time, the data centers were in Mt. View, Atlanta, and D.C, and the position I was offered was for either of the latter 2. Although working for Google sounds fun and interesting, would you want to work as a contractor in a data center in either of those places? Pay was decent but I'm certainly making more now working at a small company in a MUCH better location.
Bottom line? Despite Google's reputation and the fact that their stock is insane, my quality of life comes first.
"I either want less corruption, or more chance
to participate in it." -- Ashleigh Brilliant
It also supplies cheap fiber. Oregon put in a ton of fiber thinking that they could cash in on all the traffic between Washington and California. So you have cheap power, cheap fiber, and with the Columbia in theory you could have cheap cooling.
Sort of like when cities sprang up where two rivers joined or two rail lines crossed. You have the perfect location for a data center. Too bad it will provide so few jobs in that area. Most of the jobs will be pretty low level security people, people that plug in new servers, and a few admins.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
It doesn't look to me like Google "let" the NYT write this article at all. Noticed who they talked to for this story:
What did Google officially contribute to the article?
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;