Sun To Unveil Project Blackbox

this great guy writes "A year ago, Google's secret plans for a portable data center in a shipping container were being revealed by Robert X. Cringely. Sun Microsystems is about to officially unveil its 'data center in a box' concept. Project Blackbox will involve the full-scale production of data centers in 20-foot-long cargo shipping containers." From the article: "The idea eliminates several major hurdles facing data center customers: finding an appropriate site, arranging the servers and cooling mechanisms in the most efficient manner, and waiting for construction to be complete. The company is touting energy efficiency as a crucial benefit of the confined space, as its patented cooling features can more accurately target hot spots than in giant warehouses. The box can hold hundreds of servers and save thousands of dollars per year in energy costs, the company said."

Comments

I have a Vision

[AKAImBatman]

I have this vision of a giant, square hole being dug in the ground, the walls being covered with borg-like equipment, then dozens of cargo containers being stacked and slotted into place as if they were large battery cells. It will be, the DATA CENTER OF THE FUTURE... (echo echo echo echo)

*shudder*

Seriously, I could see this being useful for the military. You simply air-drop the container, and *BAM* instant command and control. It would save the Army IT guys tons of time in getting the field systems deployed. It seems like it would also be good for portable sites like construction work. Unfortunately, I can't really figure out what you would need that much horsepower for. We're talking about a datacenter capable of supporting massive web server, remote application, and database needs.

Those sorts of applications are usually fixed at secure locations. Why would you want to deploy them onsite? Laptops are usually sufficient for the work, and a collaboration server or two can easily be deployed in the existing office trailers. Wifi solves the wiring problem, soooo.... I'm not really getting this.

On the bright side, the cargo container looks cool. :P

Re:I have a Vision

[zen611]

On the other hand, anyone with a semi-tractor and a cable cutter could steal your entire data center...

Re:I have a Vision

[freemywrld]

The thing that is boggling my mind is this: they tout that this could be a viable solution for an upstart company, leading to easy expandability, but where would an upstart house the 'datacenter in a box'? They would need to find a viable location to store it, and then secure it. I'm not sure I understand how this is particularly useful outside of military applications where a mobile field command center would be needed.
Anyone have any ideas on this? I'm genuinely curious how this would work logistically.

Re:I have a Vision

[Stanistani]

This is perfect for a COOP.

Continuity Of OPerations... also known as your disaster plan. If you leased however many of these you would need to replace your existing datacenter (possibly on some pro-rated insurance plan), you would have a great turnkey COOP alternative. You could even have them trucked out to your designated COOP site and test your plan, then return them to the company after the test...

It's also a business opportunity, if you look more closely...

Re:I have a Vision

[RootWind]

The parking lot and barrels upon barrels of super glue?

Re:I have a Vision

[networkBoy]

Latency.
If you're main datacenter is in The Planet down in Tx and you want a presence in the EU without the cost of a datacenter you can drop one of these off at the local telco peering point and wham! instant local presence. Later when traffic dictates you could consider upgrading to a full datacenter.

On a completely tangental note:
Beowulf cluster anyone?
-nB

Re:I have a Vision

[AKAImBatman]

Continuity Of OPerations... also known as your disaster plan.

I suppose that really would work well with the whole "borg cube in the desert" thing. You configure your container, and the COOP provider slots it into place at their disaster site.

Still, a borg cube? *shudder*

Re:I have a Vision

[TheSunborn]

But there are lots of datacenters in EU with space to rant, so what is the point in bring your own, insted of just renting a rag or to in a datacenter?

Martin

Re:I have a Vision

[Silver Sloth]

you can drop one of these off at the local telco peering point and wham! instant local presence.

You've never dealt with BT. It would be more like
you can drop one of these off at the local telco peering point and wham! instant mindblowing beaurocracy (please hold while I con...)

On the other hand, if your relocating your datacentre to India, where your support staff are now located....

Re:I have a Vision

[stevesliva]

Why, if you are worried about the need to immediately lease temporary server capacity would you plan to always do it with physical servers? Isn't this product supposed to be obseleted by grid computing? This would seem to be a very niche product in the long run.

Re:I have a Vision

[charlesnw]

Why? Why would you give this any less security then a normal data center?

Re:I have a Vision

[aaarrrgggh]

The incentive is the many companies that can't plan. Something that can be deployed quicker than a lease agreed to for CoLo, that can be sited in a spot that doesn't require a mile of trenching for a new OC12.

Today there is a dearth of quality data center space. A well-executed container-based system that allows for various equipment to be installed inside, and that can be pre-configured in a wharehouse and literally "dropped" into place (have you ever seen how they deliver containers in parking lots...) is a great infrastructure solution.

The biggest challenge is finding ways to make it scale from an application standpoint, and really maximizing the energy benefits. My company was going to use heat pipes to the chips to free-cool servers; the problem is that a solution like that doesn't meet most IT organizations needs. (Could work for a Google, but not Citibank.)

Re:I have a Vision

[aaarrrgggh]

The only problem is that it is pretty small by most standards. APC has their "data center on demand" (I think it is branded Data Center Express now), but that is currently limited to 80kW. It should make it to 200kW before too long.

At 80kW, it is about $1M, and includes generator, UPS, and cooling. I forget if it is a 40' or 53' trailer, but you end up with just 8 rack-equivalents.

It's hard to believe that Sun has made a better solution in a smaller space, although the picture makes it look like the power and cooling (at least heat rejection) infrastructure are external.

While it does take two years to design and plan a Tier IV data center, most internet companies are only in Tier II facilities, which can usually be deployed in under 6 months. For one client now, we are going to just build inside a warehouse. You get most of the benefits of a container solution with less risk or vendor lock-in.

Re:I have a Vision

[coredog64]

Not too long ago my employer went from hosting the datacenter on-site to co-locating @ HP's data center in Colorado Springs.
It seems to me that Blackbox would be a boon for companies like HP. Companies can start with whatever IT infrastructure they need, be it a Blackbox or some organic collection of UNIX and Wintel stuff. When they've grown to the point that in-house IT infrastructure management costs more than it's worth*, HP trucks in a Blackbox. The client company moves data and does a test switchover. Then the HP Blackbox gets moved to the local datacenter and the real switchover occurs.

*There are days when I question if IT infrastructure management ever costs more than it's worth, but it's at least useful to recognize the reality that some CxO will draw that line in the sand...

Re:I have a Vision

[networkBoy]

Actually that's an even better point than mine.
Taken to the extreme:
The BlackBox is then trucked to the datacenter where it is plugged into the logal grid infrastructure (multiple power and backbones) but otherwise remains unchanged.
The datacenter is then really just a (hopefully shaded)big expensive secure parking lot.
I could see this being someone's business model. Modular datacenter. How deep can you stack these? Two rows of three or would the one in the middle bottom location then cook?
-nB

Re:I have a Vision

[Kjella]

Why? Why would you give this any less security then a normal data center?

Is a laptop easier to steal than the old desktop chained to your desk? Yes. It's not so much about giving it less security, it's that a mobile unit is inherently a lot easier to steal than a fixed installation. I imagine time would be of essence as most companies that need a datacenter would notice quite quickly that it was missing. Cut the alarms, break up the locks, hook up the truck and when you're ready to go the whole datacenter is rolling before you know what hit you as opposed to start tearing down server racks. I suppose you could fix this by locking it down until you have a permanent installation, but then most of the point seems lost to me. If you're doing a once-over job on cooling and organizing then traditional datacenters do just fine. Stuff I see this as useful for is the type "Yes, I know we're moving next year when the new site is done, but we need more capacity now. Find me a cheap way to deploy it now but move it next year." That sort of implies you won't be embedding it in concrete any time soon.

Re:I have a Vision

[LWATCDR]

I can see uses for it.
A warehouse can be converted into a data center without a lot of problems using these.
Also you could put the out in your parking lot surrounded by a fence and a rent a cop.
The warehouse could be a good example of how this could work.
You need to add some computing power to a distribution center. Just put on of these in the center and you have an instant machine room.
In a way it takes the idea of a rack and expands on it. I would love to see how you provide cooling, power, and connectivity to one of these.
I also wonder how dense you can pack them. If each has their own cooling I doubt that you could just stack them like legos. Still a very interesting idea. One of those containers probably has more computing power than the most countries had in 1970.

Re:I have a Vision

[SABME]

Good point about disaster recovery. The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was AT&T's mobile CO, which is a similar idea. Essentially, it's a complete, self-contained telecom central office in two tractor-trailers that can be moved anywhere in the US to restore service, even after a "smoking crater event."

Re:I have a Vision

[gstoddart]

If you're main datacenter is in The Planet down in Tx

Man, I always knew Texas was a big state, but they have whole planets??? Crikey! =)

Cheers

Re:I have a Vision

[auric_dude]

If you think about what happened when Katrina struck these black boxes might have helped both local and federal authorites if they had them, had plans to use them and they indeed worked as advertised; other problems came to light http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002715.html in the areas of systems speaking to systems and a severe lack of bandwidth that might have not allowed the box/boxes to function as expected.

Re:I have a Vision

[Ravenscall]

You beat me to it.

Looks like corporate espionage is about to get a lot more interesting.

Not to mention the smuggling capability to get new tech to rogue states.

Re:I have a Vision

[Anonymous Coward]

Is that an NSA truck I see idling at my curbside? Or just the Cat-Detector van from the ministry of 'owsing?

Re:I have a Vision

[recharged95]

"Unfortunately, I can't really figure out what you would need that much horsepower for. We're talking about a datacenter capable of supporting massive web server, remote application, and database needs." It's because we're not talking about horsepower, we're talking portability--datacenters do change service contracts among vendors and moving all that equipment between service locations in today's environment is nearly impossible, unless you buy more [useless] equipment & rebuild your DC. IBM service contracts moving to Ohio comes to mind.

Re:I have a Vision

[ceejayoz]

Beowulf cluster anyone?

Indeed!

Re:I have a Vision

[Dun Malg]

Seriously, I could see this being useful for the military. You simply air-drop the container, and *BAM* instant command and control. It would save the Army IT guys tons of time in getting the field systems deployed.

There's this nut with a website (how unusual, right?) that details the idea of completely ISO containerizing the Army for deployments instead of using tents and building makeshift shacks, bunkers, and guard towers out of plywood like they do now. The guy has some very sensible notions, but his presentation comes off very badly. His web pages run on and on without really laying out his point in a clear concise manner. Scroll down a bout 1/3 of the way and you'll see some pictures of mockups. An ISO container datacenter would fit in nicely with this. I wouldn't recommend air dropping anything like this though. Airdrops are extremely harsh, impact wise.

Re:I have a Vision

[the_lesser_gatsby]

Nail..meet head. You hit it right on there. This will be far more compelling to build up data centers in third-world countries than the the US or europe.

I'm sure that in my prissy central european country there would be official frowning on semi-permanent shipping containers clustered around the local telco.

Re:I have a Vision

[AKAImBatman]

An ISO container datacenter would fit in nicely with this. I wouldn't recommend air dropping anything like this though. Airdrops are extremely harsh, impact wise.

The existing datacenters are already air-dropped piecemeal, then setup in a battlefield tent on the ground. I guess it's all about the packing.

There's this nut with a website (how unusual, right?) that details the idea of completely ISO containerizing the Army for deployments instead of using tents and building makeshift shacks, bunkers, and guard towers out of plywood like they do now.

It looks like a good idea to me. Our campaigns in Afganistan and Iraq really showed off how lax we've gotten in our deployments. We did an absolutely horrible job of getting the boots on the ground, then following up with the supply chain. The sandbagging was outright stupid (I guess several shelters collapsed from it), and the AC equipment was always on the fritz. Something like these containers could be factory checked for good operation ahead of time, then shipped and/or airlifted into place. Thus the GIs would have equipment that works, and they'd be well-protected. Now if only this guy knew how to properly present that. :(

Re:I have a Vision

[naChoZ]

Yes, but if you purchase the "Large" configuration from Sun, it comes with the optional camouflage/concealment package. Of course, I giant boulder with lots of wires coming out of it and a diesel generator parked next to it may arouse some suspicion.

Re:I have a Vision

[ChrisA90278]

Seriously, I could see this being useful for the military

You are about 25 year to late. This is the way it's beed done for many years Have you ever seen a real life "TOC" (tactical Command center) basically it is a bunch of shipping containers filled with radios, computers and workstations. They can mount these containers on trucks and in some cases use them while moving on a raodway but typically they set up and deply big satilite dishes and antana masts with camo netting over the top. Many times these containers (they call them "shelters") are protected against biological and chemical agents and harded for EMP (eletromagnetic pulse from a nuclear explosion)

Re:I have a Vision

[Gilmoure]

The college I worked at, in south St. Petersburg, Fl, is 3'-12' above sea level. As of two years ago, the data center was finally set up in a second floor dedicated space. Before that, it was ground level, in some old admin offices. I imagine the cost of this thing would have been less than the new building that was put up and can easily see the school directors going the Sun route, to save a few nickels. Having it on wheels would make it easy to evac, for the three or four times a year the campus is evacuated. Just wonder what kind of über connection they'd have for hooking this thing up to an org's network. RS232? 50 PIN SCSI?

Re:I have a Vision

[couchslug]

A 20' ISO box is a nice small format that can fit INSIDE many conventional commercial buildings. The advantage of this is that it eliminates the need for a custom structure. You could populate a warehouse or similar building with these, then add more as needed. The are easily delivered by commercial rollback trucks (just call your local towing company) and are not difficult to place. They can be moved by forklift, or even fitted with casters. (Tandemloc make a wide variety of ISO handling equipment and their catalog has good pics of same.)
You could have quite a stout setup, including locking the containers to floor anchors. The is plenty of potential here for a quick-deploy, disaster-resistant (love those gasketed end doors!) facility.
I have a couple of 40' High Cube ( I recommend the extra height for work spaces) and a standard height 20'.
They are terrific small buildings.

"I have this vision of a giant, square hole being dug in the ground, the walls being covered with borg-like equipment, then dozens of cargo containers being stacked and slotted into place as if they were large battery cells. It will be, the DATA CENTER OF THE FUTURE... (echo echo echo echo"

If you pot the result in reinforced concrete, the boxes not only form the passages but provide an anti-spall liner and moisture barrier.

Re:I have a Vision

[charlesnw]

Uh its called armed guards surrounding the data center? You ever worked in a company with a massive data center? Or for a defense contractor? Or the federal government? I have worked for all of the above execept the feds. You don't get close to any major data center without going through heavy security. If you deployed a mobile data center you wouldn't just drop it somewhere and hook up power/networking. You would put armed guards around it and have some sort of access control.

Re:I have a Vision

[couchslug]

"On the other hand, anyone with a semi-tractor and a cable cutter could steal your entire data center..."

Only if you are silly enough to leave it on the container hauler chassis.
Once on the ground, you'd need a rollback, a Landoll trailer, rough-terrain forklift, or a very large commercial wrecker and a flatbed.

20-footers can be placed with a common commercial rollback (they don't need to be delivered on a trailer), and if desired they can be locked to anchors on the ground. Just pot the anchors (containing standard lock fittings) in the ground, lower/slide the container on top of them, lock, then tack weld the locks. More secure than a conventional structure, and fitting a Lojak tracking box into the ISO would be easy enough.
There are many ways to use these 20' modules indoors and out. ISO container structures are versatile, easy to work with, and I encourage anyone needing a building or internal structure to check them out. There are many companies customizing ISOs for every use including modular homes.

Re:I have a Vision

[Dun Malg]

The existing datacenters are already air-dropped piecemeal, then setup in a battlefield tent on the ground. I guess it's all about the packing.

Do you mean airdropped or just airlifted (parachute vs slingload under a helo)? I saw plenty slingloaded, but never saw anything but "soft" material airdropped.

The sandbagging was outright stupid (I guess several shelters collapsed from it), and the AC equipment was always on the fritz.

Tell me about it. I spent my "garrison" time in Afghanistan playing plumber and electrician, just trying to keep the lights on and the water running. And it was only by luck and obstinancy that any of it worked-- there were no "military electricians" there, just a few of use reservists who are electricians in "real life". We had to scrounge for everything, from tools to light bulbs. Of course the beauty of Afghanistan is that if you can get to "town", they have EVERYTHING for sale...

Re:I have a Vision

[AKAImBatman]

Do you mean airdropped or just airlifted (parachute vs slingload under a helo)? I saw plenty slingloaded, but never saw anything but "soft" material airdropped.

I have been told that the machines were airdropped, but I don't have any personal experience with this, so take it with a grain of salt. A helicopter airlift would make a rather juicy target, so you'd have to make sure the area was secure before you tried to airlift anything in.

FYI, the military does airdrop some rather hard items, including construction machinary, tanks, humvees, etc. Most of these are dropped using a low-level extraction airdrop vs. the far rougher high-altitude airdrops.

Re:I have a Vision

[georgewilliamherbert]

The APC InfraStruXure Express is a full-sized cargo truck trailer, bigger than a container. It's not as mobile as containers are. But it does include the A/C units (Sun's product needs chilled water input, apparently).

Re:I have a Vision

[Anonymous Coward]

If the laptop is easier to steal than the desktop, then you are probably dealing with someone who hasn't even put up software defenses. I'd expect that the copy of Damn Small Linux in my wallet could let me get right into any desktop without even alerting you to a security breach. And all it would look like when your computer restarted is that there was a power outage and your comp rebooted.

When you say that the laptop is easier to steal, you're ignoring that there are much easier ways to steal data without even physically stealing anything. You're creating a scenario where it's harder to steal a desktop. Who would need more than the hard drive? It's certainly more portable than the laptop.

That, and you can find ingenious ways of bolting down laptops or fixing them in place with vice grips if they're doing the workload of a datacenter and need to be physically protected from theft.

Re:I have a Vision

[Venik]

The military already has stuff like that. This is where Sun is getting the idea. In everyday life this should be useful by dropping this datacenter-in-a-box in, say, India and in two minutes you have instant outsourcing. Sun should really start by improving their customer support. I remember the time when Platinum support from Sun meant a Sun field tech on site within two hours. Now the best you can get from them in two hours is an automated email. I deal with this kind of crap while sitting in a Lazyboy inside a nice office with a cup of good coffee. If I had to do my job from a 10x20 metal container... God, what an awful thought. I was going to come with one of those Soviet Russia jokes, but I lived there and it wasn't half as bad.

Re:I have a Vision

[couchslug]

Mike Sparks is no web designer, but is quite a bright guy and IMO the BattleBox concept is sound.

Having accumulated a couple of years in tent cities, I'd much prefer living in a container (that could have held gear and goods when deployed) instead of a rapidly deteriorating, smelly tent. Rather than having to build wooden walls and floors as is standard practice for tents, a container is turn-key ready. It is far more resistant to fire and weather, and can be turned into a stout bunker with sandbags, revetments, or conventional containers filled with sand.

The military already containerizes quite a bit of equipment, and could stand to containerize more. Much of the Army already deploys that way, even boxing/flatracking helicopters.

Re:I have a Vision

[mikesd81]

Programs like Doctors with out Borders could use it in 3rd world countries. Also in natural disasters like Katrina it could be used for command posts (kind of along the military idea you mentioned). Also it could be good to rent out to help get businesses back on their feet after disasters.

Re:I have a Vision

[tehcyder]

an upstart company

FYI "upstart" is not the same as "startup".

Re:I have a Vision

[ZackStone]

Would that be termed as "Blackbox Shopping"?

OMG!!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I so need one of these in my backyard!

Hmm...

[fussili]

That thing looks like Optimus Prime's smartphone.

Obligatory question from IT

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Is it IBM-PC compatible?

Obligatory...

[DiamondGeezer]

...but will it run Linux? Quake? WoW? HalfLife2?

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd say this was an excellent way of delivering computing power. It's like a Webhost-in-a-box.

I wonder how much these things cost and how much power they consume? I'd read the article but I'm an engineer and never read instructions.

Re:Obligatory...

[usleepless]

you forgot: imagine a beowulf cluster of these!

Ben Affleck

[jlebrech]

... is reduced to posing with a weird finger pose. damn that gigli, wait a min it isn.....

Security?

[Salvance]

I'm sure Sun has thought about it, but there has to be some security concerns with housing your data center in an easily transportable cargo container. Their example of using the containers for a growing company like YouTube instantly reduced my "who would ever want this other than the military" skepticism.

Talk about industrial espionage and theft opportunities though:
"Hey buddy, what's that on the back of your truck?"
"It's YouTube, I just picked it up out of a parking lot down the street"
"Cool, I was just looking around for a container of MySpace myself"

Re:Security?

[Anonymous Coward]

I can imagine the future version of today's "lost laptop" headlines:

The Social Security Administrations announced today that they have misplaced their Southeast Regional Data Operations Center. This containerized center apparently contains detailed personal records for over 300 million Americans, including SSNs, mothers' maiden names, and lifetime histories of tax returns. Affected citizens will soon get a letter detailing steps they can take to avoid identity theft. Officials emphasize that they are not currently aware of any attempts to make use of this information. Industry analysts speculate that the thieves are most likely unaware of the sensitive data stored in the operations center, and in most cases like this the data center is sold on the black market to internet gambling or porn operations that will simply wipe the data so they can utilize the servers for their business.

Re:Security?

[aaarrrgggh]

There are a couple good tricks for protecting them, stacking them like you would in a cargo facility is the first to come to mind, but Jersy Barriers on all sides would also complicate matters pretty well. Sandbagging the roof would also make it more work to get it out.

If all else fails, make a stand that they lock into on the parking lot. Those containers really are built for security and durability.

Re:Security?

[Tsunayoshi]

Um, exactly how easy is it to move a cargor container that weighs several tons, probably has a dozen or so power and network lines coming into it, located on a corporate compound? And to go even further, how would you sneak off with something like that?

Re:Security?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure Sun has thought about it, but there has to be some security concerns with housing your data center in an easily transportable cargo container.

Because driving up in an 18 wheeler won't be noticed. Never mind coming in with a large crain (notice there are no wheels on the container) and picking it up and dropping on the trailer.

Of course all this will be done while you have three phase power as well as network hooked up to it, and as you drive no one will notice that all the servers are suddenly offline.

I'm sure Kensington will make a lock for it.

Re:Security?

[Orange Crush]

And to go even further, how would you sneak off with something like that?

You've clearly never seen my mom's purse.

Re:Security?

[couchslug]

"If all else fails, make a stand that they lock into on the parking lot."

Instead of rackmount servers, why not rackmount containers? You can do exactly what you are suggesting with standard container handling fittings and basic welding equipment. The size and shape are such that any firm producing container trailers could easily make them, and they could allow a slid-in installation from a rollback or Landoll trailer. This would eliminate any need for a crane, and keep the boxes above potential flooding.
Here's how:

Back up your container to the rack so the bit of container that overhangs your rollback/Landoll has about two feet on the rack edge.
Run your winch to a snatch block at the other end of the rack, then winch the container in place. (Your rack rails will center and stop the container if properly designed.) Flip and secure the corner locks, and you are good to go.

"Sandbagging the roof would also make it more work to get it out."
Sandbags are labor-intensive, rot, and hold moisture.
If you want a protective roof, slice another container horizontally and fill with reinforced concrete. Might be best to put it on top first, then use a concrete pump.

Imagine...

[DrLZRDMN]

a parking lot filled with those things clustered together.

Black box details...

[jpellino]

The BlackBox is built with its dimensions in the ratio 1:4:9, and when touched emits a strong radio signal back to its creators.

Re:Black box details...

[Anonymous Coward]

It was 1:4:9:16, dumbass.

Re:Black box details...

[Rodness]

And when you drive into it, it opens up a wormhole to.... Santa Clara, CA.

Hm... and it'll do double duty solving transportation problems too!

Re:Black box details...

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the fourth dimension in this context?

Just 1 Question

[grimsweep]

What measures are in place to keep my highly-portable data center from wandering off?

Re:Just 1 Question

[Anonymous Coward]

1) It's heavy. Hard to pick up.
2) Lock the container. That way it's an all-or-nothing theft; the servers & data won't go missing if the whole container doesn't.
3) Hire a security guard with a phone or radio. Security guard calls for help if someone shows up with a BIG TRUCK and a BIG WINCH or CRANE (see #1 again).
4) Put the container in a secure location, like behind a fence or wall you control. Duh.

Seriously, just because something is "portable" and "new" doesn't mean you have to rethink all the physical security measures that have worked on other "portable" items for years and years.

Re:Just 1 Question

[kripkenstein]

What measures are in place to keep my highly-portable data center from wandering off?

Hopefully your corporation has a few underutilized interns lying around. Place one of them near the Blackbox, with a sleeping bag, a bottle of water and a cellphone (to call for help), and you are good to go.

Re:Just 1 Question

[markwalling]

also what about security by obscurity. i doubt the final product would have "SUN" slapped on the side of it, and it would look just like any old shipping container. Look behind most cracker barrel's in the us, and you can usually find one or two of these. (to store all the shit they import from china and then can't sell)

Re:Just 1 Question

[rjschwarz]

You don't need to store the things in your parking lot. You could store these things in a standard wharehouse that wouldn't require special cooling systems and locks. Then when you need to expand you move the pallets of Mountain Dew and printer paper and make room. Although the idea of a couple of them in the parking lot, covered in graffiti has a sort of William Gibson visual to it.

Re:Just 1 Question

[bsquarewi]

Reminds me of a quote from a networking textbook back in school: "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station-wagon full of tapes hurling down the highway.." So in this case: "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a flatbed loaded with a datacenter hurling down the highway"

Re:Just 1 Question

[Anonymous Coward]

Hurling? Whoever hurled it must be really strong!

Re:Just 1 Question

[Mistah Blue]

Actually this is a good idea, good security just being in an ordinary warehouse.

Re:Just 1 Question

[RobertLTux]

since these are in standard shipping containers you just build a set of slides/rails into the ground and then when its in place you thermite the bolts (makes the nuts a blob of metal)

So exactly how many folks can gin up the tech (large saw / arch welder) and do so quickly and quietly (you figure several minutes per bolt X say 12 then the time to put it on a truck)

Are there some options?

[dilvish_the_damned]

Can I get this in white? Our puchasing policy explicitly forbids anything "blackbox". Maybe its just a poor codename.

Re:Are there some options?

[Noose For A Neck]

Seconded. Can we get it in cornflower blue?

Re:Are there some options?

[evilviper]

Can I get this in white? Our puchasing policy explicitly forbids anything "blackbox".

You're absolutely on the right track. First thing I thought when seeing it, was how incredibly hot the outside will get when in direct sunlight. Not only will it make cooling more difficult, but the unit could burn anyone that touches it, if deployed in the desert.

Seriously, give the thing an awning.

Re:Are there some options?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah. In fact, you can get it in any color. As long as it is black:)

Sounds like Sun is doing a MS

[WindBourne]

They are busy stealing the idea from others. I wonder if they will try to take credit for it?

Re:Sounds like Sun is doing a MS

[Anonymous Coward]

If you deliver on something that someone else is rumored to be working on, you're perfectly entitled to take credit for it.

Re:Sounds like Sun is doing a MS

[mritunjai]

So ?

Ideas are dime a dozen! You can have an "idea" for a perpetual motion machine, but that doesn't mean you can sit on it. Execute something and then patent it!!!

Gosh, aren't we already sick of bozos patenting "idea" of 'doing an auction... uh.. using a computer' ? How'd google be any different if they did the same ?

And BTW, Google couldn't have pulled off execution of the idea. It isn't like you shove a truck load of white boxes in there and expect them to magically work given the heat outputs (except if you're running them in Antarctica)!

SUN and Google have a long partnership and SUN has some pretty cool (both metaphorically and literally!) processors and machines. 40 of the thumpers and may be a dozen of the T2K mean you have a real serious powerhouse with a petabyte of storage !!!

Just imagine

[GungaDan]

a beowulf convoy of these things...

Re:Just imagine

[AKAImBatman]

imagine a beowulf convoy of these things...

--==PHENOMENAL==--

--==COSMIC==--

--==POWERS!==--

...with itty-bitty living space

great case mod

[cinarus]

for a super computer?

Shipping Containers

[caramuru]

We have huge stockpiles of shipping containers in the US, owing to our huge trade deficits. Drive through northern New Jersey near the port area to see them. I'm sure other major US seaports have similar stockpiles.

Sun could get cheap containers and do us all a big favor by recycling these eyesores.

Of course, if Sun is assembling these data centers offshore and shipping them to the US, this idea won't work.

Re:Shipping Containers

[couchslug]

Recycled shipping containers are great small buildings (adding power and light is easily done with a drill and a holesaw) but new containers are a better bet than modding old ones if you are producing a commercial structure.
You want new hardware, gaskets, etc. and will need a custom steel floor instead of the hardwood in most containers. Sea Box and other US firms do all sorts of custom ISO boxes. Check out their site for examples.

As far as recycling containers into ordinary (but fire and storm-resistant) small buildings, there is a business opportunity for firms willing to mod them. A basic door, window, and ventilation kit would be easy to make.

They can be painted to blend with a neighborhood. Since I live in a semi-rural suburb, I painted the street side of mine in woodland camo, and the rest with reflective aluminum roof paint. They disappear behind my treeline quite nicely. :)

Re:Shipping Containers

[AnotherDaveB]

Recycled shipping containers are great small buildings

If you stack them, they make great big buildings too.

Life Imitates Sci-Fi

[rlp]

Why does this remind me of the X-Files episode "Kill Switch" written by William Gibson?

Excellent Idea!

[dpaluszek]

I think this is an excellent idea for Sun. I've seen so many IT infrastructures that desperately needed to be upgraded yet did not have the space, funding to do construction, etc. With this project, they could do a "lease" program where companies or government agencies could borrow these boxes and run whatever they needed for a certain amount of time. Once they are done with their program, get Sun to pick it up! Way to go Sun! Hopefully this will turn their landslide into some new business. Now if only they can get rid of some of their management they have there.....

possible uses?

[jm91509]

Big events like soccer world cups or olympics and the like generally need large on site IT infrastructure for the press and so on. This sort of thing might just hit the spot.

Re:possible uses?

[coogan]

Exactly what we do - during peak holiday seasons we need extra capacity on our cellular network at various beachfront locations. We truck in containers with preconfigured base stations, and even have a few mobile switching centres on wheels which we use for both capacity and DRP purposes. Given the sometimes poor power situation in Africa we also have lots of mobile generators and portable masts scattered around the country waiting to be dispatched to tower locations in times of need. The container idea has saved our bacon on many occasions.

Manning...

[Capt James McCarthy]

I hear that SUN is looking for qualified engineers who like working in very small places, with no natural lighting, noisey conditions, only allowed to eat fast food, and no time off. Hmmmmm....(looking around)...wait a damn minute!

Re:Manning...

[Anonymous Coward]

You got it all wrong. They obviously won't recruit people for this. They're going to clone midgets with extremely high IQs and train them through fast-track programs to maintain the servers in the dark. These will be fed intravenously as in "the matrix" and will each be given a PSP and a few pr0n discs as distraction... Everything a man needs to survive a few decades.

Re:Manning...

[Anonymous Coward]

I am submitting this message from what I believe to be the inside of one of these containers. It was the damndest thing! I walked into one of Sun's office buildings looking to borrow the bathroom and that's the last thing I remember. I just woke up a few minutes ago with a bump on my head and.. I'm apparently chained to a bunch of rackmounted servers.

Hey I just thougth of something - maybe you are close by, can you hear this?! *knocks morse code on container wall*

Open Computing Environment

[Doc Ruby]

If Sun and Google can fit each container with enough solar cells to power it, and perhaps compact fuelcells for power storage, and several digital radio (WiMAX, etc) transceivers, these datacenters really can be deployed practically anywhere. They're gonna need onboard GPS just to find them for recycling in a decade. Or maybe they can just prepay for roundtrip shipping.

Though if they can get Greenpeace into the act, maybe they can manufacture them biodegradable. Then just dump them into the sea currents for distribution around the world. Probably stay pretty cool, and no charge for rent.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[timf]

> They're gonna need onboard GPS
They've already got a GPS built in.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[evilviper]

If Sun and Google can fit each container with enough solar cells to power it,

Covering a house's entire roof in solar panels is barely enough to power several computers. Never mind hundreds of ultra-densely packed systems, needing heavy-duty cooling.

You've got a snowball's chance is hell (get it?) of getting the necessary power out of a few solar panels mounted on the container.

You have a much better chance, though, if you PACK this thing with portable cells, and have someone set them up, around the site. Though, you're definately going to need someone to stay around, keep people and animals away, and regularly clean sand, dirt, and leaves off the panels, or they won't last long.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[Rorschach1]

What, cover the roof in photovoltaics? Ok, that's 20 x 8 feet, for 160 square feet of area. That's somewhere around 15 kW of total solar energy. With 25% efficient panels, under 4 kW electricity. Probably not more than 1 kW average throughout the day - enough to run maybe one server.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[Doc Ruby]

I didn't say the solar input area was limited to the surface of one side, like its roof. Nor did I say the containers would be closely packed - rather, the only deployment I suggested was at sea, with lots of area per container.

Besides, there is actually lots of incident solar power. Even just the roof of a floating container is 8'x40' = 320ft^2 = 30m^2. Insolation in the tropics is about 1KW:m^2 at noon, probably about 400W:m^2 considering nights and weather. So each container gets over 10KW. Even 15% efficient PV means over 1.7KW. And again, that's just using the area of the roof, rather than a design using more of the surrounding space.

1.7KW+ is a lot more than PCs, especially if they're designed for low power consumption - natural cooling can help a lot. And again, if the design uses more of the surrounding space, even at lower efficiency, there's 180-725KW incoming within a containerlength or two. A pod of these containers sucking all the solar at 10% scattered just a few lengths apart can deliver 70KW to 100W computing units, or 700 units. That's about 10 units per cubic meter, which seems about right to accommodate pipes for ambient cooling. Without AC/DC losses, fans, or rotating discs (FlashRAM instead), and maybe Transmeta-style (or mobile Cells) CPUs, 100W starts to look like quite a lot. Enough to accommodate losses from generating/consuming fuelcell cycles to ensure continuous power.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[Doc Ruby]

Real containers are 40' long, real solar days are more than 25% average insolation, real servers are much less than 1KW, especially if using other design efficiencies. I describe an actual design in another post in this thread. I'm sure there are more possibilities.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[couchslug]

"Real containers are 40' long"

Basic containers are the common 20' and 40', and the 45'. High Cubes give you more height, and extended versions can go longer.

http://www.seabox.com/id-2

http://www.tandemloc.com/0_securing/S_ISO_Containe r_Info.asp

http://www.matts-place.com/intermodal/part1/45foot dryvans.htm

Re:Open Computing Environment

[Doc Ruby]

The Port of NY & NJ basically invented the standard container system for global shipping: a single box that fits ships, trucks, rail and each other in stacks. We've got (the original) mountain range of them here, outside Newark Airport. AFAIAC, they're 8'x8'x40', with variations.

I've made all kinds of construction designs within their standard dimensions. And I've been pleased to see more designers actually executing theirs.

Re:Open Computing Environment

[inKubus]

There's a company called Beacon Power that has something called the Smart Energy Matrix, which is basically a standard container with a bunch of flywheel energy storage units in it. According to the brochure, it can supply 250kWh @ 1MW load. You could use this thing to store the energy to run the system in an emergency. Obviously you have to charge it up with something, but I thought it might be of interest.

Miltary already does this

[Chanc_Gorkon]

The military has been doing this for a while now or will be doing this soon so that Command and Control centers can get setup much more quickly. Setup the dish and they are on the Milnet and all set to support the handheld units in the field.

Re:Miltary already does this

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, so that's why intel gathering is slower and wars are taking longer.

An we still can't precisely hit the right target with >90% accuracy.

Re:Miltary already does this

[toetagger1]

Question: If they already have a satelite uplink, why do they need to provide that processing power locally? This raises the question of what the whole purpose behind this black box is, if you already have access to the internet, which allows you to place data centers appart from your regular operations.

The only advantage I can see is that this is the easiest way to provide one standard solution to many different customers. They get to own/lease their equipment, and know they don't have to share it with anyone else. None of thoise points apply to the military however.

Imagine a containership full of those boxes

[rvw]

... all connected together ...

Re:Imagine a containership full of those boxes

[Wesley Felter]

We could call it Sealand 2.0.

Re:Imagine a containership full of those boxes

[mclipsco]

...powered by a floating Russian nuclear reactor...

Re:Imagine a containership full of those boxes

[Mistah Blue]

Nah, how 'bout a Beowulf... couldn't resist.

Affordable real estate at last...

[Anonymous Coward]

This is just what slashdotters need to get them out of their parents basements. Where do SUN put the shitter in these things?

Re:Affordable real estate at last...

[Anonymous Coward]

In the racks, of course...

Re:Affordable real estate at last...

[couchslug]

Since you asked...

http://www.sfa.com/DPD/dpd-products-barebase.htm scroll down to the Containerized Latrine System.

Call D for Datacenter

[suntac]

As already mentioned I can see this as a very interesting option for the military. But not only that... There are more cool futures where we could use this. Think about a disaster area where the emergency services need computer power to identify casualties, identify survivors, have to have a network up and running quickly. Attach some good wifi points to this and you have a mobile datacenter.

Think about a company needing more computer power for a large project for a period of a year. Rent a datacenter on site.

Think about your datacenter is burned to the ground.... Call D for Datacenter...

Re:Call D for Datacenter

[FMprime]

The latest and greatest solution to the slashdot effect.

It might have uses

[dilvish_the_damned]

I could see this being potentially usefull in very specific situations. I could see even more uses if they would further armour it against the harsh elements. No one thinks about -40F until your trying to run a thousand man crew in some remote place in alaska, and you need to be semi-mobile with your main office.

Well, now that I think about it you would really need to have a problem that must be solved on site and requires a lot of CPU power and a lot of bandwidth, and not so much need for imediate portability. Otherise you would use a semi-portable dish on the top of a truck to get some 12mb down and say 4mb up (depending on which side of the globe your on) to link you to a stationary data center. In this way you expose your assets a whole lot less and you are far more mobile.This of course assumes weather will not get in your way (which it does).

Maybe the modular datacenter that happens to have bay doors is a good application, assuming your problem is big enough to warrent purchassing equipment by the bussload... as you need it.

Nope, I changed my mind. When it comes down to it, I just don't see the potential for this super-product as its descibed here.
Maybe quick geographic redundancy might be a seller...

Re:It might have uses

[inKubus]

Think BEYOND America. Think about needing NETWORK infrastructure over the SERVERS. Which would you rather do? Spend 8 months in Africa setting up a network or setting it up in the parking lot of your company and then shipping the whole thing in one piece. It makes sense, it makes a lot of sense. The problem is that a lot of people are thinking "why not just use a web based solution, then the servers can be anywhere?" Besides the latency issues brought up earlier, bandwidth is really quite expensive and not necessarily available in the third world. With something like this, you could drop the container off, set up a generator and satellite dish, and then have a tower antenna for wireless network access for the laptops of your personel. The local services provide all the hosting and caching of the main applications, and any data sent back to the home office can be aggregated to the one satellite connection. Otherwise, you might need satellite trancievers on EVERY laptop which are unreliable and slow and above all EXPENSIVE compared to one big dish.

I can think of a thousand uses for a portable datacenter.

APC Beat them to Market

[OrangePeril]

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index .cfm?base_sku=ISXT440MD12RMBL APC beat both Google and Sun to market on this one. This is one of the 'coolest' ideas I've ever seen. Park this in a lot and have a replacement datacenter on demand, or drive it around the country like the Russians used to do with the nukes.

Re:APC Beat them to Market

[curlynoodle]

There are no servers in the APC truck, just UPS and climate control. Maybe a gateway and switch for the satellite transceiver.

Put Google or Sun's MDC in one of these, and you got a solution.

From APC site: Standard Lead Time: Special Order - Call for Quoted Lead Times. Really? I hadn't guessed.

Re:APC Beat them to Market

[doon]

I just watched the video, but I don't think the Sun has backup power (or maybe even UPS) in there as the Article says

Project Blackbox packages compute, storage, and network infrastructure capabilities into scalable, modular units outfitted with state-of-the-art cooling, monitoring, and power distribution systems.

Well the Sun one Doesn't Solve the Energy and Cooling problem (really). If you can pack 200kw of cooling/servers in there, you are basically going to have to have to have approx a 60 Ton Chilled water plant + approx 400kw of power (200Kw to power servers, 200kw to power cooling systems) available. So at 208V you would approx 1700AMPS of power. Plus you would also need a 500-600kw standyby generator (assuming it has to hold the 400kw load since you do not want to run the Generator at 100% capacity). Based on the above I would hardly say it is a plug in and go type of scenario as there are some pretty hefty things you would need to have already. But the article seems to be a bit light on the nitty gritty aspects of it, so it might inclde the chiller plant (but I didn't see exhaust fans etc.. so who knows).

Re:APC Beat them to Market

[couchslug]

Very nice, but not nearly as hardened as a steel ISO box and has the drawback of being a trailer instead of a modular container.

Internet Archive in a cargo container

[yppiz]

The Internet Archive has a related design that would allow them to ship functional copies of the archive anywhere in the world. It's called the Petabox and it's designed to operate in a shipping container, just add external power, bandwidth, and cooling.

--Pat

Re:Internet Archive in a cargo container

[Peter La Casse]

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a petabox in an 18 wheeler?

Re:Internet Archive in a cargo container

[yppiz]

Around 1999 or 2000, I may have set a bandwidth record for the Honda Accord when I moved 1TB of Archive data from San Francisco to Palo Alto in the trunk of my car.

--Pat

It's a Data Center AND a Data Mover

[ReferenceDesk]

The other bit of Cringely's article that may be relevant is the observation that the effective bandwidth of a shipping container full of servers and disks going across the Pacific on a freighter, is approximately the same as the total bandwidth of an undersea optical cable. Much greater latency, but comparable throughput. So, if someone wants to bootstrap a remote clone of their data center, preloading the information before shipping the servers may be smarter than building raw capacity and then having to load it over the WAN. Yes, you have to do a couple week's of incremental updates, but at least the base data is already there.

1:4:9:16?

[jpellino]

Let's see - that would cover depth (Z=1), width (X=4), height (Y=9) and ???=16
I get three physical dimensions, but let me change the batteries in my calculator and I'll get back to you...

Re:1:4:9:16?

[TheRaven64]

In (I think) 2061, David Bowman muses to HAL that it was odd that humans thought the sequence ended after only three dimensions. The implication was that it continued for rather more; almost certainly not just one more (the 16 that the grandparent indicated).

Re:1:4:9:16?

[jpellino]

Um, yeah, endless speculation. The monolith itself has the physical dimensions in the ratio 1:4:9

Re:1:4:9:16?

[TheRaven64]

No, it's not just speculation. By the time bowman and HAL have this conversation they have both been living in the monolith and exploring its systems for over 50 years. They are both well aware that it exists in more than three dimensions.

Re:1:4:9:16?

[jpellino]

jeez, the things you have to go thru here to crack a simple joke.

But Blackbox is already perfect...

[__aaclcg7560]

I like the Blackbox window manager as is. I don't see how Sun can make it better.

Think local cache augmentation

[postbigbang]

Having trouble clogging those OC192 NAP connections? Need some local cacheing of CONTENT? That's what Google had in mind-- thwart even the nemisis 'net NOT neutrality' issues and just run some fiber to the local fat routers.

Then it doesn't matter if you're pulling YouTube streams in a death march.

QoS jams? Local replication points? Just hook up the old shipping container full of those cute 8-core CPUs and drain the grid. At least they got some press.

Extra-large iPOD :)

[davidwr]

Internet Portable On-Demand Storage

I wonder if these come with iPODZilla? No, it's not a web browser.

Me? I'm waiting for the data center that hangs around your neck.

Cooling Mod

[bobtheinsanecow]

Paint the box white!

I am sure they have done the calculations to determine the effect of black paint over white paint on the energy required to cool the box, but still, I think if they are pushing the energy efficiency angle so much they could at least paint it an energy efficient colour. Though, I am sure the marketing value of the name Project Blackbox far out weights any minor energy efficiency concerns.

Re:Cooling Mod

[19thNervousBreakdown]

Black radiates heat faster as well as absorbing it faster. Stick it in the shade.

Re:Cooling Mod

[Anonymous Coward]

Paint the box white!

That was considered, but Apple threatened to sue.

Re:Cooling Mod

[deKernel]

You are only about 1/4 right. Black does not radiate better than white. Black only aborbs heat from light better than white. The key word there is 'light'.

Re:Cooling Mod

[19thNervousBreakdown]

I'm not going to launch into an explanation of why you're wrong, if you actually care you'll look it up and if you don't it's just a waste of my time. Fact is though, it does radiate heat better, as well as absorbing radiant heat better.

Re:Cooling Mod

[cr0sh]

Crazy, huh? A lot of people have no clue about "night-sky radiation" and why you can make ice this way...

Re:Cooling Mod

[pimpimpim]

Did anyone find out where the air connection to the outer world is? Since it has to cool, it has to emit heat at some point, or does it use it's frame as a giant heatsink?

That must be one huge....

[Anonymous Coward]

plug

Sun: Data Center is doomed

[Chapter80]

One week ago, Jonathan Schwartz (CEO of Sun) declared the death of the datacenter, as discussed on Slashdot.

Now they've put in a box for burial?

ROFFLE ROFFLE LOLLERBLADES!!!11111ONEONE

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow that comment sure is worth of a +5 Funny. Let me give it a try:

The BlackBox is built with its dimensions in the ratio of 16:25:64, and when touched begins to glow orange.

Oh wait, nevermind. It's not funny AT ALL. There's no irony, no double entendre, no observational humor, not even a good old fashioned pun.

How in the name of fuck did this get modded +5 Funny ?

Re:ROFFLE ROFFLE LOLLERBLADES!!!11111ONEONE

[Anonymous Coward]

Hint: Try watching movies besides The Dukes of Hazzard and Jackass 2.

A sun insider just told me...

[slashflood]

... that this project won't go into mass production. In fact, there is only one container planned as a solitary padded cell for a guy called "Jörg Schilling". All outgoing network packages will be dropped. Respect!

Awesome!

[Quila]

I can see it now, "Joe, the network's down, can you go check..."

walks outside, "Crap, it's gone!"

And some teenage geek across town who had access to his dad's flatbed is now running the most powerful torrent porn site known to man out of his driveway.

And in Another 20 Years...

[Technomonics]

This cargo container full of computers will be the size of a desktop and every will have one in their homes. Oh, and it will be faster then, too.

But will Hans Blix be able to find them,

[oldwarrior]

like the mobile bio-labs?

I smell lawsuit!

[RobiOne]

Ironicaly there is a network services company by the same name, Blackbox. Even further, the irony is that they specialize in datacenter buildout. Those are the guys in black that come in and erect your racks, hook up power, cooling, and hook up the static crossconnects.

Unless they're in on it.

Re:I smell lawsuit!

[Anonymous Coward]

That isn't ironic at all. Are you an idiot?

Ok, but if i already have a building

[Anonymous Coward]

How do i get it in the door?

Great

[chord.wav]

Now you can offer IT positions for your on-board slaves.

Contents may settle

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you ever seen a mobile home after it is hauled off the sales lot and to the customer's premise?
Have you seen the crews they send to repair all the travel damage?

Have you ever seen the refrigerated semi that pulls into your grocery store? You should see how jumbled things are.

I don't think I want to have to do any "touch up" on my data center after delivery.

The captcha for this post was "costly."

This happened to me

[Doctor Memory]

I got to a client site early Saturday afternoon to move my app into their QA environment. I installed the app, but when I tried to configure the database connection, I couldn't get through. I noticed I also couldn't get through from the test app, which had been working fine the day before. So I try to connect via the command line — nada. Ping? Nope. Called Operations, told them I couldn't find BBCPL0BT (whatever...) and could he check on it? Guy says he'll call me back. Fifteen minutes later, he does.
Op: Found your box.
Me: Great, when will it be back up? I need to get this app set up for $GROUP so it'll be ready Monday.
Op: It should be up by, ummmm...Tuesday, it says here.
Me: !!! TUESDAY !!! Why so long?
Op: It's on a truck.

Turns out they were migrating their data center and the group I was working for hadn't been paying attention to which machines were moving when. At least the explanation was good enough for the client, who was very serious about holding me to a fixed delivery date and not so serious about agreeing to a fixed feature set...

backups

[zogger]

Natural disasters, man made disasters-instant backup. We live in a world where infrastructure on the ground over a large region can go from working fine to smashed flat or flooded out or burnt down or tsunamied or eathquaked or el-kaboomed or gassed or tornadoded or hurricaned or volcanoed, etc, long list, pretty quickly.

Seems to be one place where it might be useful...

imagine a beowulf cluster of these

[peter303]

If you drive past the Port of Long Beach CA you see thousands upon thousands of shipping containers. Its like the warehouse scene at the end of Indiana Jones.

Data Centers as Toasters

[maggard]

I can see a market for this, as part of a package deal.

Keep in mind Sun is probably not going into the business of selling just any ole data center, they're gonna be selling you a "Sun Certified & Supported Data Center To-Go". Arrange for delivery, plug the color coded cables into the color coded sockets, flip the switch, and for US$50,000 down & US$10,000 a month you've got yourself a fully managed outsourced onsite data center.

Need redundancy? Stick one over in the parking garage, should something happen to the primary it's twin is a few hundred yards away with everything duplicated. Have a backup site in case of catastrophe? There's a discount, just sign here, the minute your primary site goes offline Sun will see to it your hot spare is up before the skeleton staff knows what happened. Need an additional data center? As part of the introductory package Sun will guarantee delivery, complete with data, within 24 hours anywhere in the 48 contiguous states.

Heck turn these into complete turnkey blackboxes and simply sign service level guarantees with Sun. Pay US$10,000 month for so many cycles, so much storage, all managed and backed up, completely overseen by Sun. All you do is supply the footings, power, ventilation, and 24 hour access for their technicians. The savings in support staff alone would cover it all.

Now all of these numbers are joke ones, but turning data centers into toasters, why not? Sun has been pushing pay-for-the-cycles-not-the-boxes for years, but folks want things onsite. So here it is. Standard. Efficient. Low-investment. Just sign the lease and pay the monthly bill and everything will be taken care of.

Podcast here

[coogan]

http://downloads.feedroom.com/sun/07B00810/07B0081 0_02.mp3

But...

[flyingfsck]

will it run Vista?

Not a desktop

[flyingfsck]

no matter how you cut that case mod, it ain't gonna fit on your desk.

Jack Welch's dream

[ebh]

Jack Welch told CNN, "Ideally, you'd have every plant you own on a barge, to move with currencies and changes in the economy." Now you can truck your datacenter to wherever sysadmins are cheapest. Goodbye Bangalore, hello Bucharest.

I have a Vision-Everything alike.

[Anonymous Coward]

The interesting thing here is what STANDARDS make possible. And from the commercial sector no less. At least we learned our logistics lesson from the first Iraq war.

CEO Blogs are so boring and predictable

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm glad someone else picked up on the fact that Jon Schwartz blog about the 'death of the monolithic datacenter' came one week before a new product announcement by Sun, about portable, small-scale datacenters.

I knew as soon as I read about his blog post, last week on slashdot, that his 'visionary musings' were just paving the way for some new product annoucement by Sun. I mean, the CEO of a company whose CORE BUSINESS is datacenters, isn't going to announce the death of the datacenter, unless his company is about to release some new technology solution that is competing with the traditional datacenter.

Talk about predictable. I don't know why people bother to read corporate blogs, especially by veeps and CEO's - they only exist as a marketting tool. CEO blogs are the new press-release, but in a first person perspective.

Here's how that will go.

[LeedsSideStreets]

"Honey, I'm switching on my new backyard datacent... damn, why are all the lights out on this block?"

Does it come with Bonnie?

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on, I can't be the only one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_rider

It's really BLACK?!

[sp0tby]

man, you better keep that thing in the shade!

In a 40' container since 1999

[Old.UNIX.Nut]

I purchase a 40' container in 1999, and moved my computer room in there to free up space in my home. I actually dedicated 24' (inner walls, insulated, w/ side exit door) to my computer room, while using the remaining space to store my Jetskis and Motorcycle. I can tell you that a 8465 pound steel container makes a Tough Shed seem like a doll house while the per sq ft cost is less than half as much.

Re:In a 40' container since 1999

[couchslug]

Testify! :-)
I have two 40' High Cubes for shop buildings, a 20' and want more. I mounted the electric boxes using through-wall galvanized hardware and silicone sealer, with anti-seize on the threads "just in case". After being through Hurricane Hugo, and over the years seeing what fire does to workshops, I went ISO and will never go back to stick-built.

Re:In a 40' container since 1999

[cr0sh]

What are "high cubes" - I don't have such a setup, but would love one if I ever own my "dream home" (40 acres, a well, and off-the-grid somewhere in AZ). I have even given thought about building the house using old shipping containers. At best, though, I will likely have such a shop. Now, I know about 20 and 40 foot containers, but I have never heard of a "high cube" - are these containers that are taller than the standard (what is it - 7, 8 foot?)...?

Re:In a 40' container since 1999

[couchslug]

High Cubes are less common. I had to ask my supplier for them.
They are 9'6" tall and MUCH more desirable for a dwelling!

http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis/taz/h/high_cube.jpg

http://www.proboxinc.com/productsp.htm

Lotta pics and parts:
http://www.tandemloc.com/

BattleBox
http://www.geocities.com/strategicmaneuver/battleb oxes.htm

Sea Box (food for thought)
http://www.seabox.com/id-2

Pics here

[Anonymous Coward]

There is more info and pics of this badboy here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3790

I'm not going inside...

[Anonymous Coward]

This seems all to much like a trap suits would buy for getting rid of annoying IT personnel.

"OOoh look there's a new datacenter in this big box with doors on
one end! I think i'll go look around."
*Kuchunk*
Next thing you know your in the middle of the Atlantic on a trash barge.

Good Idea

[ogfomk]

Now your infrastructure can be ruined efficiently. It's easy to find me. I can be comprimised anywhere.

But data centers are dying, I read it on Slashdot

[walterbyrd]

just a few days ago.

Remember? Data centers are going to be replaced by drill-bits, or something.

Mastercard Ad

[Anonymous Coward]

Data Centre in a 20' shipping container - $1,000,000
Pink and Blue neon lights for 1980's sci-fi effect case mod - $500

Looks on geek faces at next LAN party - priceless!

A point of information

[viewtouch]

Such a 'container' has a name - it is a 'twenty-foot equivalent unit', a TEU (or teu). Here's the wikipedia writeup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containerization
A 2 teu is actually far more common. It is 40 ft. in length.

Google computer

[bwogowly]

Is this what people were thinking about, that Google was going to enter the PC market?

Didn't Google do this first?

[endemoniada]

Didn't Google present some sort of "mobile server center" a while ago, that could be deployed practically anywhere, as long as there was a sufficient supply of electricity?

IMHO, I find this slightly disturbing. Although I can see all its benefits, I can't help but fear for the day that big, black box becomes self aware, locks its technicians inside and fuses them with its system *shudder*

Been there, done this.

[rnws]

Between seven or eight years ago my then boss and I discussed and designed just such a solution.

Being from the earthquake-prone isles of New Zealand we decided we required a relocatable, and rapidly-deployable datacentre. The year after I moved to the UK, my former employer then proceeded to build one and I visited it when I was home a little over three years ago.

Admittedly, Sun's does look a lot stealthier in black.

Earthlight always was home to a bunch of crazy geniuses!