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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."

10 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. OMG!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I so need one of these in my backyard!

  2. Hmm... by fussili · · Score: 2, Funny

    That thing looks like Optimus Prime's smartphone.

  3. Re:I have a Vision by zen611 · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  4. Imagine... by DrLZRDMN · · Score: 4, Funny

    a parking lot filled with those things clustered together.

  5. Black box details... by jpellino · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  6. Are there some options? by dilvish_the_damned · · Score: 2, Funny

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

    --
    I think you underestimate just how much I just dont care.
  7. Sun: Data Center is doomed by Chapter80 · · Score: 4, Funny
    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?

  8. A sun insider just told me... by slashflood · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... 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!

  9. Re:Cooling Mod by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Paint the box white!


    That was considered, but Apple threatened to sue.

  10. Re:I have a Vision by naChoZ · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.

    --
    "I can be self-referential if I want to," said Tom, swiftly.