Microsoft Wants To Nix Data Center Backup Generators

Posted by timothy on Monday September 17, 2012 @08:16AM from the more-and-bigger-flywheels dept.

1sockchuck writes "Data centers operators often tout their diesel backup generators as a symbol of their reliability. So why does Microsoft want to get rid of them? Microsoft says diesel generators are 'inefficient and costly' and is looking at alternatives to supply emergency backup power for its server farms, including fuel cells powered by natural gas. One possible option is the 'Bloom box,' which both Apple and eBay are using in their data centers (albeit with biogas as the primary fuel). Bloom is positioning its fuel cells as a way to forego expensive UPS units and generators, using the Bloom box for primary power and the utility grid for backup. It's a pitch that benefits from the current low price of natural gas." (Microsoft would like to stop using so much water, too.)

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What Microsoft could do by Animats · 2012-09-17 09:34 · Score: 1, Troll

If Microsoft wants to do something useful in this area, they should build an OS that can respond to a "power is failing" signal and reliably get to a safe state in a few hundred milliseconds. Then put enough capacitance in the power supply to provide a second or two of shutdown warning. With that, transient power failures are no problem, nor are short delays during transfer from line power to backup power.
Tandem had that 20 years ago.