How Google Cools Its 1 Million Servers

1sockchuck writes "As Google showed the world its data centers this week, it disclosed one of its best-kept secrets: how it cools its custom servers in high-density racks. All the magic happens in enclosed hot aisles, including supercomputer-style steel tubing that transports water — sometimes within inches of the servers. How many of those servers are there? Google has deployed at least 1 million servers, according to Wired, which got a look inside the company's North Carolina data center. The disclosures accompany a gallery of striking photos by architecture photographer Connie Zhou, who discusses the experience and her approach to the unique assignment."

Comments

Google faked some of the pictures

[Anonymous Coward]

Google faked at least one picture. Take a look at this picture.

The left-hand side is exact copy of the right-hand side. Take a look at the details: The halos from the lights and the texts in the white labels.

Immersion Would Be Better For the Environment

[theshowmecanuck]

I'm really starting to like the idea that they should submerge all their servers in circulating liquid and cool them that way. It could absorb a lot more heat and it would probably make it a lot easier to reclaim the energy from the waste heat. Air has a really low specific heat. It's why they make fluffy down filled jackets; to trap the air which acts as a good thermal insulator (and getting it wet in the winter will kill you if you don't get somewhere warm because liquids conduct/transfer heat better due to greater specific heat).

Re:Nah

[K. S. Kyosuke]

No, they have an OCD photographer:

I’m obsessed with everything being symmetrical for all my work, so I cloned over the left servers to the right side. It just bothered me that there would be a hole when usually servers would be there. I wanted it to look beautiful, and symmetry is beautiful to me.