30,000 servers, 25tb of log data per day - all so your mum can poke you

daz said:
A datacenter to house 5,000 servers can be built for <$5m. God knows who they're using for infrastructure. Basically it seems like Facebook are outsourcing every aspect of their application; unlike Google, who developed a lot of their own infrastructure on which they're built.
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Not sure if i'd trust a DC built for that amount.

The one i work in cost £23 million, and its not going to have more than 1k servers in even when its full. The project i'm working on has spent £4 million in addition to that, and its only putting around 20 servers in.

To be sure, its built to a totally different standard than what you need to host the inane ramblings of the yoof, but still.
 
Stolly said:
Not sure if i'd trust a DC built for that amount.

The one i work in cost £23 million, and its not going to have more than 1k servers in even when its full. The project i'm working on has spent £4 million in addition to that, and its only putting around 20 servers in.

To be sure, its built to a totally different standard than what you need to host the inane ramblings of the yoof, but still.
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It obviously depends where you are in the country - a lot of datacenters even in docklands are converted offices with raised flooring. Fiber isn't that much, but you may have to contribute to the power company if you want your own substation or two. The other main thing to think about is renting or leasing backup generators and UPS systems.

I'd be interested in who's doing your build-outs and to what standard they are, as your figures sounds pretty high. The initial build out of Equinix Slough, for instance, which is a very modern, high end datacenter cost around £50m - this houses 1400 racks, or probably around 30,000-40,000 servers. The next phase will cost another £40m and will expand out the footprint considerably to 5000 racks or more.
 
25Tb a day, that's a lot of space needed! but in couple of years those stats will be nothing as something bigger and better will have come along
 
iv-tecman said:
Advertisments.... Its linked to your profiles... You post about a PS3 game, and it has adverts about PS3, if you're single, and linked as single, dating sites come up on your page...
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then why do i get gay singles adverts? im not gay :(
 
robmiller said:
It's pretty laughable that you suggest email as an alternative, when it's barely fifteen years since people were lamenting email's having obsolesced the physical letter.
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Grow up.

I simply stated that I do not understand the hysteria surrounding FB. I manage to live my life perfectly well without it. There are a multitude of options for keeping in touch with people that do not involve opening your life up to everyone in an approved list to see.

If it floats your boat then do crack on, however, waxing lyrical about it as though it's the be all and end all is just silly.
 
Stolly said:
Not sure if i'd trust a DC built for that amount.

The one i work in cost £23 million, and its not going to have more than 1k servers in even when its full. The project i'm working on has spent £4 million in addition to that, and its only putting around 20 servers in.

To be sure, its built to a totally different standard than what you need to host the inane ramblings of the yoof, but still.
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Government contract? :/
 
Sawell said:
Hmm, I wouldn't agree with that statement. A good lump of my friends are over 30, and also a lot of my friends are people who use facebook as a kind of LinkedIn, to see if there are any new contracts with their business networks etc. Also the older the FB user gets the more it's used for keeping in touch with family and friends, especially for parents with kids that have moved out.

I don't really think there's a market that facebook doesn't appeal to; I just think it's bombed with a lot of negativity from certain mentality types. Mainly those who are adverse to technology, feel it is devolving our social activity or feel it invades their privacy. All of which are arguable points from both sides of the fence.
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Perhaps, I use the phone and e-mail to talk to friends and family maybe I'm outdated. :(
 
daz said:
Just to add £23m for 1000 servers sounds like a metro/city building retro fit
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No it was a new build back in 2004 or so...we don't have our own substations that i've seen ...but the site was chosen because (among other things) it is between 2 powerstations...apparently they literally dug a trench direct from each. On each side there is a generator set, with enough capacity to run double the load of a full DC with fuel for weeks...to cover the second or so it takes for it to pick up the load there is a room of batteries that are kept charged up that will carry the load for I think he said 24 hours...

Lots of security stuff, finger print readers, hostage tubes, things that take your weight, blast walls. All adds to the price i guess.
 
Stolly said:
No it was a new build back in 2004 or so...we don't have our own substations that i've seen ...but the site was chosen because (among other things) it is between 2 powerstations...apparently they literally dug a trench direct from each. On each side there is a generator set, with enough capacity to run double the load of a full DC with fuel for weeks...to cover the second or so it takes for it to pick up the load there is a room of batteries that are kept charged up that will carry the load for I think he said 24 hours...

Lots of security stuff, finger print readers, hostage tubes, things that take your weight, blast walls. All adds to the price i guess.
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That's all relatively normal stuff. God knows why it cost £23m. :eek: :o
 
daz said:
That's all relatively normal stuff. God knows why it cost £23m. :eek: :o
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Dunno...wasn't involved back then. I know from the project i'm on though they aren't afraid of spending money...the sum would have included office accomodation for quite a few people though, its more than just ops types. Might even include the migration from the old place.

One question though..i've worked in a few DC's but this one has this funny rule that i've not seen before. In your experience have you seen many places that entirely 100% ban cardboard from the hall ? Reason i was told was to cut down on dust. Seems a bit anal to me.
 
Stolly said:
In your experience have you seen many places that entirely 100% ban cardboard from the hall ? Reason i was told was to cut down on dust. Seems a bit anal to me.
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Yeah that's very common these days - no cardboard at all on the data floor. Not sure about the amount of dust/particulates opening a cardboard box generates and if it really makes much difference to the lifespan of a server to be honest; but i'd hope there had been some research done somewhere or something. :o
 
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