Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#1

Post by el_duderino » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 8:04 PM UTC

Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame
code.fb.com

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#2

Post by mlthoughts2018 » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:03 PM UTC

This strikes me as a gigantic coordinated form of commoditize your complement.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#3

Post by baybal2 » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:04 PM UTC

I wonder, when will facebook's hardware people start using their own inventions?

I see them and other dotcoms pouring inordinate amount of money designing own hardware without actually manufacturing or using anything of it.

As I know, facebook still buys very plain OEM servers from Quanta

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#4

Post by noir_lord » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:13 PM UTC

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

This strikes me as a gigantic coordinated form of commoditize your complement.

Makes sense but has nice second order effects.

If we could standardise more we can optimise for power efficiency, things like more DC in DCs

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#5

Post by baybal2 » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:16 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #4

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

This strikes me as a gigantic coordinated form of commoditize your complement.

Makes sense but has nice second order effects. If we could standardise more we can optimise for power efficiency, things like more DC in DCs

FIY, the original telecom rack equipment been standardised on 48V since time immemorial.

So, at 48V you can simply use off the shelf telecom power supplies

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#6

Post by kayhi » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:41 PM UTC

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

This strikes me as a gigantic coordinated form of commoditize your complement.

how so? like commoditizing Oracle databases?

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#7

Post by dana321 » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

The sooner this centralized model of storing data ends, the better.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#8

Post by shereadsthenews » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #4

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

This strikes me as a gigantic coordinated form of commoditize your complement.

Makes sense but has nice second order effects. If we could standardise more we can optimise for power efficiency, things like more DC in DCs

Actually it seems to me that standardization hampers the last bit of efficiency. Just one example that grinds my gears is the LEDs on the reference designs. Nobody needs these but there they are, drawing current 24x7 in a dark warehouse in the middle of nowhere.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#9

Post by jauer » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:49 PM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #3

I wonder, when will facebook's hardware people start using their own inventions? I see them and other dotcoms pouring inordinate amount of money designing own hardware without actually manufacturing or using anything of it. As I know, facebook still buys very plain OEM servers from Quanta

    without actually manufacturing or using anything of it.

    As I know, facebook still buys very plain OEM servers from Quanta

This is false, as you can see from publicly available pictures of FB datacenters. Facebook purchases OCP servers from ODMs.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#10

Post by remarkEon » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:53 PM UTC

shereadsthenews wrote: post #8

noir_lord wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Makes sense but has nice second order effects. If we could standardise more we can optimise for power efficiency, things like more DC in DCs

Actually it seems to me that standardization hampers the last bit of efficiency. Just one example that grinds my gears is the LEDs on the reference designs. Nobody needs these but there they are, drawing current 24x7 in a dark warehouse in the middle of nowhere.

Can’t they just be turned off after power-on, or flipped on as needed?