Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#11

Post by electrum » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 10:57 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

Facebook does use it. They design their own hardware, but they are do not manufacture it themselves, they aren't in the hardware manufacturing business. They parter with companies like Quanta to do that.

Here's an older article that explains the relationship: https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/29/facebook-quanta/

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#12

Post by acd » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 11:16 PM UTC

Could ocp make a rack that behaves like a blade server?

Construct a server rack that works like a network Patch panel and server power bus? Thus one would just install the server in the rack slot, no more Cables to the server. Bonus award if a robot could slide in the server in the rack.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#13

Post by baybal2 » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 11:31 PM UTC

electrum wrote: post #11

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

Facebook does use it. They design their own hardware, but they are do not manufacture it themselves, they aren't in the hardware manufacturing business. They parter with companies like Quanta to do that. Here's an older article that explains the relationship: https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/29/facebook-quanta/

I'm well aware that. I'm saying that in a sense that they don't buy or use much of the original "ocp platform" they show off at their events.

And much of it was said to have ended after limited deployment in their Prineville DC, after which they switched back to regular OEM quanta gear with just few things like blue-green handlebars added, and "barebone" motherboard trays.

I've been whispered that the biggest buyers of the original "ocp platform" gear is not even facebook these days, but some banks

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#14

Post by lclarkmichalek » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 11:52 PM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #13

electrum wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook does use it. They design their own hardware, but they are do not manufacture it themselves, they aren't in the hardware manufacturing business. They parter with companies like Quanta to do that. Here's an older article that explains the relationship: https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/29/facebook-quanta/

I'm well aware that. I'm saying that in a sense that they don't buy or use much of the original "ocp platform" they show off at their events. And much of it was said to have ended after limited deployment in their Prineville DC, after which they switched back to regular OEM quanta gear with just few things like blue-green handlebars added, and "barebone" motherboard trays. I've been whispered that the biggest buyers…

I think you need better sources

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#15

Post by zamadatix » Sat, Mar 16, 2019, 11:52 PM UTC

acd wrote: post #12

Could ocp make a rack that behaves like a blade server? Construct a server rack that works like a network Patch panel and server power bus? Thus one would just install the server in the rack slot, no more Cables to the server. Bonus award if a robot could slide in the server in the rack.

You'd either need a different rack design per particular server or a rack that is overdesigned for 99% of servers plugged into it (e.g. different speeds/counts of network connections). If the thought is the servers will be static for the lifetime of the rack does wiring up a preset rack to a switch really save any time from wiring up preset server designs to a switch?

I think it's probably best kept modular.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#16

Post by baybal2 » Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 12:08 AM UTC

lclarkmichalek wrote: post #14

baybal2 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm well aware that. I'm saying that in a sense that they don't buy or use much of the original "ocp platform" they show off at their events. And much of it was said to have ended after limited deployment in their Prineville DC, after which they switched back to regular OEM quanta gear with just few things like blue-green handlebars added, and "barebone" motherboard trays. I've been whispered that the biggest buyers…

I think you need better sources

So, do they?? Can you tell if that's the case?

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#17

Post by walrus01 » Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 12:22 AM UTC

mlthoughts2018 wrote: post #2

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

DC power wise, the original reason why they did this is that it's grossly inefficient to have a 42RU worth of 1U servers, each with its own individual 110-240VAC to 12/5VDC power supply in it.

Or the equivalent of that with four-servers-in-2RU type setups, but also with AC to DC power supplies.

They centralized the AC to DC conversion in a single unit in the rack, feeding either 277VAC or 480VAC to each rack, and ran 12VDC to each server. The new system wisely moves from 12VDC to 48VDC (same as most telecom equipment), and probably has basic DC-DC converters in each server unit for 48 to 12VDC conversion.

They've also gone with custom motherboards that entirely eliminate the 5VDC rails which are distributed by 'normal' ATX server power supplies.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#18

Post by ajdecon » Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 12:34 AM UTC

acd wrote: post #12

Could ocp make a rack that behaves like a blade server? Construct a server rack that works like a network Patch panel and server power bus? Thus one would just install the server in the rack slot, no more Cables to the server. Bonus award if a robot could slide in the server in the rack.

There are rack designs out there built on this idea, but they are usually pretty specialized. For example, the Cray XC series has racks with built in power, network, and out of band monitoring.

A downside of this kind of thing is that it makes upgrades and maintenance harder, and you often have to do any hardware work on a whole rack at once. Heterogeneous setups get really hard. And it’s usually very vendor specific.

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#19

Post by wmf » Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 1:03 AM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #13

electrum wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook does use it. They design their own hardware, but they are do not manufacture it themselves, they aren't in the hardware manufacturing business. They parter with companies like Quanta to do that. Here's an older article that explains the relationship: https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/29/facebook-quanta/

I'm well aware that. I'm saying that in a sense that they don't buy or use much of the original "ocp platform" they show off at their events. And much of it was said to have ended after limited deployment in their Prineville DC, after which they switched back to regular OEM quanta gear with just few things like blue-green handlebars added, and "barebone" motherboard trays. I've been whispered that the biggest buyers…

So your theory is, what, that Facebook spends tons of money designing multiple generations of hardware that they don't use? Why would that make any sense?

Re: Facebook announces next-generation Open Rack frame

#20

Post by baybal2 » Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 1:12 AM UTC

wmf wrote: post #19

baybal2 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm well aware that. I'm saying that in a sense that they don't buy or use much of the original "ocp platform" they show off at their events. And much of it was said to have ended after limited deployment in their Prineville DC, after which they switched back to regular OEM quanta gear with just few things like blue-green handlebars added, and "barebone" motherboard trays. I've been whispered that the biggest buyers…

So your theory is, what, that Facebook spends tons of money designing multiple generations of hardware that they don't use? Why would that make any sense?

It doesn't and that is what baffles me