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The Cloud Computer

oxide.computer

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Re: The Cloud Computer

#111

Post by [deleted] »

steve1977 wrote: post #68
deadfece wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like they have managed to fit 32 1P servers in a 42U rack. That's pretty impressive, I have to admit. I don't think I've seen that level of density before.

32 1P servers in a 42U rack is impressive? If you use 1U servers, they would only use up 32 units, leaving with 10 units for storage and networking. Also, I remember for example HP BladeCenter BL20p systems. There you would have up to 8 or 16 servers per 6 rack units IIRC. So about 56 to 112 servers in 42U. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPE_BladeSystem

[deleted]

Re: The Cloud Computer

#112

Post by quickthrower2 »

twoodfin wrote: post #36
Aeolun wrote: post #32

But there's no pricing! How will I know if this could potentially save me money compared to AWS if I cannot make a sensible comparison until I contact sales (or probably after I contact sales).

To be fair, if you’re in the market for a system like this, you’re probably not paying rack rate for AWS or Azure, either.

Should be getting reserved instances at least

Re: The Cloud Computer

#113

Post by throw0101a »

steve1977 wrote: post #102
throw0101a wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Absolutely. The point of cloud computing is that I don't have to care where something is running and that I (theoretically) have infinite elasticity and can scale in and out as fast and much as I need to. Define "I"? I-as-developer can call an VMware/OpenStack API with an on-prem/private cloud and get a new instance just as easily as calling an AWS API. I-as-developer does not have to worry about elasticity if the…

Private cloud is a marketing misnomer.

I'm sure all the folks running OpenStack in-house, including NASA and CERN, would disagree.

From a developer's perspective an API call is an API call, and to them it's just another instance.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#114

Post by jjice »

eddyg wrote: post #57

If you don’t listen to their “On the Metal” podcast, you’re missing out. So many great stories from legends in the industry. Just start with the first episode. https://oxide.computer/podcasts/on-the-metal

And they currently run a podcast weekly called "Oxide and Friends" where they talk about miscellaneous things in the software space.

The most recent few episodes have been about corporate open source and they've had excellent guests, like Kelsey Hightower. Definitely the best computer related podcasts out there. Bryan and Adam are great hosts and their humor is always a delight.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#115

Post by zeckalpha »

steve1977 wrote: post #41
throw0101a wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They sell servers, but as a finished product. They sell rack-as-compute.[0] Their minimum order is one rack: You plug in power and network, connect to the built-in management software (API), and start spinning up VMs. [0] With built-in networking and storage.

So just hyperconverged infrastructure with a cute name?

Mainframes!

Re: The Cloud Computer

#118

Post by brucepink »

steve1977 wrote: post #98
growse wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nonsense. The operative bit of "cloud" is "provision and de-provision instantly via an API, without much concern for what's going on inderneath", not "lives in someone else's datacenter".

It’s called cloud because it’s not in your own data center. Usually cloud symbols were used in network diagrams to depict systems/networks outside of our concern. Also you could don’t really get elasticity with a system like this. If anything, that would be the operative bit for me.

With apologies to everyone who has a "The cloud is someone else's computer" T-shirt, things have changed, and the language as evolved as it is wont to do.

I've spent the last decade building on-premises systems very like what Oxide is doing, but I've had to build them out of stacks of servers, switches, storage appliances and VMWare licenses. And the network cabling, and fan noise, and the number of power cables, and.. oh man, I can't wait to install one of these things myself. Having a single point of responsibility for the whole thing shouldn't be underestimated either - I've spent far too long trying to resolve problems with vendors on both sides blaming each other.

It's worth mentioning too that building something equivalent to this would be across more than one rack, and easily cost in excess of $1M.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#119

Post by growse »

steve1977 wrote: post #98
growse wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nonsense. The operative bit of "cloud" is "provision and de-provision instantly via an API, without much concern for what's going on inderneath", not "lives in someone else's datacenter".

It’s called cloud because it’s not in your own data center. Usually cloud symbols were used in network diagrams to depict systems/networks outside of our concern. Also you could don’t really get elasticity with a system like this. If anything, that would be the operative bit for me.

> It’s called cloud because it’s not in your own data center. Usually cloud symbols were used in network diagrams to depict systems/networks outside of our concern.

That might be true historically, because the only way you could get resources provisioned on-demand via an API from someone else who'd built it. You had to run in someone else's datacenter to get the capability which you actually wanted.

Times have changed. Now, businesses think about "Cloud compute" as being synonymous with "on-demand", "elastic" etc. Where the actual silicon lives is merely an after-thought.

> Also you could don’t really get elasticity with a system like this. If anything, that would be the operative bit for me.

Buy enough of them and you will :)

Re: The Cloud Computer

#120

Post by yardie »

benpacker wrote: post #65

I know price will vary wildly based on how many you’re buying, but does anyone have the roughest ballpark for how much it would cost to buy one (1), or like two?

They mentioned it really quickly in their Oxide an Friends podcast but, IIRC, prices start at $500k. Some of the audience asked if they were going to do a smaller configuration like half or quarter rack. And they said they were looking into it but weren't sure the of the business case.
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