Facebook has just announced an interesting initiative: Open Compute Project. The idea is to show that the strategy "server" of the company is effectively using non-standard solutions. In fact, Facebook does not - how to Google - the standard server, but built a new range of products to host their website, one of the worlds most visited.
Facebook's solution is unusual and thought for a site like this, with a sizable cost optimization. First point, the servers are "1.5 U" through the antrum and classical 1U 2U of "blades". Second, the server power itself is 450 W, 12 V works internally and is connected to two power sources: an AC, classical, the other continuously.
Each group of six servers has its dedicated line and a battery capable of keeping the servers switched the time to spend on backup power in case of problems. The racks were designed for simple maintenance, have no sharp edges and installs without screws. Both platforms are supported with specific motherboards.
The version supports two Intel Xeon processors "Nehalem" (5500 or 5600), has nine slots for DDR3 RDIMM and supports six SATA hard drives. There are a few expansion slots: one PCI-Express x16 (wired x8) and a PCI-Express 4x. The card provides two USB 2.0 connectors in front, one internal, a serial connector on the front and three Ethernet cards interfaced in PCI-Express.
The AMD version is close, with the same interfaces, but the family Opteron 6100 and twenty-four DIMM slots. In Intel platform, the machine manages to better 12 physical cores and 24 threads in practice while AMD servers, there are 24 physical cores. Finally, Facebook offers an attractive solution for companies that have big needs web server.
Everything is open and seems very well thought out. Remains to be seen whether server manufacturers will follow. 
Facebook's solution is unusual and thought for a site like this, with a sizable cost optimization. First point, the servers are "1.5 U" through the antrum and classical 1U 2U of "blades". Second, the server power itself is 450 W, 12 V works internally and is connected to two power sources: an AC, classical, the other continuously.
Each group of six servers has its dedicated line and a battery capable of keeping the servers switched the time to spend on backup power in case of problems. The racks were designed for simple maintenance, have no sharp edges and installs without screws. Both platforms are supported with specific motherboards.
The version supports two Intel Xeon processors "Nehalem" (5500 or 5600), has nine slots for DDR3 RDIMM and supports six SATA hard drives. There are a few expansion slots: one PCI-Express x16 (wired x8) and a PCI-Express 4x. The card provides two USB 2.0 connectors in front, one internal, a serial connector on the front and three Ethernet cards interfaced in PCI-Express.
The AMD version is close, with the same interfaces, but the family Opteron 6100 and twenty-four DIMM slots. In Intel platform, the machine manages to better 12 physical cores and 24 threads in practice while AMD servers, there are 24 physical cores. Finally, Facebook offers an attractive solution for companies that have big needs web server.
Everything is open and seems very well thought out. Remains to be seen whether server manufacturers will follow.
- Weekly Poll: Is Facebook's OpenCompute a Big Deal? (09/04/2011)
- Why Facebook open-sourced its datacenters (09/04/2011)
- Closer Look: Facebook's Open Compute Servers (07/04/2011)
- Facebook's "Open Compute Project": Their Server/Datacenter Expertise Now Open To All (via TechCrunch) (08/04/2011)
- THe Beatless: Michelle ma belle sont de mots... (11/02/2011)
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