div class="rxbodyfield"p page="1" class="ArticleBody"a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/subnets/microsoft/"Microsoft/a has seen the future of the datacenter, and oddly enough it#39;s missing a roof./pp align="right"a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"//a/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The company#39;s future a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120408-gartner-top-10-disruptive-technologies.html?informamp;ap1=rcb"datacenter design/a, which will be its de facto standard in five years, is a cross between an electrical switching station, an RV-park and the closing quot;warehousequot; scene from the 1981 film emRaiders of the Lost Ark/em ./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"b[ Stay ahead of advances in technology with InfoWorld#39;s a href="http://weblog.innfoworld.com/yager/?source=fssr"Ahead of the Curve blog/a and a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletter/subscribe.html?source=fssr"newsletter/a. ]/b/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The company envisions a set of prefabricated containers the size of a semi-trailer filled with as many as 2,000 preconfigured servers. The containers can be parked next to and plugged into pre-built mechanical, electrical, cooling and security components. In essence, it is a giant collection of a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/tech/2008/082708-tech-update.html"boxes and pluggable components/a that can grow and shrink based on need./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The container portion of the idea is nothing revolutionary. Microsoft is installing them in its Chicago datacenter. a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/sun.html"Sun/a introduced a server container called Project Blackbox in 2006 and a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/subnets/google/"Google/a received a patent in 2007 on its quot;mobile datacenterquot; stored in a standard shipping container, which unlike Sun#39;s Blackbox, could be clustered in the same modular fashion that Microsoft is proposing./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The container idea also has its a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/050908-why-microsofts-approach-to-data.html"critics/a who say they are rife with electrical and mechanical concerns, have power management and cooling issues, present a single point of failure, and are susceptible to damage during shipping./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft, however, is not just talking about containers, but the configuration of the entire datacenter./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The company this week unveiled what it is calling its quot;Generation 4 Modular Data Centerquot; plan, a blueprint that will define its cloud datacenter infrastructure in the next five years./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The datacenters have four walls and a sophisticated perimeter security system, but are open to the elements as they lack a roof. Trucks wheel the boxes into the enclosure where they are connected to power/cooling stations before being brought online./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"It#39;s a bold plan to drive industry thinking about how to construct and operate datacenters in a world of capacity spikes, real-time needs for computing power and expanding green initiatives./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"quot;We believe it is one of the most revolutionary changes to happen to datacenters in the last 30 years,quot; said Michael Manos, general manager of global foundation services for Microsoft, in his blog introducing Microsoft#39;s Generation 4 plan./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"emBusinessWeek/em reported last month that Microsoft said it was going to quot;reinvent the infrastructure of our industryquot; by building some 20 datacenters that can carry a price tag as much as $1 billion apiece./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"quot;In short, we are striving to bring Henry Ford#39;s Model T factory to the datacenter,quot; Manos said. quot;In our design process, we questioned everything. You may notice there is no roof and some might be uncomfortable with this. We explored the need of one and throughout our research we got some surprising (positive) results that showed one wasn#39;t needed.quot;/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft says all the pieces needed to construct the datacenter would be built off-site and assembled once they arrived at the datacenter location, much the way planes, cars, and computers are built today. The company says the process would mean a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/062608-microsoft-sees-little-data-centers.html"less time and money/a to erect a new datacenter. #160;/pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"And Microsoft expects efficiencies in power usage that blow away even the best-rated facilities today based on PUE (power usage effectiveness), a metric developed by The Green Grid and used to determine the energy efficiency of a datacenter./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"quot;A key driver is our goal to achieve an average PUE at or below 1.125 by 2012 across our datacenters,quot; Manos said on his blog./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Achieving such a low PUE average would be a breakthrough given that the typical datacenter has an average PUE of 2.5, according to the Uptime Institute. The Institute says that a best-case scenario today could produce a 1.6 PUE average if the datacenter is using the most efficient equipment and best practices./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Manos added: quot;More than that, we are on a mission to reduce the overall amount of copper and water used in these facilities.quot;/pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Operationally, the datacenter would offer different classes of service defined to meet the needs of applications and services deployed and to create cost efficiencies. The classes include ala carte options, such as uninterruptible power supplies and backup generators, temperature controls, and redundancy./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft says the varying configurations will drive engineering innovations that will lower operational costs for applications./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"And to show that Microsoft is aiming toward industry interoperability the datacenter#39;s containers would have common interfaces so others can plug their wares into them including computer vendors, UPS vendors, and generator vendors./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Manos admits that a 2005 memo written to Microsoft employees by now chief software architect Ray Ozzie was the trigger for thinking about how Microsoft would evolve deeper into an operations company rather than a provider of packaged software./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"What grew out of that were Generation 2 facilities, now operating in Quincy, Wash., and San Antonio, Texas, which took into account sustainability, energy efficiency, and total cost of operations./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Generation 3 facilities, which are represented by Microsoft#39;s mammoth datacenter in Chicago, feature containers and a modular design./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft has posted a short a target="_blank" href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-usamp;vid=b4d189d3-19bd-42b3-85d7-6ca46d97fe40"video/a to show how its Generation 4 datacenters would be constructed and how they would operate./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"emNetwork World is an InfoWorld affiliate/em/p/divbr style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=22f91955bbf377044bf9dcf3b8d6dd4ap=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=22f91955bbf377044bf9dcf3b8d6dd4ap=1//a img src=http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=22f91955bbf377044bf9dcf3b8d6dd4a style=display: none; border=0 height=1 width=1 alt=/

OCZ Technology Group, a company more known for high performance RAM, power supplies and cooling, has unveiled its first SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drives, which are much lighter and efficient than conventional hard disks. These SATA drives are targeted at high end laptops for performance...read more...

XSReviews has reviewed the AXP Supernova 1000w and 800w power supplies...

Cooler Master Introduces the new Sileo 500, a new design focused on quiet computing and ease of use. We'll look forward to reviewing this new chassis for you in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek:

Armed with its long tradition of technological innovation and impeccable craftsmanship in stylistic design, Cooler Master is proudly introducing its latest quiet mid-tower chassis. Sileo 500 is the supreme embodiment of silence and elegance.

The Promise of Quiet Computing

Sileo 500 is constructed with silent features in mind which includes: acoustic foam sound insulation material around the chassis, anti-vibration pads inside the detachable HDD trays, and noise reduction pads for the power supply, to insulate any possible system noise from escaping the chassis.

Elegant Design

The modern philosophy of life is simple, practical yet full of style. The exterior design of Sileo 500 focuses on minimalism and practicality. Aluminum bezel of the case and the sharp vertical LED front light create a characteristic and chic look for Sileo 500. There are subtle ventilation holes between side and front panels to achieve superior thermal solution. The design of spacious interior is to accommodate various computer components.

Ease-of-Use Design

Establishing a user-friendly environment has always been the key for the Cooler Master engineering team. Sileo 500 provides users tool-free 5.25” and 3.5” drive bays for easy installation and maintenance. There is also easy access front I/O panel with support for e-SATA.





About Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment a decade ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide the leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.
Source: Cooler Master Press Release

Corsair, builder of quality power supplies and memory maker extraordinaire wants your input in this new PSU survey. It’s easy, just hit the link, click the little buttons and *presto!* you’ve done your part in helping Corsair make products that are better suited to fit your ever changing needs.

Discussion Thread

div class="rxbodyfield"p page="1" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft has come up with a faster, cheaper way to build its datacenters over the next five years, and it says other companies could use its methods too./pp align="right"a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"//a/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Microsoft#39;s approach, described by General Manager Michael Manos in a a target="_blank" href="http://loosebolts.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/our-vision-for-generation-4-modular-data-centers-one-way-of-getting-it-just-right/"blog post/a Tuesday, uses a modular design in which standard units of computing, cooling, and electrical equipment are delivered to a facility on the back of a truck and assembled on site. The system, which Microsoft calls its quot;Generation 4quot; design, will allow its datacenters to become operational more quickly and cut the cost of building traditional, brick and mortar facilities./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"b[ Find out more on how#160;a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/10/13/Google_Microsoft_spark_interest_in_modular_datacenters_1.html?source=fssr"Google and Microsoft are sparking interest in modular datacenters/a. ]/b/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"quot;Our #39;Gen 4#39; modular datacenters will take the flexibility of containerized servers -- like those in our Chicago datacenter -- and apply it across the entire facility,quot; Manos wrote, referring to servers that are delivered and run in self-contained shipping containers. quot;Think of it like #39;building blocks,#39; where the datacenter will be composed of modular units of prefabricated mechanical, electrical, security components, etc., in addition to containerized servers.quot;/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Some companies already use modular computing and cooling systems for specific jobs, but Microsoft is taking the idea a step further. Its clout as a big customer means it can persuade equipment makers to build products that meet its specifications, and it is developing common interfaces for computers, power supplies and generators that manufacturers will be able to quot;plug into,quot; it said./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"quot;In short, we are striving to bring Henry Ford#8217;s Model T factory to the datacenter. ... Gen 4 will move datacenters from a custom design and build model to a commoditized manufacturing approach. We intend to have our components built in factories and then assemble them in one location (the datacenter site) very quickly. quot;/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"It would be a big change in how datacenters are built and one that#39;s important for Microsoft as it looks for a cost effective way to expand the infrastructure for its online services. Microsoft plans to build 20 quot;supersizequot; datacenters in the coming years at a cost of up to $1 billion each, according to a recent a target="_blank" href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc20081121_382269.htm?chan=rss_topEmailedStories_ssi_5"BusinessWeek article/a. Manos said the Gen 4 design will cut the time it takes Microsoft to build a datacenter in half, to one year, and reduce its capital costs by up to 40 percent./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"The containerized equipment allows Microsoft to take other radical steps, like building datacenters with no roofs. Besides cutting construction costs, this makes it much easier to use outside air for cooling systems, one of the costliest areas of a datacenter. Microsoft said it is working with server vendors to develop systems that can operate in wider temperature ranges -- 10 to 35 degrees centigrade -- so that in some cases it can eliminate chiller equipment completely./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"It posted a short a target="_blank" href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-usamp;vid=b4d189d3-19bd-42b3-85d7-6ca46d97fe40"video/a to give a high-level view of its plans./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Bob Seese, chief architect with Advanced Data Centers, a San Francisco company that leases datacenter space, applauded Microsoft for sharing the information. Companies are typically secretive about what goes on in their datacenters, but along with Google and some other large companies, Microsoft has been opening up recently to discuss its best practices./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Pressuring vendors to design more flexible and standardized equipment could benefit all companies, Seese said. quot;One of our biggest struggles in the industry has been the tail wagging the dog -- the manufacturers telling IT departments what they need. Having someone push back against the vendors could by itself change this industry tremendously,quot; he said./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Datacenter operators are risk averse, he noted, because their jobs depend on keeping things running, and the research being done by Microsoft and others should help everyone. quot;As a result of their successes and failures, other companies are going to benefit,quot; he said./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Others were less convinced. Ron Croce, the COO at datacenter infrastructure provider Validus DC Systems, said Microsoft and Google are unique in their requirements. Microsoft#39;s online services are mostly Web-based applications running on x86 servers, he said, and don#39;t need the level of uptime and security as firms in, say, the financial services sector./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Building traditional datacenters may not be cost-effective for Microsoft, but for other companies it#39;s still a necessity, he said. quot;A lot of the requirements are driven by regulatory mandates. If you#39;re a financial services company, you can#39;t have a datacenter with no roof.quot;/pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"quot;It#39;s certainly a valid concept but I don#39;t see it as suitable for everyone,quot; said Christopher Johnston, vice president of critical facilities at Syska Hennessy Group. quot;I think people will have to make a judgment depending on the type of industry they are in.quot;/p/divbr style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=bccc1d62453b39787bc5e13ade4e4683p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=bccc1d62453b39787bc5e13ade4e4683p=1//a img src=http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=bccc1d62453b39787bc5e13ade4e4683 style=display: none; border=0 height=1 width=1 alt=/