Microsoft Submarine Data Center

In 2015, starfish, octopus, crabs and other Pacific Ocean life stumbled upon a temporary addition to the seafloor, more than half a mile from the shoreline: a 38,000-pound container. But in the ocean, 10 feet by 7 feet is quite small. The shrimp exploring the seafloor made more noise than the data center inside the container, which consumed computing power equivalent to 300 desktop PCs.

The technology to put sealed vessels underwater with computers inside isn’t new. In fact, it was one Microsoft employee’s (Sean James) experience serving on submarines that carry sophisticated equipment that got the ball rolling on this project. But Microsoft researchers do believe this is the first time a data center has been deployed below the ocean’s surface. Going under water could solve several problems by introducing a new power source, greatly reducing cooling costs, closing the distance to connected populations and making it easier and faster to set up data centers.

Ben Cutler, the project manager who led the team behind this experiment, dubbed Project Natick, is part of a group within Microsoft Research that focuses on special projects. Sean James says, “what helped me bridge the gap between data centers and underwater is that I’d seen how you can put sophisticated electronics under water, and keep it shielded from salt water. It goes through a very rigorous testing and design process. So I knew there was a way to do that.”

This initial test vessel wouldn’t be too far off-shore, so they could hook into an existing electrical grid, but being in the water raised an entirely new possibility: using the hydro kinetic energy from waves or tides for computing power. This could make data centers work independently of existing energy sources, located closer to coastal cities, powered by renewable ocean energy.

That’s one of the big advantages of the underwater data center scheme – reducing latency by closing the distance to populations and thereby speeding data transmission. Half of the world’s population, Cutler says, lives within 120 miles of the sea, which makes it an appealing option.

The advantages of water are numerous. Submarine or floating data centers could use tidal-fueled turbines to generate power, for example. And, ocean water is cooler than ambient air, so A/C costs would be cut to the bone. Other companies are placing their new data centers in cooler climates. This project also shows it’s possible to deploy data centers faster, turning it from a construction project – which require permits and other time-consuming aspects – to a manufacturing one. Building the vessel that housed the experimental data center only took 90 days. Cooling is an important aspect of data centers, which normally run up substantial costs operating chiller plants and the like to keep the computers inside from overheating. The cold environment of the deep seas automatically makes data centers less costly and more energy efficient.

Reference: Microsoft News