The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Comments on: IBM traps Captain Planet in a container

Portable Modular Data Centers ? 

Posted Friday 13th June 2008 07:32 GMT

Thumb Down

Funny way to spell "White Trash"

IBM's been there before & done that... 

Posted Friday 13th June 2008 07:45 GMT

IBM was shipping containers full of equipment to park in customers' car parks in the 1980s - probably earlier than that even. The equipment may be different today but this is clearly a case of been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

In Booby Traps and Bobby Dazzlers, there are Worlds of Difference 

Posted Friday 13th June 2008 08:06 GMT

Alien

"Big Blue has hopped right aboard the containerized data center bandwagon and started steering the thing."

And its Lead Driver Algorithm? Or is that Proprietary Information? Without one, some might say they are just Hitching a Ride, AIMagical Mystery Turing .... and man, would that render them as Relevant to Tomorrow as Yesterday is to Day..... aka AlsoRans Running.

The Perception, of course, is theirs to Address and Steer..... as a bandwagon with a Lead Driver Algorithm is just Support Backing Vocals for AIMain Event Festival .... Colossal Program.

Mainframes... 

Posted Friday 13th June 2008 13:49 GMT

Pirate

Back when I was a computer op in the USMC in the late '80's, IBM was stuffing entire mainframes and all attendant peripherals into a tractor trailor to be hauled into foreign areas. It's not too amazing that they can shove a bunch of X86 gear into a trailer.

Pirates because I'd like to stuff Paris in a trailer.

Spot the Deliberate Mistake ? 

Posted Friday 13th June 2008 15:55 GMT

Pirate

Of course, ahem... "as a bandwagon with a Lead Driver Algorithm is just Support Backing Vocals for AIMain Event Festival .... " should read as a bandwagon without a Lead Driver Algorithm is just Support Backing Vocals for AIMain Event Festival "

Pirates because I'd like a trailer and stuff for Paris. :-) Although would I really learn anything I didn't already know?

2-3 KW limit is a lie 

Posted Saturday 14th June 2008 01:31 GMT

why do you let asshole vendors get away with claims like that one about 2-3 KW/rack? it's absurdly untrue, but if you pointed that out, it would also implode most of IBM's spin.

fact: it's not hard to build rooms at a bit over 10 KW/rack - normal raised floors and standard Liebert chillers. with rack-back radiators or more careful air-engineering, much higher is achievable.

@Mark Hahn 

Posted Saturday 14th June 2008 14:12 GMT

Paris Hilton

Of course you're correct: a bit of skull-sweat with our think-caps on and this can be done.

The problem is that most data centre managers these days are looking for a "turn-key" solution from a single source, as it's less work for them and easier to focus blame. IBM has 70+ years making money from being a "blame magnet" for management teams ("It's not my fault, IBM said to do it!") by delivering these type of "turn-key" solutions.

Remember, your average corporate Director or Vice-President level executive has about the same technical savvy as Paris Hilton - not too different than the BOfH's manager. Submitting a request to the Budget Committee to "...triple Data Centre capacity without buying a new building - $15M..." makes them a Hero both for saving on real-estate AND keeping the request to a single line-item.

All in all, however, IBM does a pretty decent job of delivering what they promise. You can certainly do much worse than buying an IBM installation.

Paris, because she can get a job as Director of Data Centre Operations at most companies...

Don’t Miss

Western Digital logoWestern Digital opens door to flash

Comment Needs 'appropriate opportunity'

LinuxNuke boffins plan Penguin petaflop cluster

Linux A-bomb sim rig could go commercial

Intel logo teaserThe madness of 'king cores

Opinion 80-core servers will add-up to nothing without hypervisors

V and A Museum 75x75Victoria & Albert overwhelms museum SAN

We are not amused