Facebook Data Center open source cause and philosophy

This April, Facebook released Open Compute Project, designed to accelerate data center and server innovation. But implementing an Open-source project is more than just releasing data. Facebook also needs support from other community members. Beyond that, Facebook's open source hardware team has a tougher challenge.

The beginning of the Open compute

Michael, who previously worked for Google, told VentureBeat that when he first came to Facebook, "I know a lot about servers and data centers." Not only does he understand the server network architecture, he can even act as a data center maintenance person. In the data center, he often participates in server maintenance work.

Michael said Facebook had a very wide range of business when he first came to Facebook. We purchased the servers from HP and Dell and then hosted the server in Data Realty Trust.

But Michael suggests that most large companies are unable to process their data in the most intelligent and efficient way in a decade. "I did some analysis," he says. I landed on the E-commerce site newegg.com, found that the cost of assembling the server is the same as the entire server. It can be seen that the business model has not been effective. "

Michael realized that Facebook could not blindly increase the number of servers, but should focus on server performance. "I realize we've done a lot of work," he says. We began to think about how we could improve our approach. You can achieve some results by optimizing the datacenter and diluting the server. You can also get some results by optimizing your servers and diluting your data center. Both are optimized to gain maximum benefit. "

In short, this is why the Open Compute project was born.

Initially, Michael and the Facebook team tried to work with hardware vendors. "Suppliers are lukewarm about our ideas," says Michael. They plan to do something else, but these things are of no use to us. They want us to buy the machines that other customers use, but these machines don't meet our requirements. "

Redesign Server

Since then, the Facebook hardware design director Michael has begun to conceive of a new generation of server designs.

"We notice that things always go the way they are, and that's what they are." Challenging old ideas, starting from scratch, is where the project's innovation lies, "says Michael.

For example, in Facebook's new server, the power to transfer to microprocessors is completely different. The Facebook hardware team changed the layout and power supply of the server, and even the power cords and power plugs were redesigned, and the server was assembled and maintained without any tools.

In fact, the durability of new servers is one of the biggest innovations in the Facebook hardware team. Michael said: "When you have tens of thousands of servers, there are downtime problems every hour, such as hard disk damage, memory damage, and so on." Our Data Center technician is responsible for maintaining the server. Sometimes they use the whole day to install server accessories. We want to make their work as easy and efficient as possible. We can assemble servers without any tools, and most components are assembled at speeds of 2 to 10 times times the average server component. "

To design a new server, Facebook holds a prototype party every Saturday night.

"We have some engineers assembling the servers, and we're eating pizza and drinking beer, and the goal is to see who can assemble a server as quickly as possible," says Michael. Technicians in the data center can be completed within 8 minutes. "

The dilemma of innovation

When Michael finished the basic model of the new server, he was not recognized at first. Michael says Facebook engineers have "suspiciously" to deal with such servers, and even suppliers have expressed "doubt" about it.

"Sticking to the rut and getting people to accept the new architecture is the biggest challenge we have," says Michael. It's hard to get people to try something new. "

This is especially true for hardware changes. In contrast, software changes are cheap and simple. "To organize a hardware development, you need a lab, a new employee, and a design prototype," says Michael. The relevant investment is as high as millions of dollars. To their credit, Facebook's management chose this fringe project, which proves that Facebook is capable of taking big risks and encouraging innovation. "

To find new hardware manufacturers, Facebook team members are back and forth between the United States and Taiwan. While recruiting a mechanical engineer, Facebook also drafted a 50-page new server design specification.

"Designing on white Paper is one thing, and design details need to be discreet," says Michael. We need to customize all the components and redesign the servers, especially with caution. "

Hardware Open Source

Ultimately, the Facebook team chose Open Compute Project to open source to accept the contribution of the hardware developer community.

"Many tools are not in place," says Michael. If someone wants to change our circuit board, he needs to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the development package. Developers are generally unable to afford it. At present, most contributors come from large companies. In the future, we are expected to improve, the garage developers can also participate in the design. "

With the right software, the innovative design of ordinary developers will not be inferior to HP or Dell labs. At present, the price of design software is also quite expensive. However, since it is an invisible code, there is no reason why it is not free.

Facebook wants to work with software developers to provide free software licenses to open Compute project contributors. Facebook is also considering working with other companies and organizations, such as governments and universities, to develop Open-source hardware design software.

The new server prototype development also includes another high cost. The cost of building a traditional prototype server is 5 to 10 times times the cost of a production server, so the average developer still needs financial support.

Facebook's Open source philosophy

VentureBeat asked Michael whether there was any intellectual concern in a proprietary software company to practise open source projects. "Like everyone else in the project, I am separate from the Facebook software development department," says Michael. This is not my daily concern. "

But Michael said: "If a company can maintain profitability, then the company will naturally choose to innovate in some areas." Facebook needs to share information with community users and motivate them to develop. Given our business model, it is to provide a valuable service to users. The Foundation implementation we use is not a core part of the business model. Our advantage is the product, not the server. "

Michael also said: "Engineers are also social people who are willing to discuss the areas in which they are engaged." When you share information, you gain benefits. You get feedback from other people, which means more effort and cost savings. "

"By exploring Facebook's related development, you will find that Facebook uses a lot of open-source software," says Michael. We have contributed a lot to the software world, but we have not contributed anything to the hardware world. There is no precedent. But if we do, maybe other companies will. They don't have to waste their energy and they don't have to repeat our development process. "

On sharing information with universities, Michael says: "They have interesting plans, but they don't have enough data on real-world problems." They don't know anything about industrial operations. So it makes sense to share information with them. "

"Then there is the problem of environmental impact," says Michael. If we share the best practice information, we want others to accept it and also have an impact on the industry environment. "