What Web 2.0 Means for Hardware and the Datacenter

Tom's Hardware has a quick look at the changes being seen in the datacenter as more and more companies embrace a Web 2.0-style approach to hardware. So far, with Google leading the way, most companies have opted for a commodity server setup. HP and IBM however are betting that an even better setup exists and are striking out to find it. "IBM's Web 2.0 approach involves turning servers sideways and water cooling the rack so you can do away with air conditioning entirely. HP offers petabytes of storage at a fraction of the usual cost. Both say that when you have applications that expect hardware to fail, it's worth choosing systems that make it easier and cheaper to deal with those failures."

RTFA...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd love to RTFA but there's no link...

A link in the story please?

[Anonymous Coward]

How about a link in the story? Or whats the deal here? We need a site to slashdot!

Re:WTF ? The Web 2.0 approach to hardware?

[tsalmark]

But if you run 2.0, your hardware wants to be on it's side, to um, well run better, because it's 2.0

Re:Web 2.0 and hardware

[Bodrius]

If they need those 3 things to offer the same performance, and are uglier to boot... then yeah, that's Web 2.0 all right.

Maybe they let Ops mod their servers too.
Gotta bring in the user content aspect into the picture.

Re:No link

[Anonymous Coward]

It's just the final step for slashdot, since nobody actually RTFA anymore anyway. :>

This just in...

[discord5]

The best way to organize your serverroom for web 2.0 compliance is by stacking the servers diagonally. This way, air can float freely between racks, improving the flow of the system administrator gas based bowel attacks.

Don't bother with those 10Gb switches, just hook it all up on wireless. Wireless network, wireless fibre storage, wireless power! Your megaflops (the rate at which a million projects per second will turn out to be a flop) will increase by a factor of 213% per watt.

Web 2.0, the best thing to happen to your serverroom since buttered toast and angry system administrators, can be yours now only for $ 9999,95 per diagonal server! Why go for a 1U server when you can have a 2U for three times the price. Call now, and receive a free "My other server is a web 3.0" bumpersticker which will be applied by an angry salesman who'll also slash your tires for FREE!

Warning: servers may not be stacked diagonally on top of eachother, rather rammed into your rack repetetively by an angry monkey (which we've nicknamed "Bob the technician"). Aforementioned technician may or may not leave presents in your servers. Do not feed Bob during the installation process, nor introduce Bob to small children and pets.

Re:So it means the same as anything else these day

[morgan_greywolf]

No, no, no, no. VMWare ESX was Web 1.5. New hardware is Web 2.0. Get with the program!

For those not keeping up, here is my guide to Web 2.0:

Web 1.0: House blend coffee
Web 1.5: Tall, skinny latte with soy milk
Web 2.0: Frappuccino.

Web 1.0: Static HTML
Web 1.1: Dynamic HTML
Web 1.5: Dynamic XHTML
Web 2.0: HTML? What's that?!

Web 1.0: Cisco routers
Web 1.1: Cisco routers runnning IOS
Web 1.5: Nortel routers
Web 2.0: Who needs routers? We have IPV6!

Web 1.0: Wired
Web 1.5: Wireless
Web 2.0: Sharks. With friggin' LASERS attached to their heads!

Re:Get on board or get left behind

[thePowerOfGrayskull]

When I order a mocha, now I ask for 2.0 % milk

Pfft. Real nerds ask for milk with a 0.02 fat concentration.

Re:WTF ? The Web 2.0 approach to hardware?

[ovidus naso]

As long as the servers' edges are round...

Better names other than Web 2.0

[Chicken_Kickers]

Calling it Web 2.0 is so...1999. I propose some more marketable names:

• Web II: The P2P Quickening
• Web 2: RIAA Judgment Day
• Web II: The wrath of Balmer
• Web 2: The Information Hyper Highway
• Web Episode II: Attack of the SpamBots
• The Son of Web
• The Second coming of Web
• The Web Reloaded
• The Web, Professional Edition
• The Web, Service Pack 2

Oh, honestly

[Anonymous Coward]

This is Web 2.0 we're talking about here. You don't need any links! :)

Web 2.0 FAQ

[trollebolle]

This seems like a good opportunity to mention the famous Web 2.0 FAQ by Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka on somethingawful.com. For those readers who are not entirely sure what web 2.0 is:

Question: What is Web 2.0?

Answer: Web 2.0 is a combination of Web 1.0 and being punched in the dick.

Question: How do I know I'm using a website / service / product that is officially "Web 2.0" and not actually "Web 1.0" with various patches and enhancements added to it?

Answer: Web 2.0 is made obvious by the addition of completely and highly unnecessary bells and whistles that don't do anything besides annoy you and make life more complicated. If Web 1.0 was the equivalent of reading a book, Web 2.0 is reading a book while all the words are flying around and changing pages as the book rotates randomly and sets your hands on fire. Also there's this parrot that keeps on flying towards your head in repeated attempts to gouge out your eyes.

Question: I read about this one website in Wired Magazine. Is that Web 2.0??

Answer: Oh definitely. Wired won't even mention Web 1.0 sites. Every single site in their magazine is at least Web 2.0. Sometimes they're even up to Web 45.2 (such as www.ebutts-and-credit-reports-delivered-via-carrier-pidgeon.com)!

Question: My roommate said he "digged" a "wikipedia entry" about "the blogosphere" which mentioned "podcasting" as a viable form of "crowdsourcing."

Answer: Your roommate is a faggot. Also, this wasn't technically a question.

Question: What's Web 3.0?

Answer: It's a product or service planned on release in spring of 2008, and consists solely of websites enabling the user to create even more detailed Kirby ASCII art. (O'.')-o

Re:Get on board or get left behind

[GuldKalle]

nah, I always order the -17dB milk

Re:Web 2.0 FAQ

[hampton]

Pretty good, but this [bash.org] has to be my favorite description of Web 2.0.