It is in SOME ways an exaggeration—they're also tackling familiar problems—but GFS/Colossus and the data center administration are probably accurate. However,

It is in SOME ways an exaggeration—they're also tackling familiar problems—but GFS/Colossus and the data center administration are probably accurate. However, Facebook and Amazon almost certainly have similar challenges. I don't think they are necessarily unique so much as so huge the rest of us don't have the money or the problems to solve.