5 ms·
If you want to see more than 2 pictures (one of which is of a small drainage channel), there's a detailed blog post about the construction: https://blog.scalewa
by gregmac 7y ago
If you want to see more than 2 pictures (one of which is of a small drainage channel), there's a detailed blog post about the construction: https://blog.scaleway.com/2016/c14-story-part-1-meet-our-nuclear-fallout-shelter/ https://blog.scaleway.com/2016/c14-story-part-1-meet-our-nuc...
- Isamu 7y agoReally fascinating! The pedal-powered blowers (ventilation?) are a nice touch.
- bradstewart 7y agoReally interesting read, thanks. But I have to wonder... why? Was all of that effort worth it?
- gregmac 7y agoThe Register article mentions this: > With city space ever scarcer and more expensive, but latency requirements only increasing, companies have been looking at innovative ways of getting data centres closer to the action. It doesn't specifically say this is the reason Scaleway did it, but it could make sense if there's a bunch of tech firms located nearby and the above-ground real estate is expensive.
- LinuxBender 7y agoProbably mostly marketing. This would be one place that data archives might survive nuclear and small to medium asteroid impacts, assuming it is water tight and really strong submarine doors. I did not see any bar (pressure) ratings. There are a handful of companies that have underground data-centers, but I think it's mostly hype. Creating functional (real) bunkers at that scale is very expensive. When I look at bunkers, the first things I look for is how many bars of pressure they are rated for. A nuclear bunker must be rated for at least 8 bars. Getting permits for underground generators and fuel tanks is also very expensive.
- brianwawok 7y agoThe bunker was already dug though? That seems at least to make the cost a bit less absurd.
- LinuxBender 7y agoAbsolutely. Building from scratch is tens to hundreds of millions. Former military bunkers were paid with tax money. :-) The new owner is just paying for inspections, retrofit, modernization, etc...
- bradstewart 7y agoThe bunker was dug, but they had to go through a ton of work to reinforce it, pour a foundation capable of holding server racks without disturbing the existing structure, waterproof it, and more. Maybe the seemingly advanced building techniques they described in the blog post are also required to build an above-ground datacenter. Or the cost of doing it (and doing it below ground) isn't drastically greater.
- amelius 7y agoWouldn't it make more sense to replace the servers by food, and make the bunkers habitable?
- LinuxBender 7y agoIf you expect humans to keep the servers running, then certainly a majority of space would be required for food, storage, waste, supplies, water, more water, air tanks, air filtration systems, grow lights and green house. You would also need a medical staff and counselors. Oh and lots of books and a place to sleep. :-)
- reificator 7y agoDon't forget power...
- 7y ago
- VectorLock 7y agoI bet the biggest driver was they probably acquired the property really cheap. Building it into a data center probably wasn't any more expensive than an above-ground property.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- agumonkey 7y agoSimply fascinating.