(Source: Ars Technica) & TeamSilverback)

Google has been granted its patent for a data center that floats on the ocean. Though the patent mostly describes how such a thing would work, it also addresses the use of wave and tidal power, as well as water cooling to even land-based data centers that are nearby.

The majority of the patent deals with the logistics of ship-based data centers, though it also examines the use of wave power, tidal power, and seawater for providing electricity and cooling to land-based data centers that are close enough to water.

Of course, there’s nothing to stop Google from deploying a floating data center powered by conventional fuel sources, but such a vessel would be more limited by range or fuel capacity. Not only would it have to carry enough fuel to power itself, it would also have to make sure to power the systems it carries. Using a water-based generator would not only be more practical and efficient, it’s also a significantly greener solution.

Despite the patent, however, Google may not be the first company to send its data centers out to sea. A Silicon Valley startup called International Data Security (IDS) announced in January of 2008 its intent to set up a fleet of data-serving cargo ships. These ships would not only come with standard storage services, but also with amenities such as private offices, overnight accommodations, and galley services. The first ship was scheduled to set sail (or rather, hang out in San Francisco’s Pier 50) in April of 2008, but according to a blog post by IDS partner Silverback Migration Solutions, that plan got pushed to third quarter 2008 and we were unable to find any further information on the project.

The Silverback blog alos outlines a few interetsing points.  The value proposition for ship based datacenters is very similar to that of land based datacenters, with a few noteable exceptions:

–Current market demand for data center space continues to outpace
supply, and using ships as data centers can reduce time to market by as
much as 65%.

–Cap-Ex costs to bring a ship into data center operation is
approximately 2/3 that of a land-based facility.

–Ships are naturally resistant from earthquakes and floods, and can
be moved to safer areas avoiding major hurricane or tornado storm damage.

–Vessel-based data centers can take advantage of their water-born
location to aid in cooling and thereby lower electrical costs. Locating
ships near electrical generation facilities lowers power loss over
transmission lines, maximizing efficiency. This makes ships a more “Green”
data center facility alternative.

–No in ground fuel tanks reduces environmental impact

–Recycling the heat from DC to heat the state rooms

–Emergency backup generators uses Bio-Diesel

–Recycle ships that would be scrapped

–More CPU cycles per kilo watt 65% or more of power goes to cpu
rather than facility

–These vessels will be located very close to major urban centers
where land cost and data center availability is problematic: customers can
quickly and efficiently update their processes and equipment without
traveling to remote areas.

–IDS marine data centers are the only data centers that provide
DRBC command centers with redundant communications, berthing and training
facilities.

–Process patent filed including 22 claims for a marine based data
center with all applicable trademarks having been filed both domestically
and internationally in EU and 7 Asian countries