Term of the Moment
leading edge
Definition: underwater datacenter
A datacenter submerged on the ocean floor near a coastline. Electrical power is cabled to the module from the land. Using seawater for cooling, underwater datacenters are more economical. However, physical security and equipment maintenance are more complicated.
Microsoft's Project Natick
In 2015, Microsoft tested a proof-of-concept underwater datacenter in shallow waters off the California coast. Called Project Natick, the 10 x 7-foot container contained 300 computers, weighed 38,000 pounds and was in service for three and a half months. In 2018, Microsoft deployed a second underwater datacenter near Scotland. Much larger with 864 servers, the module is the size of a shipping container. See datacenter.
Server Racks in the Scotland Datacenter
Microsoft's Project Natick
In 2015, Microsoft tested a proof-of-concept underwater datacenter in shallow waters off the California coast. Called Project Natick, the 10 x 7-foot container contained 300 computers, weighed 38,000 pounds and was in service for three and a half months. In 2018, Microsoft deployed a second underwater datacenter near Scotland. Much larger with 864 servers, the module is the size of a shipping container. See datacenter.
Seawater is pumped through the pipes at the top of the server racks for cooling. At the far end is the outer shell that encloses the computers. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)