停泊在美国三藩市湾金银岛附近的一艘驳船上,最近正建造一座4层高的大型建筑物。美国科技网站CNET前日报道,这很可能是互联网搜寻巨擘Google正秘密建造的海上数据中心。
驳船长约76米,阔约51米,船上建筑物由货柜组成,顶部有12个天线般的高塔。CNET报道,Google于2009年取得海上数据中心专利,当时美国《时代》周刊对海上数据中心的概念大加赞赏,将其评为2008年Google最佳发明之一。
据专家介绍,海上数据中心易于取得充足海水,是冷却大量伺服器的关键,加上可利用海面波浪,环保发电。
The mystery of Google's floating barges
SAN FRANCISCO — A mysterious four-story barge floating near Treasure Island here has people wondering what Google is up to.
A local TV station and CNET offer two theories behind the contents of the boat, which is stacked with shipping containers.
CBS-affiliate KPIX, citing an unnamed source close to the project, says Google is constructing an Apple Store-like marketing center for Google Glass.
CNET says it might be a water-based data center, citing a patent filed by Google for such a thing in 2007.
Google had no comment.
A barge similar to the one in San Francisco is in the waters off Portland, Maine.
The search giant plans to have the barge towed to San Francisco's nearby Fort Mason, where it will be open to the public, the unnamed source told KPIX.
CNET, quoting an anonymous source identified as an independent marine engineer, says Google wants to build a backup data center in the event of a natural disaster. The barge in San Francisco would be one of a dozen data centers worldwide, the source said.
This large structure, which is likely being built by Google, could be a floating data center. It is located on a barge just off Treasure Island, between San Francisco and Oakland. (Photo: James Martin CNET/CBS Interactive)
加拿大华人网 http://www.sinonet.org/