Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, has shared some rare images of Facebook's data center.
Data centers are very important for companies that conduct internet-based business such as Facebook. Efficient data centers are needed to ensure uninterrupted operations.
The massive Facebook Luleå data center is the size of six football fields and has large fans to cool down the heat generated by servers.
Facebook opened the data center in 2013 and it is located in Luleå in northern Sweden. The data center is also the first Facebook server outside the United States. It is surrounded by icy rivers and dense forests.
Zuckerberg shared a number of images that gives the first glimpse of what the data center looks from both the outside and the inside. The photos also show the equipment, architectural design and staff members of the facility. Data centers need secure environment to minimize security breaches. To highlight the security of the Luleå data center, Zuckerberg has also posted an image of a security personnel at the facility.
Zuckerberg says that the Luleå data center is a significant part in the company's global infrastructure. The data center uses several natural resources to increase efficiency and at the same time save power.
Zuckerberg adds that Luleå is just about 70 miles south from the Arctic Circle. The temperature in the town is normally less than 50 degrees. The nearby rivers have several hydro-electric plants that provides renewable and reliable source of power. The entire system is about 10 percent more efficient and it consumes nearly 40 percent less power than traditional data centers.
"Nearly all the technology in the facility, from the servers to the power distribution systems, is based on Open Compute Project designs as well," says Zuckerberg. "You probably don't think about Luleå when you share with friends on Facebook, but it's an example of the incredibly complex technology infrastructure that keeps the world connected."
The enormous data center employs only 150 people, which is one technician for every 25,000 servers. Given the huge size of the data center, technicians have to travel about in scooters.
The images are very impressive and this is the first time that Zuckerberg has shared these rare photos. However, it seems that Facebook fans will get to see more such photos as Zuckerberg said he would be sharing more images of the company's advanced technology soon.
