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Dave Beedon | all galleries >> PBase Infrastructure >> PBase's Other Facilities > Hard drives of main server
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30-SEP-2003 20030930_056

Hard drives of main server

It takes a lot of disk space to store the zillions of images uploaded to
PBase. The equipment that makes this possible exists on a grand scale.

Pictured here are the hard drives of the main PBase server, which is located inside the
structure shown here: http://www.pbase.com/listorama/image/56139113 . Blue covers of
three of the four drives are visible. To get an idea of their size, note the row of
wooden tables between the first and second drives. I'm told that each drive is about
100 feet (30m) tall (the actual size is a closely-guarded secret). There is so much
disk space here that a word needs to be invented to describe it.
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Dave Beedon07-Mar-2007 19:44
Horsegoggles, after Hermetic sealed the drive, he just hung around.
Steve, your vote of confidence in me is nice but in the spirit of Wayne and Garth, I "am not worthy."
Guest 07-Mar-2007 16:33
After Hermetic sealed the hard drives, did he hang the flag?
Guest 17-Aug-2006 04:10
I know, Dave, you are not a crook.
Dave Beedon17-Aug-2006 01:45
I could not agree more, Steve, that's why I strive to keep everything on this site open, frank, honest, and above reproach. The key word is "strive." Trust me.
Guest 16-Aug-2006 17:42
Good, I'm glad you're keeping politics out of it. There are enough lies in the world as it is.
Dave Beedon15-Aug-2006 23:28
I'm surprised that you asked such a question, Steve. I had assumed that you knew---or at least suspected---that PBase design engineers thought of that and many similar catstrophes when planning this facility. The drives are hermetically sealed. The disk platters are made of a material that is unaffected by chlorine (and gasoline, benzene, kerosene, and meat that is lean). The walls and ceiling are 20 feet (6m) thick and the entire structure is mounted on earthquake-proof pads. In short, it is a "hardened" facility. As for the flag's position, the fact that it is slightly left of center somehow appeals to me, but I don't know if that was designed to state anything. The focus here is on technology, not politics.
Guest 15-Aug-2006 18:19
I wonder what chlorine does to the disks?

Dave, is positioning the flag off-center a subtle political statement? I hope not--I'd rather see you keep this site enjoyable.
arminb06-Apr-2006 14:43
:o)) So funny, I'm jealous about this great fun idea!
Dave Beedon02-Mar-2006 05:10
Dean, that has a nice ring to it, but how many bytes is that? Maybe it's so many that I could not comprehend it.
Guest 02-Mar-2006 04:32
Each platter holds one gazigabyte, or so I'm told by the voices in my keyboard. They aren't certain how many platters are on each drive.
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