Reddit user acquires decommissioned Netflix cache server, finds 36 hard drives inside

[Shawn Knight]

Background: With more than 223 million subscribers, it should come as no surprise that Netflix is responsible for a large chunk of daily Internet traffic. To help keep the service operating smoothly, Netflix utilizes a content delivery network known as Open Connect that consists of an array of local servers containing copies of video content.

Storing content in close geographical proximity to viewers helps to ensure speedy delivery but with so many subscribers and so much content, it's requires loads of storage. Netflix supplies plenty of documentation about Open Connect but doesn't provide a ton of information about the hardware powering the servers. That's where Reddit comes in.

A user that works for a large ISP recently had the opportunity to acquire a decommissioned Netflix Open Connect server from circa 2013 and couldn't say no. The Reddit user, PoisonWaffle3, knew Netflix had wiped the serve clean, that they ran FreeBSD and contained lots of storage drives but that's about it.

Removing three screws and taking the top panel off revealed a "pretty standard" Supermicro motherboard, a single Intel Xeon E5 2650L v2 processor (10 cores / 20 threads), 64GB of DDR3 RAM, a whopping 36 Western Digital (formerly HGST) hard drives (7200 RPM, 8TB each), six 500GB Micron SSDs, a quad-port 10-gigabit Ethernet NIC, four LSI SAS9211-8I controllers and a pair of 750 watt power supplies.

Related reading: Against All Odds: How Netflix Made It

The new owner said the rig is a little on the loud side but aims to swap out the four standard case fans for models from Noctua to help cut down on noise. In total, the system boasts 262TB of raw storage. Early testing has revealed just one bad drive.

PoisonWaffle3 was open to suggestions on what to do with the rig and even said a second machine is available, which could come in handy for spare parts. How would you use a rig with this much storage? Suggestions floated on Reddit include a Plex media server or a mining rig for Chia, a storage-based cryptocurrency.

Image credit: PoisonWaffle3

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/96480-reddit-user-acquires-decommissioned-netflix-cache-server-finds.html

 

[stewi0001]

I'd like to make a beefy NAS.

 

[takaozo]

Many years ago I purchased a Dell EqualLogic PS6100 for an ESX cluster at work. The floor was shaking when the 24 x 3.5" HDD's start to spin at 10k rpm. Fans screaming and lots of blue and green LED's.

 

[Kam7r]

It sport the same cpu I use in my personnal game server, and there may be a typo , since I have this cpu , it's a 8/16 not a 10/20

edit : sorry didn't realized the "L" at the end

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Start a new streaming service with it. Boy, would that burn up a few heads at Netflix.

 

[MaestroIT]

The title is a bit confusing: if I buy a decommissioned server I expect to find also hard drives inside it !!!

 

[AIC1Drew]

It sport the same cpu I use in my personnal game server, and there may be a typo , since I have this cpu , it's a 8/16 not a 10/20

edit : sorry didn't realized the "L" at the end

V1 is 8c16t. V2 is 10c20t.

 

[AIC1Drew]

I'd like to make a beefy NAS.

Yeah file server/NAS. The processor isn't particularly impressive but it should get the job done.

 

[m4a4]

The title is a bit confusing: if I buy a decommissioned server I expect to find also hard drives inside it !!!

Not really. Depends on what it is advertised as. If a used server is listed as no storage included, I expect no harddrives. If it's advertised as "as is", maybe it does.
Can't expect that of used servers, especially if they've had sensitive data.

 

[Kam7r]

V1 is 8c16t. V2 is 10c20t.

nah , I have a 2650V2 , it's a 8/16 : https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...650-v2-20m-cache-2-60-ghz/specifications.html it's the 2650V2 L who's a 10/20 https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...50l-v2-25m-cache-1-70-ghz/specifications.html

 

[PEnnn]

He could start his own Cloud storage company......

 

[Vanderlinde]

You need 2 to 3 people to lift that thing up when it's stacked.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Jeez, I wonder what state those HDDs are in. I mean, years of constantly working 24/7 had to take some kind of toll on them.

 

[toooooot]

You need 2 to 3 people to lift that thing up when it's stacked.

It looks bigger than a full tower atx case

 

[Avro Arrow]

It looks bigger than a full tower atx case

Yeah, it's one helluva monster, eh? I wonder what he paid for it.

 

[takaozo]

You need 2 to 3 people to lift that thing up when it's stacked.

Looks like a 4HU case, those units mount in lower section of rack. And usually I mount those myself. But not all data centers have jack's
[HEADING=2]Lifting trolleys[/HEADING]

 

[StrikerRocket]

I'd like to make a beefy NAS.

Was about to write the same!
That's ONE HELL of a beefy NAS for sure... 262 TB of storage can accomodate a few movies and series...

 

[Guillermo Belli]

Power consumption at idle should be at least 350W for something like that, not very budget friendly.

 

[SG736F6]

Nothing like sending your electric bill through the stratosphere.

 

[Uncle Al]

Love to know what he paid! Sign me up for one too .....

 

[Vanderlinde]

Jeez, I wonder what state those HDDs are in. I mean, years of constantly working 24/7 had to take some kind of toll on them.

Enterprise or industrial hard drives are build for that. Consumer HDD's cant be really used 24/7 but they are designed for 8 hours a day of usage.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

"How would you use a rig with this much storage?"

Porn.

 

[Hodor]

Netflix user data still intact on the drives?

 

[AdamNovagen]

Nothing like sending your electric bill through the stratosphere.

Honestly, the most it could use would be 750W if it's the usual redundant failover PSU configuration. Even my gaming computer with the good ol' 1080Ti in it typically runs about 550W under full load. It really wouldn't be that bad on power, all things considered, and if you used a NAS OS with a good spin up/down configuration you could keep that power usage quite a bit lower.