back to article Google builds very own Ethernet switches

Google seems to be building its very own Ethernet switches. But you already knew that. We told you in June. On Friday, a blog post from telecom/datacom research outfit Nyquist Capital breathlessly announced that Google is using Google-designed switches to link servers inside its top-secret data centers. "It is our opinion …

COMMENTS

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  1. Rick
    Flame

    start up or bought up

    "Our sources indicate that Google has purchased a mega 10GigE system capable of supporting thousands of ports from an as of yet undisclosed Silicon Valley start-up"

    My guess this is a try and buy if they like what they get then they will probably buy the start up and claim the patents for later use. Now on to the flaming, but tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this seem like something we saw back in the late 80's and 90's with the beast from Redmond? This though appears to be the SUPER BEAST from Stanford?

  2. Simon
    Thumb Down

    For the love of Mary's merkin, get over yourself..

    This sounds like it's the second story you've ever broken, if The Reg could kind of mod down this sort of self congratulatory tripe I'm sure we'd all appreciate it,

    1. "But you already knew that. We told you in June."

    2. "But this is old news to The Reg. "

    3. "As previously pointed out"

    4. "he's jealous that we broke his news first"

    Ok we get it already you had the story in June. A little less auto-fellatio, a bit more journalism and a lot less smugness would do the power of good to "The Reg"

    IMHO

  3. Chris Peterson
    Alert

    Is there any indication that these switches are more than just internal use?

    Just because Google built them, doesn't mean they will sell them.

  4. Ashlee Vance (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: For the love of Mary's merkin, get over yourself..

    I've never been subjected to such a protest against auto-fellatio. Am starting to wonder if it is was worth getting those ribs removed.

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. Ian Michael Gumby
    Flame

    Another junk patent....

    I guess the US Navy and US special ops will now be peeved because of their specialized mission pods (go watch Discovery Channel...)

    As to Ashlee's comment, if you got your ribs removed, why did you bother to get married? Or doesn't your wife service you?

    (I am so going to hell for that one, but hey! You started it!)

  7. Ashlee Vance (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Another junk patent....

    With a last name like Gumby, I would have thought you'd be more in tune with how far a couple can go when aided by unnatural flexibility and imagination.

  8. Dr Who
    Thumb Down

    Not news

    Building their own switch might be newsworthy.

    Building their own servers however, is that so surprising? It's quite common practice for even medium volume server users to build their own servers from off the shelf components. What's so surprising about Google doing this? Have they designed and built their own processor?

    I just don't get what the news angle is here.

  9. Stuart Van Onselen
    Joke

    Cool!

    A thread that has degenerated into sex, instead of into Apple-vs-PC.

    Fascinating as geek holy wars can be, I prefer sex. That said, I doubt that The Reg is the best place to find sexual tips - unless it's on how to get some despite being so drunk that you can't stand up, if you know what I mean. ;-)

  10. James Anderson

    Prior art:-

    Sorry google but I think "Gee Mr. Tracy" and Brains got in htier first with the computer in a container concept.

  11. Paul
    Dead Vulture

    Please carry on...

    with the fighting! I for one would love to see a reg hack get a FoTW!

  12. James

    @Simon

    Well, to be fair, it must be a novelty. It's pretty difficult to break new stories when half your journos are takes to cut and paste Paris Hilton stories out of the AP wire.

  13. Graham Bartlett

    "Not for resale"

    "Just because Google built them, doesn't mean they will sell them"

    True. And for why? Because you can do whatever you like in-house and not have to worry about patents at all - you could violate hundreds of patents in your switches, but if no-one knows about it, you're in the clear. It's only if you try selling switches yourself that you need to start thinking about patents. I'm betting there's pretty good patent reasons why these will never make it out of Google.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Built from Scratch or ODM ?

    I'd wager that Google isn't really designing and building the switches from scratch - they are more likely to have sent specification and designs to South-East Asia and have found a boutique company that will build to that spec.

    Lot of companies do this. For example, the new HP C Class blades are an ODM (the design is also being used by NEC). The older Dell 1855 blades were an ODM (Fujitsu also used a similar design).

    P.S. Nice to see sex mentioned rather than the usual Microsoft bashing.

  15. Rick
    Paris Hilton

    flame on

    Ashlee, that last comment is almost up to snuff for FoTW. But where does Pokee fit in on that comment surely he can make an appearance somewhere..As for the Paris icon "how far a couple can go when aided by unnatural flexibility and imagination."

    >/.checks the one night in Paris vid.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Curiously ignorant

    Ok - what is a White Trash Data Centre?

    Do they have unwashed white benefit seeking caravan dwellers logging data and filing away papers?

  17. Dave

    No real surprise

    Google have reached the cost or technical limitations of off the shelf hardware - many years ago lots of companies R&D'd their own kit - the BBC, BT and AT&T to name a few, these days they buy in more and more off the shelf components, pushing the R&D back down into another company.

    Google seem to have the approach of "it doesn't do what we want, let's make somthing which does" and i like that, it's the way i've always approached a problem, rather than just throwing money (and other resources, like power for example) at it.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Clever Google

    Google may not want to commercially build switches, but they may want to patent ideas. Like the White Trash Data Centres, they won't want to compete with Sun or IBM - however, what they don't want is to be constrained by someone else's patent.

    This is what the GPO (now know as BT) did in relation to the Franking machine. Rather than a manufacturer develop and hold the patent, which would throttle the market, in somewhat of a race GPO research designed and patented the device offered licenses it to several manufacturers. Of course, Google may not want to licence White Trash Data Centres or switches to anyone.

    Sense of humour? - commercial sense to get free advertising for jobs !

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    Cool Alien Tech

    It's probably alien technology just like Transmeta's.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    @Stuart Van Onselen

    To bring the topic back to sex, I have a great tip for getting laid even if you're a geek who's too drunk to stand up. Go on stage and start singing "Holy Diver". Works every time, doesn't even matter if it's Karaoke night, just punch out the lead singer in the band.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    "A little less auto-fellatio"

    Some of us read El Reg *for* the auto-fellatio, thank you very much.

    Keep up the self sucking, Ashlee. It's what's put this site in my bookmarks.

    :)

  22. Vic Sub
    Thumb Up

    Congrats to El Reg, don't be so modest

    Time and again I see mentions of stories that The Register broke months before a recent piece of news made it, er... , news.

    I personally love seeing my favorite IT news source bobbing, weaving and throwing punches before the other news sites even know there's a fight to be had.

    So I ask ye merry Vultures to take example from the recent liberties you have allowed us in the comments (I refer to the Icons we now have at our disposal) and create a new one for yourselves.

    I propose a "Pat Ourselves on the Back" icon that would mark paragraphs containing unadulterated pride in having trounced the competition and in winning the love and respect of the readership.

    This icon would shout boldly to the world "If you're looking for modesty, sod off! Here's a pint for me and the mates!!!"

  23. Andy Taylor
    Joke

    Rib removal

    Let's hope a certain diminutive popstar with Napoleon complex doesn't see the reference to rib removal and slap Ashlee with a DCMA notice

  24. Nick

    If...

    If you build it, they will keep coming.

  25. Solomon Grundy

    Who is Cade Metz?

    Why is Ashlee responding to comments about Cade Metz's article? Could it be that Cade and Ashlee are one in the same? If so I have a few questions:

    1) Why would someone choose the pseudonym 'Cade Metz', unless it is some personal reference - it's a silly name. (no offense is Cade is real)

    2) If Cade=Ashlee it begs the question how many people actually write for El Reg? Are all my favorite hacks fake??!!

    3) If Cade=Ashlee, does he get two paychecks?

  26. John Lettice (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Who is Cade Metz?

    Well, there's definitely a person-shaped entity in the SF office who calls himself Cade Metz, and he's quite convincing. Gives the impression of having been called that for quite a long time, does the work, so hey, why should I care?

    But why am I responding to a post about Ashlee responding to posts about an article by Cade? And why am I responding to somebody with as obviously made-up a name as Solomon Grundy? It's a puzzle...

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    Number of Reg Hacks

    1) Because this is El Reg, Silly names are good.

    2) 1. Lester.

    3) As well as all the other checks.

    And no, I'm not a Reg Hack, these are just best guesses.

  28. Solomon Grundy
    Black Helicopters

    Names and Origins

    Oh God, not John Lettice too!!! As disappointing as it may be, it makes a lot of sense, I mean who else would name themselves after the lowest form of vegetable life? I'll tell you who - a virtualized Ash Johnmetz amalgamation would, that's who.

    What's wrong with the name Solomon Grundy? Without him one of Canada's most treasured cultural exports would never have reached the civilized world and Superman would have had to fight "The Lettuce Man" or some other silly super-villain.

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