Around 2018, Microsoft introduced Project Natick, which is an underwater data center project that shows Microsoft using as many as 855 server machines in Scottish waters to test whether they show any difference when compared to server machines housed in normal data centers.
The project, led by Noelle Walsh, Head of Microsoft Cloud Operations + Innovation said that as long as the project has been in operation, he has shown it to be a success, especially in the operational part of how to operate a data center in water.
What is interesting about this project is that out of 855 server machines used in this project, only 8 of them were reported to be down. Noelle says there are several reasons why the damage rate of server machines in water is so low. First is the lower and stable sea temperature compared to the air temperature on land. The second is the use of Nitrogen gas which is used to ensure that these server machines can operate at an optimal level.
Asked what lessons can be learned from this project, Noelle said they are looking at robotics technology that can help data center technicians move server machines more easily, especially since today's server machines are much heavier than what was used a few years ago. .
So far, it doesn't seem like Microsoft has any plans to build any more of these underwater data centers, despite their many advantages over land, but will use what they've learned through this project to see how they can conserve the electricity consumption of their data centers. .