Backblaze custom storage: 67 TiB for $8k

This article on the Backblaze Pod includes 3-d models, part lists, and some assembly details for building your own scalable multi-petabyte SAN for about 4% of what you'd pay EMC2 for the same number of bits. I love the idea of using off-the-shelf components to tune computer hardware to specific needs.

Now I just need a method of stuffing dozens of CPU cores on as little accessory equipment as possible, to max out my distributed computing scores.

edit: added link to the backblaze article

Five Years of Crunching Primes

According to my stats page at the Seventeen or Bust site, I've been crunching primes as part of their massive distributed computer for over 5 years now. I can't even believe it's been that long.

Before that, I was cracking crypto as part of distributed.net's efforts. I don't know how long that was - the stat page says 1,000 days, but I don't know when I began or halted my activity there.

I like how these projects contrast with other distributed projects (like Seti@home) in that they have finite amounts of work, specific goals that will be reached, and an understanding that those goals will contribute to our collective knowledge.