# An Interview with Rick Altherr

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2017-08-29
- Length: 1h 38m
- Episode: 357
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/357-an-interview-with-rick-altherr/

## Summary

Rick Altherr, a firmware and software designer at Google, discusses the Open Compute Project and the design of hyperscale server technologies like the Zaius machine and Open Rack V2. He explains the shift from traditional 1U rack units to open, airflow-optimized designs that eliminate unnecessary plastics and panels to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The conversation covers the technical challenges of managing massive data centers, including 48-volt power distribution, point-of-load conversion, and advanced cooling strategies like chilled water heat exchangers. Altherr also details the software stack, including Kubernetes and OpenStack, which manage cluster-level resource allocation and self-healing architectures in environments where hardware failure is a constant statistical reality.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=0) Introduction: Rick Altherr and Google's Server Design
- [2:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=144) Hyperscale vs. Traditional Enterprise: The End of 1U Racks
- [7:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=452) Storage, SANs, and Scale-Out Architecture
- [11:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=693) Kubernetes, Resource Allocation, and Cluster-Level Failure
- [17:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=1042) Data Redundancy, RAID, and MTBF Statistics
- [25:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=1507) The Open Compute Project and Standardization
- [29:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=1795) Zaius Server Hardware: Power Nine and 48V Distribution
- [34:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=2072) Thermal Management, PUE, and Chilled Water Cooling
- [41:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=2470) Hot Swap Connectors and Networking Topologies
- [53:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=3205) Firmware, OpenBMC, and Management Controllers
- [1:10:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr#t=4209) Data Center Operations, Navigation, and Scale

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Google (company)
- Open Compute Project (other)
- Zaius (product)
- Open Rack V2 (product)
- IBM (company)
- Power9 (chip)
- Kubernetes (other)
- OpenStack (other)
- Intersil (company)
- Facebook (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Rackspace (company)
- Project Olympus (product)
- OpenBMC (other)
- IPMI (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep. 27 | Two Google Senior VPs of Engineering: From Shipping Containers to Today's Data Centers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-06-22-ep-27-two-google-senior-vps-of-engineering-from-shipping-containers-to-todays-da) (Moore's Lobby)
- [S1E03 This ain’t your grandma’s cooling technology | David Binger](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-01-s1e03-this-aint-your-grandmas-cooling-technology-david-binger) (Being an Engineer)
- [Holistic Engineering with Robert Mustacchi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-01-23-holistic-engineering-with-robert-mustacchi) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Shipping the first Oxide rack: Your questions answered!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-07-04-shipping-the-first-oxide-rack-your-questions-answered) (Oxide and Friends)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-08-29-an-interview-with-rick-altherr. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.