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Why Amazon Hired a Car Mechanic to Run Its Cloud Empire

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Summary

James Hamilton is the Distinguished Engineer at Amazon Web Services who is responsible for overseeing the increasingly complex design of the data-center empire that drives the company's cloud computing services. Hamilton is renowned across the industry for his expertise in distributing systems and the company relies on him to keep its services running smoothly and efficiently. Hamilton is also a boatman, having lived on a boat since selling his house and car several years ago, and he formerly worked as an auto mechanic specializing in Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Hamilton's expertise is valued not only by Amazon, but also by Netflix, the company's most high-profile customer. He is well-versed in the ideas of database research, data center design, and low-power servers, and has a reputation for being a "broad and deep" thinker.

Q&As

What is Amazon Web Services and who is James Hamilton?
Amazon Web Services is a collection of online services that provide computing power to companies across the globe. James Hamilton is the Distinguished Engineer who oversees the increasingly complex design of the data-center empire that drives Amazon Web Services.

What kind of problems does James Hamilton work to solve in relation to Amazon's data centers?
James Hamilton works to solve problems related to ensuring Amazon's data centers remain up and running at all times, as well as striving to rethink the data center for the age of cloud computing.

How did James Hamilton's background in auto mechanics and databases prepare him for his role at Amazon?
James Hamilton's background in auto mechanics and databases prepared him for his role at Amazon by giving him a deep understanding of how to design and maintain complex systems.

What is the High Performance Transaction Systems Workshop and how was Jim Gray involved?
The High Performance Transaction Systems Workshop is an invitation-only event co-founded by Jim Gray, the legendary database guru James Hamilton is often compared to. It is a kind of Bohemian Grove for geeks, where attendees can sit down with “the people who invented databases.”

What measures has James Hamilton implemented to help Amazon run its data centers more efficiently?
James Hamilton has implemented measures such as programming Amazon's own electrical gear using PLCs, designing its own servers, and endorsing the idea of ultra-low-power servers built around chips not unlike the one in your cellphone, to help Amazon run its data centers more efficiently.

AI Comments

👍 This article was incredibly informative and insightful! It provides great insight into the mind of a data-center engineer and the complexity of the role. It also gives an interesting look into James Hamilton's unique life and how he has managed to blend his love of boats with his data-center work.

👎 This article was overly long and detailed and could have been written with more brevity. It also did not provide enough concrete information on the specifics of how James Hamilton's work impacts Amazon's data-center operations.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about James Hamilton, the Distinguished Engineer who oversees the increasingly complex design of the data-center empire that drives Amazon Web Services. He is the one who works to ensure that services like Netflix don't go down due to power outages. He's held in such high regard, he’s one of the few Amazon employees permitted to blog about his big ideas.

Friend: Wow, that's so cool that he has such an important role in the AWS empire. It sounds like his experience as an auto mechanic and his knowledge of databases have served him well.

Me: Definitely. This article also discusses the implications of his work. For example, it talks about how the cloud computing business is growing, and how that means data center problems must be solved in order to keep services running. It also talks about how Apple's solar energy farm is likely not enough to power their data center, and how Hamilton is pushing for more efficient power distribution, cooling, storage and networking to reduce environmental impact.

Action items

Research the concept of modular data centers and how they are used to increase efficiency.
Explore the idea of ultra-low-power servers and how they can be used to reduce energy consumption.
Learn more about the High Performance Transaction Systems Workshop and the people who attend it.

Technical terms

Transformer: An electrical device used to increase or decrease the voltage of an alternating current.
Amazon Web Services (AWS): A cloud computing platform provided by Amazon.
NetFlix: A streaming service for movies and television shows.
Pinterest: A social media platform for sharing images.
Dropbox: A cloud storage service.
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs): A type of computer used to control industrial processes.
EC2 and S3: Amazon Web Services for computing and storage, respectively.
High Performance Transaction Systems Workshop: An invitation-only event for database researchers.
Jim Gray: A legendary database guru.
Modular Data Centers: Data centers that are built using self-contained building blocks.
Ultra-Low-Power Servers: Servers that use chips similar to those found in cellphones.
Amazon Prime: Amazon’s subscription service for free shipping and other benefits.