Peek inside Facebook's massive data centers that store all your photos, 'likes,' and chats
If you open Facebook on your phone for 30 seconds, your activity likely touches over 1,000 servers.
Much of that "magic" happens in the social network's own massive data centers.
GALLERY: See the inside of the massive data center where Facebook stores everything
Since 2011, Facebook has built four centers in Oregon, Iowa, North Carolina, and Sweden with innovative, environmentally-conscious designs that it has made available to the public through its Open Compute Project.
In July, it began constructing a fifth in Fort Worth, Texas.
Take a peek inside those centers and see where all your Facebook data "lives."
From the outside, Facebook's data centers look like massive warehouses. Here's an aerial view of the 300,000 square-foot North Carolina location:
But the building isn't all high-tech servers. Here's where employees sit:
Facebook
Thanks to its proprietary designs, Facebook has saved itself $2 billion in infrastructure costs since 2011.
Facebook
When you look at one of Facebook's old server racks compared to its new ones, the physical differences are immediately apparent.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Facebook has custom-designed its servers and power supplies, including its UPS's, or "uninterruptible power sources," which provides emergency power if the main power fails. This is the inside of its data center in Lulea, Sweden.
Facebook
Here's a closer look at one of its open racks. The rack gets integrated into the center infrastructure. Facebook's "grid to gates" philosophy dictates the interdependence of "everything from the power grid to the gates in the chips on each motherboard."
Facebook
Facebook's goal is to make its centers as efficient as possible, which includes paying attention to little details, like eschewing the common practicing of putting plastic bezels in front of its servers. Removing the plastic allows the servers to draw in more air.
Facebook
Not that "efficient" means small. Its first Prineville, Oregon data center alone has 950 miles worth of wires and cables inside (that's roughly the distance between Boston and Indianapolis).
Facebook
Here's the outside of its first custom data center in Prineville, Oregon. It uses 38% less energy than Facebook's previous facilities, while costing 24% less.
Facebook
Which is great for Facebook, but also the planet.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Because of the way servers are connected, technicians can easily find, remove, and fix failed components.
Alan Brandt
Each technician can zoom around the part of the data center they're responsible for with their portable diagnostic station
Facebook
As all its servers whir away, Facebook needs to prevent them from overheating. In its Swedish center, Facebook sucks air in from outside to cool its tens of thousands of servers.
Facebook
Cool air also flows through a series of air filters and a "misting chamber" where a fine spray helps to further control the temperature and humidity.
Facebook
Air hitting the severs can't be too cold either, though. Here's a "mixing room" where cold outdoor air combines with server exhaust heat to regulate the temperature.
Facebook
Facebook calls the area where all this happens the "cooling penthouse." The top half of each facility manages all the cooling, which takes advantage of the fact that cold air falls and hot air rises.
Facebook
So, next time you're on Facebook, try to visualize all your interactions passing through these data centers, where Facebook's servers process more than 10 *trillion* queries a day.
Facebook
See Also:
Here's a look inside the Facebook app that only famous people can use
13 really useful new features in iOS 9 that most people don't even know exist
From fireworks to jousting, these 13 tech executives have some weird and awesome hobbies
SEE ALSO: Here's a look at Facebook's plan to kill unicorn startup Slack
