英国新闻听力 计算机的云计算（在线收听）

Cloud Computing

GARRET MICHEL: Well then that Mr. Studio manager on the mixing desk, let's open up the theater and hear from Bill Thomson in our Cambridge studio. Hello, Bill.

Bill Thomson: Hello there Garret.

GARRET MICHEL: So, lots of talk in that interview about cloud computing and just bring people up to speed if they don't already know what it is. The idea of all our information held out there in the data cloud rather than just sitting as it traditionally has been on our desktops in front of us. Scott is clearly not the only proponent of all this and we are increasingly hearing, for instance, bail about Google and Amazon getting into cloud computing. Does SUN still have a role to play in the cloud?

Bill Thomson: Oh, I think so. I mean, don't forget that SUN make hardware, they're not just a software company. They're not just a sales company, they make machines, they makes boxes that have their logo on, that will sit in these data centers. Google may sort of buy in lots of hardware, they don't actually manufacture themselves yet. And I think SUN sees here is a very important role for themselves, and I would agree with them, providing a lot of the kit that would create the cloud. The cloud isn't this mystical thing, it really is, it's server computers, and hard drives and processors, all sitting somewhere in the physical world. They are not taking hold into their, putting into their virtual space, and so somebody needs to be making those computers, and SUN can do that.

GARRET MICHEL: So, they hope to be the sun behind the cloud, if you see what I mean, but.

Bill Thomson: Oh.

GARRET MICHEL: Sorry about that Bill and terribly listening, but there are dark clouds here though. To be honest Bill because you know that, there is always talk about the cloud being incredible energy efficient you know, because of the disperse nature of our data but nevertheless the make it all work you need these huge data centers and some of the bigger ones now, apparently use up as much energy as a aluminum smelter. So, is it really the green alternative?

Bill Thomson: It can be, it doesn't have to be, as with any sort of engineering challenge you can decide which things are important to you. And up until now buying large computing, we've been concerned about how many processing power we can get, how many data through we can get in the network. And it's only a last year or two that people have started thinking seriously about the energy implications, about how you might makes these systems more energy efficient, perhaps reduce the need for cooling, perhaps make sure they are sited in places where there are renewable energy sources available like near hydroelectric power stations or near to a solar power will work. And SUN is at the forefront of a lot of that thinking as well. Three or four years ago I was talking to their chief scientist, a guy called John Gage, and these were one of the issues he was aware of even then and he was talking about ways to build compact and powerful data centers you know, that could even be, even lesser, could be transported around but also there will be much more reliable and wouldn't consume such vast amounts of power.

GARRET MICHEL: And finally, Bill, there was talk there at the end of the interview that Scott McNealy is really into the whole idea of open source software isn't he, as it was?

Bill Thomson: Well, He's driven SUN in this way. And indeed, Sun has a major project at the moment call OpenSolaris, which is taking their Solaris operating system and putting it out there, letting the community work on it. And if that is successful, it would put them at really, in a very key place in terms of the whole infrastructure of the network and the way we use our computers. It is a big risk for them and it could go wrong, and having to work very hard to get support form the community, but it is a very brave step from a company that really over the whole of its existence has taken brave steps and actually most of them seemed to have worked out.

GARRET MICHEL: Indeed, and with the chairman, he doesn't ultimately like social networking very much, absolutely classic. Well Bill thank you very much indeed.

加内特·米歇尔：那么，请演播室经理打开现场设备，今天我们非常荣幸的将比尔·汤姆森请到了我们剑桥演播室。你好，比尔。

比尔·汤姆森：你好，加内特。

加内特·米歇尔：在之前的采访中，我们讨论了很多关于云计算的问题，人们开始对此有了初步了解，尽管他们可能并不清楚什么是云计算。它的构想是将我们所有的信息都存储在数据云中，而不是像传统方式那样放在我们面前的电脑桌面上。对于云计算，SUN董事长斯科特显然不是唯一的支持者，目前我们正不断的听说有公司准备参与其中，例如谷歌和亚马逊公司。那么SUN是否还能在云计算中占据重要地位？

比尔·汤姆森：噢，我想会的。我的意思是，大家别忘了SUN除了开发软件之外，他们还生产硬件。他们不是单一的销售公司，他们自己也生产机器，生产贴有他们自己公司标签的黑盒子，而这些盒子以后就会放在云计算的数据中心里。谷歌有可能会买进很多硬件设备，但事实上他们自己是不生产这些的。SUN认为他们起了很重要的作用，我也同意他们的说法，因为他们提供了许多创造"云"必须的设备工具。事实上，云计算所谓的"云"并不是什么神秘的东西，它就是一群服务器计算机，硬盘和处理器，存放于现实世界的某个地方。它们并不是存在于虚拟空间的看不见摸不着的东西，所以需要有人来制造这些计算机，而SUN正好可以满足这个需求。

加内特·米歇尔：这么说，他们希望成为"云"背后的"太阳"，你明白的我的意思吧，不过……

比尔·汤姆森：噢。

加内特·米歇尔：很遗憾，比尔，但我们听说云计算目前也是乌云密布。你也知道，因为一直以来评论认为，由于数据的分散性，云计算具备极高的能源效率。然而，要让所有这些分散数据工作起来，我们需要建造巨大的数据中心。而现在部分大型数据中心所消耗的能量显然已经到达一个炼铝厂的能量消耗了。在这种情况下，它还可以被当作绿色替代品吗？

比尔·汤姆森：可以，毫无疑问，面对种种工程挑战，你可以决定哪些东西更重要。到目前为止，我们每次在购买大型计算设备时，都很关心数据处理需要耗费多少功率，我们能从网络中得到多少数据。人们也不过就是一两年前才开始慎重考虑这些能量隐含问题，如何让系统具备更高的能源效率--减少冷却需求，或者将数据中心建立在靠近再生能源的地方，如水电站或太阳能发电站。SUN在这考虑这些问题方面一直是走在了时代的前沿。三四年前，我曾和他们公司的一位名叫约翰·盖奇的首席科学家交谈过，他在那时就已经意识到了这些问题，并建议可行的解决方式--建造强大的压缩型数据中心，其体积要比现在的更小，可以四处移动，并且更加可靠，不会消耗这么高的功率。

加内特·米歇尔：比尔，在采访节目的最后，斯科特·麦克尼利已经开始着手开放源代码软件的构想了，是吗？

比尔·汤姆森：恩，他正在带领SUN朝这方面发展。SUN目前也确实有个重点项目，叫做OpenSolaris，采用该公司开发的Solaris操作系统，并公开让社区成员在其系统上工作。如果成功的话，在整个网络的基础设施，以及我们每个人使用电脑的方式方面，他们就会成为核心。然而这对他们也是极大的风险，要面对出错的可能性，而且获得社区支持也不是件轻松的事。但这是非常勇敢的一步，对于一个倾尽全力支持此项目的公司而言，的确是迈出了勇敢的一步，并且事实上他们已经成功解决了大部分问题。

加内特·米歇尔：确实如此，SUN的董事长基本上不怎么喜欢社会网络，是绝对的古典主义爱好者。比尔，真诚感谢您前来参加我们的节目。