Scientists from the University of Florida and the University of Electronic Communications in Japan have highlighted the vulnerability of underwater data centers to sound waves that can disrupt their operations. One of the advantages of underwater data centers is their efficient heat removal using the surrounding aquatic environment, which reduces cooling costs for equipment. Microsoft conducted experiments with underwater data centers through its NATICK project, and the commercial service offered by minda cloud. A Chinese project was also in development towards the end of last year.
In a recently published article on the ARXIV platform, researchers detailed how sound waves at the resonant frequency of hard drives (HDD) in underwater enclosures can decrease the performance of RAID storage systems and even cause system failures. These acoustic disruptions can occur up to 6 meters away from the data center and affect systems with only HDD or hybrid setups with SSD and HDD.
Using a Supermicro server in RAID 5 configuration with HDD Seagate EXOS 7E2 and SSD Intel D3-S4510, the researchers conducted tests in both lab conditions and open water inside metal containers. By subjecting the disks to various frequencies, such as 2, 3.7, 5.1-5.3, and 8.9 kHz, the researchers observed a decrease in RAID capacity, with a significant degradation occurring in the 5.1-5.3 kHz range. This resulted in a 92.7% increase in database response time after 2.4 minutes, leading to some hard drive failures.
To carry out such attacks, specially equipped modules connected to boats or underwater devices could be used. Unintentional interference, such as powerful hydroacoustic signals from submarines, could also impact underwater data centers. In response to these threats, researchers explored various protection methods, including using sound-absorbing materials to reduce vibrations. However, this approach raised server temperatures and could be neutralized by attackers increasing the sound volume.