November 03, 2007

Boiling the Oceans

In the Wikipedia article on the ZFS file system the ZFS project leader Jeff Bonwick is quoted as saying,
"Populating 128-bit file systems would exceed the quantum limits of earth-based storage. You couldn't fill a 128-bit storage pool without boiling the oceans."

What's wonderful about this particular [apparent] hyperbole is that it is not hyperbole. Drawing on quantum mechanics and information theory, he explains—in detail—how storing enough information to overflow a single ZFS file system's capacity would require a storage system that was 136 billion kg of something, converted to pure energy (via E=mc2). To reach that level, you'd need the energy equivalent of converting the Earth's oceans entirely to steam.

Posted by ronlusk at 09:38 AM