Estimate the Time for a 100 PB Coast-to-Coast Data Migration

Estimate how long it would take to get 100 petabytes of data from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast. ```hint Find the bottleneck Convert the volume into units you can divide by a throughput, then ask what actually limits throughput from end to end. Do not assume the first transfer channel that comes to mind is the only one available. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Must the data travel over a network, or can physical media be shipped? - How much bandwidth is available between the two sites, and can this move use all of it without hurting production traffic? - Does the clock stop when the last byte arrives, or when the copy has been verified and is usable at the destination? - Is the data static, or is it still being written to while the move happens? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Clarifying what counts as "moved" and which transfer channels are allowed - Correct unit conversion and a clearly labeled bandwidth assumption, with the time worked out for more than one link speed - Considering a physical shipment and identifying where its real bottleneck sits - Practical overheads: realistic link utilization, verification, failures, and data that changes during the move - A clear recommendation with a range, a sanity check, and the assumptions that would flip it ### Follow-up Questions - At what sustained link speed does a network transfer beat shipping drives? - How would you keep the West Coast copy consistent if the data keeps changing during the move? - What would you recommend if this had to happen every month instead of once?