Green Grid v2 19/12/08 12:49 Page 21
Strategies
chillers, computer room air What’s next - DCP clear delineation between facility
conditioning units (CRACs), direct Data centres are a complicated mix of equipment and IT equipment. The
expansion air handler (DX) units, IT equipment and facilities, which is Green Grid will provide clearer
pumps and cooling towers why we’re developing metrics that will distinctions between facility and IT
Compute, network and storage nodes more accurately measure only what is equipment and recommend power
Other miscellaneous component loads used by the data centre. A mixed-use consumption measuring techniques
such as data centre lighting building may house any number of throughout the data centre, as well as
If the data centre is housed in a functions, such as data centres, labs, for the equipment itself.
building being used for other offices etc. For these types of mixed-
purposes, the data centre manager use environments, determining the These measures will include Data
should be careful to exclude power power usage of just the data centre Centre Productivity (DCP). This is a
being used elsewhere in the building. environment is difficult. This is progression from PUE and DCiE that
This involves calculating how much particularly true when the utility power would divide Useful Work by Total
power is being used by other facilities grid enters the building through a Facility Power, in other words how
and removing it from the total power single entrance point (eg through a much work can the IT equipment do
consumed. utility room) and is then distributed to in my facility. Productivity is a
various building locations. particularly difficult metric to
The IT Equipment Power is defined as determine, but is a key strategic focus
the equipment that is used to The latest cooling technologies of the industry and difficulty should be
manage, process, store or route data integrate cooling elements such as no reason not to attempt it. The
within the data centre. This includes pumps, refrigeration, blower and heat calculation defines the data centre as
the load associated with all of the IT exchangers within the IT equipment a box; power goes into the box, heat
equipment, such as compute, storage itself. These technologies comes out, data goes in and out and
and network equipment, along with blur the lines between what a net amount of useful work is done
supplementary equipment such as has traditionally been a by the box.
KVM switches, monitors and
workstations/laptops used to The Green Grid is also considering the
monitor or otherwise control the development of metrics that provide
data centre. IT Equipment Power more granularity for the PUE and DCiE
should be measured after all metrics by breaking them down
power conversion, switching and further into components. This will
conditioning is completed and help address the blurring of the lines
before the IT equipment itself. between the IT equipment and
The PUE can range from 1.0 to infinity. facility infrastructure.
Ideally, a PUE value approaching 1.0 The measures we have at the
would indicate 100% efficiency (ie moment are a work in
100% of power is being consumed progress, and we are
by IT equipment). We don’t working hard to refine
currently know how data centres them in consultation with
across Europe are faring in terms the IT industry.
of PUE, but some preliminary Widespread adaptation
work suggests many have a PUE of the metrics will help
of 3.0 or more, but with proper paint a better picture of
design can achieve 1.6. These where data centres are
numbers also don’t explain what succeeding or failing in
constitutes an efficient or terms of power
inefficient data centre. In the consumption and
future The Green Grid will offer efficiency and this is
values that profile target PUE why the European
and DCiE metrics for a variety Commission’s
of typical data centre decision is welcome
configurations. and timely.
Winter 2008
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