CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
efficiency around the world, many of which focus on the data centre industry. Other initiatives include the EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres, which is a set of practical guidelines to improve energy efficiency within data centres without jeopardising their mission critical function, and its ultimate aim is to increase data centre infrastructure efficiency from the current level of approximately 50 to 70-80 per cent. In addition, the Green Grid is a global consortium of IT firms promoting data centre energy efficiency through working to produce a common set of metrics, processes, methods and new technologies.
The push for energy efficiency in organisations and the introduction of legislation such as the CRC has a direct effect on IT directors, network managers and data centre managers who will be under pressure from senior management to have precise data showing energy use and specific plans in place to improve efficiency and reduce consumption. Added to the rising cost of energy and budgetary constraints, it is crucial that those running organisations’ networks act now to improve energy efficiency, reduce consumption and increase profit.
Measuring consumption The first step for many data centre and network managers is to understand the costs involved in running their networks and data centres and to know what their carbon footprint is. One way do this is to use Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM) and Environmental Monitoring and Control (EMAC) tools. These provide data on actual power use down to rack and device level and produce trend data for single or groups of physical systems. EMAC can measure power consumption down to port level on each power distribution unit (PDU) and send email alerts if pre-determined parameters for energy use are exceeded. Using such tools allows managers to identify the areas where improvements are needed, which is critical if they are to make changes that bring long term benefits. Once energy consumption has been measured, there are several steps that data centre and network managers can take to reduce it.
Cooling
Cooling can account for as much as 60 per cent of a data centre’s power use and is crucial to reducing IT temperature levels, but much of this depends on the design and layout of
the network and data centre. Having a large number of high energy servers in racks that are close together causes an imbalance of power consumption and heat dissipation, which means that some server racks need more cooling than others. This leads to inefficient power utilisation and cooling. The longer reach of structured cabling over point to point systems enables improved system design flexibility to rebalance the server rack power, improve the cooling requirements and reduce the inefficiencies, thus saving both energy and money.
Cabling
The choice of cabling used in a network can also make a difference to energy use and CO2 emissions. For instance, shielded cabling is less affected by external interference and therefore needs less noise cancellation properties, which means it requires less energy per cable. Using the best quality cabling available can also help data centre and network managers to reduce energy consumption. For example, Category 7A cabling has superior internal cross talk to Category 6A which allows noise cancellers to be turned down. Every 1W saved at the network edge device will save 2.8W throughout the data centre. Using the very latest cabling technology also allows organisations to future proof their network infrastructures as they have a longer shelf life and the ability to move from current bandwidth rates of 10G to expected rates such as 40G without requiring refurbishment or re-installation, thus reducing the energy use and costs incurred in additional construction work. New standards have also been introduced to improve energy efficiency, including Energy Efficient Ethernet. This includes an energy saving feature such as low power idle, where transceivers enable the Ethernet device to go into sleep state when not in use and bring them back to life ready for communication on receipt of a ‘magic packet’. Since servers can use up to 80 per cent of full power even when idle, this technology can lead to significant savings per server. This feature can only work with copper cabling.
Conclusion
Forty years after discussions began, energy efficiency is still a headline topic and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. It is therefore a matter of urgency that data centre managers, network managers and IT
directors start to think seriously about the steps they can take now to reduce consumption and improve efficiency. Both the UK and US governments have shown that they are serious about reducing their carbon footprints and improving energy efficiency, and unless voluntary schemes across Europe are effective then they too will be looking at government intervention. Organisations must act now.
Harry Forbes is the chief technology officer at Nexans Cabling Solutions and was educated in electrical and electronic engineering. He has worked in the cabling and networking industries for the past 30 years in various technical roles and has extensive knowledge of, and expertise in, enterprise systems and data centre infrastructure requirements.
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Energy efficiency remains at the top of the agenda for 2011 and cabling infrastructure has an important role to play in this.
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