The Green Data Center

The Green Data Center

Paul Weiss

UCOP

UCCSC – 7/21/08

• Power huge $$$

• Sharing opportunity

• Expertise & Techniques significant savings

• Inaction = lost opportunity and wasted $$$

Power - Expensive

UC cost today is likely to be in the neighborhood of $1,000,000/yr/Megawatt

But – it isn’t going to get better

Power - Expensive

– Power costs have risen substantially in the last 25 years. How about the next 25 years?

– Today, nationwide, data centers use 1.5% of all electricity, and this is expected to go up to 3% by 2011.

– Power utilization by data centers is expected to double nationally in the next 5 years.

– For research, this amount might even be more.

Power - Expensive

It is estimated that over 50% of a data center’s operating budget will go to paying the utility bill.

The cost of buying a wintel server will be <= the cost to power/cool the server during its usable lifetime.

This has huge financial ramifications.

Power – UC Uses A Lot

How much?

• UCLA is considering building a multi- megawatt facility.

• UC Davis is planning to build a multi- megawatt facility.

• And LBNL is planning to build a new 16 megawatt facility, moving out of their current 6 megawatt facility.

Power – UC Uses A Lot

How much power does UC use?

• I don’t know the answer to that question, but it is clearly a lot.

• And it will grow.

• Certainly > 25 MW

• Maybe up to 100 MW?

Power – Where You Put Your Data Center Matters

• PGE = $1,059,000/year/MW

• Columbia River Area=<$500,000/year/MW

• But – where you use it still has dramatic impact on the environment w/o taking to reduce energy consumption

Sharing – Some Anecdotes

• Dell estimates average CPU utilization of 5.39% industry wide.

• UCOP averaged 1.97% on our wintel servers.

• UCOP is going to converge 104 servers down to 5 using VMware.


• Cisco, through aggressive management, attention and virtualization, has gone from 5% actual disk utilization up to 58% actual disk utilization.

• Keys were fast provisioning, SLAs, focused effort, expertise and total cost of ownership recognition. This led to less hoarding mentality and massive savings.


UC Grid …

• By individuals sharing, there is more capacity for everyone.

• Likely outcome? Less need for hardware, therefore less space and power consumed!

Can We Improve Data Center Energy Efficiency?

Techniques and approaches can positively impact data center energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.

• Using direct current vs. alternating current can save significant energy. One analyst claims up to 70%.

• In many places, the outside air is plenty cold enough much of the year for free. Yet only recently have data centers adopted systems that can filter outside air for cooling computer rooms.


• It is estimated that up to 58% of power is used on wasted and/or inefficient components …– Unnecessary chips or slots (graphics, system

management, peripheral control)– Inefficient fans, voltage regulators, power

supplies– Many servers used in architecture that allows

no redundant components (fans, NICS) as network load balancers handle outages


• Many data center techniques exist to reduce power consumption …– High ceilings– Hot/cold aisles– Concrete floors and no raised floors

– Cabling techniques that do not inhibit airflow

– Overhead cooling

• Google claims to have achieved 90% power efficiency.


• 2007 EPA Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency – 3 Scenarios1. Improved Operation = 30% improvement in

infrastructure energy efficiency from improved airflow management

2. Best Practice = Up to 70% improvement in infrastructure energy efficiency from all measures in “Improved operation” scenario plus:

• Improved transformers and uninterruptible power supplies• Improved efficiency chillers, fans and pumps• Free cooling


3. State-of-the Art = Up to 80% improvement in infrastructure energy efficiency due to all measures in “Best practice” scenario, plus:

• Direct Liquid Cooling• Combined heat and power

• From 2007 to 2011, using EPA scenarios, the projected savings in electricity use corresponds to reductions in nationwide carbon dioxide emissions of 15 to 47 million metric tons.


• Conclusion …– It requires dedicated expertise, focus and total

cost of ownership analysis.– That is expensive to invest in and hard to

acquire in every location– But the payoff can be huge.

Inaction Has Ramifications

• Researchers' inability to hook up to servers and running out of storage space (UC Davis)

• Environmental costs• Huge data center building spend is being

contemplated or underway across UC

• Opportunity to save on power is not being optimized.

Inaction Impacts UC’s Mission, UC’s Future

• UC Mission Today– Teaching, Research and Public Service

• UC Mission Tomorrow?– Teaching, ResearchResearch and Public Service

• UC 2025: The Power and Promise of Ten - Maintaining and extending the “Research Enterprise”

What is UC Doing?

• Sustainability UCOP organization, funding environmental efficiency study at most UC data centers.

• Looking at better data center sharing models.

• Cyberinfrastucture pilot – shared research cycles

What Can You Do About It?

• Spread the word

• Turn off computers (desktops eat significant % of power) when not in use.

• Consider the aspects of this presentation and what you directly or indirectly can do about this.

• Measure, plan, take action.

The Green Data Center

Technology

Transcript of The Green Data Center