SPEC Releases Power-Performance Benchmark for Servers

The Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC) has released SPECpower_ssj2008, the first industry-standard benchmark that measures power consumption in relation to performance for server-class computers. SPEC designed SPECpower_ssj2008 to be used as both a benchmark to compare power and performance among different servers and as a toolset to improve server efficiency. "The power efficiency of servers has become a high-priority issue for the IT industry, computer manufacturers, and governments," says Klaus-Dieter Lange, chair of the SPECpower committee. "SPEC is taking its proven methodologies for ensuring consistent, fair and repeatable performance measurement and applying them to power consumption." SPEC member companies active in developing the new power-performance measurement standard include AMD, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, Intel, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. Associate members participating in the effort include University of California--Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

SPECpower_ssj2008 reports power consumption for servers at performance levels from 100-percent to idle in 10-percent segments over a set period of time. The graduated workload recognizes the fact that processing loads and power consumption on servers vary substantially over the course of days or weeks. To compute a power-performance metric across all levels, measured transaction throughputs for each segment are added together, then divided by the sum of the average power consumed for each segment. The result is a figure of merit called "overall ssj_ops/watt." The benchmark workload represents typical server-side Java business applications. The workload is scalable, multi-threaded, portable across a wide range of operating environments, and economical to run. It exercises CPUs, caches, memory hierarchy, and the scalability of shared memory processors (SMPs), as well as implementations of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), JIT (just in time) compiler, garbage collection, threads, and some aspects of the operating system. The minimum equipment for SPEC-compliant testing is two networked computers, plus a power analyzer and a temperature sensor. One computer is the system under test (SUT), the other a controller system where power, performance and temperature are captured for reporting. A typical test run for SPECpower_ssj2008 takes about 70 minutes using default settings. "A critical first step" Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) have been monitoring SPEC's progress in developing power-performance evaluation tools and see the release of this first benchmark as a significant step forward. SPECpower_ssj2008 is available immediately from SPEC for $1600; discounts are available for qualified non-profit and educational institutions.

Dallas Conference Sets New High

The 315 attendees at the most recent Data Center Dynamics  event in Dallas, TX, was the most successful event in that city to date, according to organizers.

The organizers also announced that presentations from the December 6th event have been posted on the website.  The  presentations are open to everyone who attended any Data Center Dynamics event in 2007.

The groups next U.S. event will take place March 4th in New York City.

ASHRAE Forum Data Center Energy Consumption Discussed
Long-Term Data Center Planning: the Push Toward Net-Zero Energy and Other Considerations, will take place from 12:40-1:20 p.m. Jan. 20 at ASHRAE’s 2008 Winter Meeting, Jan. 19-23, New York City.

“Data centers typically have high-power densities, and net-zero is not practical if the process load of the electronics is included due to the relatively low-power density of currently available on-site clean power, such as wind and solar energy,” said Don Beaty, chair of the forum, which is sponsored by ASHRAE’s Technical Committee 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment.
Beaty said forum participants will discuss the impact on net-zero-energy on long-term data center planning.
“We want to know if there are opportunities for datacom facility owners to ‘come clean’ in terms of process energy use, even if there is not sufficient land area to make buildings and facilities net zero,” Beaty said. “This could involve locating datacom facilities in parts of the world with spare capacity of clean grid energy or purchasing clean energy credits.”
Visit ASHRAE to get information about other sessions related to data centers.

IDCP Announces Course Offerings

Marist College announced two new course offerings in its Facilities Management Certification program
(Registration deadline:  February 8, 2008). The first course, Information Technology and Systems Concepts, begins 2/18/08 and ends 5/9/08. The second course, Introduction to Facilities, begins 5/16/08 and ends 8/1/08.
Current tuition is $1650.00 for the credit sequence.
The IDCP 18-month Data Center Technology program has a January 22, 2008 registration deadline:
The 35-credit program begins March 10, 2008.* A non-credit Information and Computer Literacy course will be offered in early February (dates to be announced). Courses include

       Facilities Management- 6 credits
       Networking- 7 credits
       Security- 9 credits
       Systems and Software- 10 credits
       Operations and Process Management- 12 credits
       Product Development and Financial Planning- 9 credits
Sign up for full program or inquire about individual certifications!!
The current tuition is $8,000 (35-credit cohort) or $275 per credit for individual certifications.

Green Grid Sets First Forum
The Green Grid announced it will hold The First Annual Green Grid General Members' Meeting and Technical Forum one year after its formal launch. The Green Grid General Members’ Meeting will be held at the Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco on February 6, 2008 following the two-day Technical Forum, which will be held at the hotel February 5-6, 2008.
The Green Grid Technical Forum is designed to further The Green Grid’s mission of advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems.  Attendees will learn about The Green Grid’s Data Center Metrics, current and emerging techniques for managing data centers for efficiency and future technical deliverables from the organization.  The Green Grid will also host discussions with leading industry policy-makers from around the world.

APC unveiled its new Efficiency Quotient online tool to help IT professionals worldwide determine the efficiency levels of their data center.  APC’s easy-to-use Efficiency Quotient tool provides a fact-based rating of an existing data center’s current efficiency levels; recommended next steps for improvement; access to related white papers, tools and information; and more information on the key elements of an Efficient Enterprise.  This is the first in a series of efficiency quotient tools that APC will introduce in the months ahead.

The Winsted PRO-E Series UPS are compact, perfect for above the desktop or under a console, and are designed for the protection of digital video recorders, access control workstations, and data communications systems. A built-in double-boost and single buck automatic voltage regulator (AVR) function compensates for broader range of low AC voltage situations as well as high AC voltage, saving internal batter power for blackouts and extending battery life. Available in 500, 700, 1100 and 1500-VA units.

Available in 10-60 kVA, the Digital Energy LP-33U Series' "transformerless" design and compact footprint create less weight, better efficiency, easy front service access, and low audible noise, making it suitable for both office and industrial environments.