Servers are the power behind today’s always-on, hyper-connected world – but that power uses a lot of, well, power. The US Environmental Protection Agency predicted that by 2011, US servers would use some 2.5% of the entire country’s power supply; the real figure was lower (between 1.7% and 2.2%, according to Stanford University). Much of that difference is because of two things: better server design, and the rise of virtualisation.
Virtualisation: doing more with less
As businesses grow, their IT demands grow too – and traditionally, meeting those demands has meant investing in more equipment. However, simply adding more servers isn’t always the best idea: not only do additional servers require additional power, but they also generate additional heat that will require additional cooling, which once again requires energy. With modern servers, virtualisation offers a much more efficient – and much more cost-effective – alternative.
Virtualisation enables a single server to do the work of several distinct machines, and it massively reduces organisations’ power requirements. As Jon Koomey of Stanford Unversity told Greenbiz.com, “running a single server for an application is a huge waste of capital. Systems have got more efficient with virtualisation.” Rather than have multiple servers running well below capacity, consolidating applications across fewer servers via virtualisation can have a dramatic effect on the bottom line – not just in terms of your power bills, but also in capital, maintenance, administration and support costs.
Virtualisation isn’t the only way to cut servers’ power requirements, though. Firms such as Dell have found that clever design can slash energy bills while boosting performance – a genuine win-win situation.
Heads you win, tails you win
By harnessing the latest generation of servers and focusing heavily on energy efficiency, the latest generation of Dell PowerEdge servers consume up to 25% less energy than previous generations while delivering improved performance. Dell reports performance increases of up to 3X the performance per watt compared to previous generations.
So how do they do it? Having your own Power and Thermal Lab, as Dell does in Austin, certainly helps: it’s where Dell works with partners to develop, validate and implement industry standard solutions for today’s energy efficiency challenges. Inside the lab, engineers can simulate various heating loads, model customer server loads and cooling capacity, and even use a smoke generator to study air circulation. Results are shared with Dell’s customers and the industry as a whole, and of course it’s used to inform future products.
Energy efficiency is a key priority for Dell, and its PowerEdge Energy Smart server range takes advantage of three key technologies: highly efficient processors, high efficiency system design and highly effective power management features.
Advanced processor technology makes an enormous difference, with dual- and quad-core low voltage processors designed to maximise performance while minimising power drain and heat generation. According to Intel, modern processor technology of the kind you’ll find in Intel’s Xeon range delivers incredible benefits: up to 40% more performance per watt than previous generations, delivering dramatic reductions in server energy costs
Save energy, save money
The processor is only part of the picture, though. Dell’s Energy Smart power supply units (PSUs) are engineered and right-sized to remove unnecessary overhead, achieving some of the highest efficiencies in the industry, and their reduced energy requirements help to achieve cooler internal temperatures – something that’s also helped by chassis designed for maximum ventilation and airflow.
Low-Flow fan technology constantly monitors the system’s thermal requirements, adjusting fan speeds accordingly, and Energy Smart systems design incorporates high-efficiency voltage regulators and highly effective power management tools that reduce system draw during periods of low utilisation and that offer features including power capping, power management policies, power scheduling and device disablement.
No detail is too small: for example, PowerEdge servers utilise smaller form factor hard disks, which use less energy than their larger siblings.
The results are dramatic. Compared to standard configurations, implementing PowerEdge Energy Smart servers means that for every four servers, customers can run a fifth at no additional energy cost; IT can fit four more 2U servers per rack without adjusting power specifications; and for every four racks, IT can add one complete rack at no additional energy cost. For smaller businesses, that’s a saving of hundreds of pounds per server per year, every year – and for large data centres, the annual savings can be in the high six figures.
Virtualisation: doing more with less
As businesses grow, their IT demands grow too – and traditionally, meeting those demands has meant investing in more equipment. However, simply adding more servers isn’t always the best idea: not only do additional servers require additional power, but they also generate additional heat that will require additional cooling, which once again requires energy. With modern servers, virtualisation offers a much more efficient – and much more cost-effective – alternative.
Virtualisation enables a single server to do the work of several distinct machines, and it massively reduces organisations’ power requirements. As Jon Koomey of Stanford Unversity told Greenbiz.com, “running a single server for an application is a huge waste of capital. Systems have got more efficient with virtualisation.” Rather than have multiple servers running well below capacity, consolidating applications across fewer servers via virtualisation can have a dramatic effect on the bottom line – not just in terms of your power bills, but also in capital, maintenance, administration and support costs.
Virtualisation isn’t the only way to cut servers’ power requirements, though. Firms such as Dell have found that clever design can slash energy bills while boosting performance – a genuine win-win situation.
Heads you win, tails you win
By harnessing the latest generation of servers and focusing heavily on energy efficiency, the latest generation of Dell PowerEdge servers consume up to 25% less energy than previous generations while delivering improved performance. Dell reports performance increases of up to 3X the performance per watt compared to previous generations.
So how do they do it? Having your own Power and Thermal Lab, as Dell does in Austin, certainly helps: it’s where Dell works with partners to develop, validate and implement industry standard solutions for today’s energy efficiency challenges. Inside the lab, engineers can simulate various heating loads, model customer server loads and cooling capacity, and even use a smoke generator to study air circulation. Results are shared with Dell’s customers and the industry as a whole, and of course it’s used to inform future products.
Energy efficiency is a key priority for Dell, and its PowerEdge Energy Smart server range takes advantage of three key technologies: highly efficient processors, high efficiency system design and highly effective power management features.
Advanced processor technology makes an enormous difference, with dual- and quad-core low voltage processors designed to maximise performance while minimising power drain and heat generation. According to Intel, modern processor technology of the kind you’ll find in Intel’s Xeon range delivers incredible benefits: up to 40% more performance per watt than previous generations, delivering dramatic reductions in server energy costs
Save energy, save money
The processor is only part of the picture, though. Dell’s Energy Smart power supply units (PSUs) are engineered and right-sized to remove unnecessary overhead, achieving some of the highest efficiencies in the industry, and their reduced energy requirements help to achieve cooler internal temperatures – something that’s also helped by chassis designed for maximum ventilation and airflow.
Low-Flow fan technology constantly monitors the system’s thermal requirements, adjusting fan speeds accordingly, and Energy Smart systems design incorporates high-efficiency voltage regulators and highly effective power management tools that reduce system draw during periods of low utilisation and that offer features including power capping, power management policies, power scheduling and device disablement.
No detail is too small: for example, PowerEdge servers utilise smaller form factor hard disks, which use less energy than their larger siblings.
The results are dramatic. Compared to standard configurations, implementing PowerEdge Energy Smart servers means that for every four servers, customers can run a fifth at no additional energy cost; IT can fit four more 2U servers per rack without adjusting power specifications; and for every four racks, IT can add one complete rack at no additional energy cost. For smaller businesses, that’s a saving of hundreds of pounds per server per year, every year – and for large data centres, the annual savings can be in the high six figures.
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