HP Data Center Environmental Edge White Paper
HP power and cooling technologies for the
data center
Technology brief, 2nd edition
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2
ProLiant server efficiency....................................................................................................................... 2
High-efficiency features ..................................................................................................................... 2
Power monitoring and reporting tools ................................................................................................. 3
Power control tools ........................................................................................................................... 3
Power distribution ................................................................................................................................ 4
HP Intelligent Power Discovery ........................................................................................................... 4
HP Power Advisor ............................................................................................................................ 6
HP uninterruptible power supplies ...................................................................................................... 6
Cooling .............................................................................................................................................. 7
HP 10000 G2 Rack Air Duct ............................................................................................................. 8
HP Modular Cooling System G2 ........................................................................................................ 8
Data center power management with HP Insight Control .......................................................................... 9
Data center power topology management ........................................................................................... 9
Data gathering and archiving .......................................................................................................... 10
Power monitoring ........................................................................................................................... 11
Data center thermal profiles ............................................................................................................. 12
Available power reporting .............................................................................................................. 14
HP Performance Optimized Datacenters ............................................................................................... 15
HP POD 40c and 20c .................................................................................................................... 16
HP POD 240a ............................................................................................................................... 17
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 18
For more information .......................................................................................................................... 19
Introduction
In this technology brief, we describe a broad range of HP products and technologies that raise
energy efficiency, maximize use of the power capacity, and simplify management of your data
center’s power and cooling infrastructure. We begin in the ―IT processing‖ section by describing the
technologies and tools that help you measure, monitor, and control the power usage of HP ProLiant
servers to get the maximum performance per watt. Then we go outside the server in ―Power
Distribution‖ to describe HP products and technologies that improve data center power distribution
efficiency, monitoring, and provisioning.
High-density heat loads and unforeseen airflow anomalies in data centers can disrupt some of the
best power and cooling strategies. In ―Cooling‖ we describe HP products that improve cooling
efficiency and eliminate issues caused by air mixing and hot spots.
One undisputable fact in all data centers is that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. In "Data
center power management with HP Insight Control", we describe the features that allow you to
monitor and control the power consumption and thermal output of hundreds of systems using HP
Insight Control power management.
When your data center can’t keep pace with IT demand, the budget pressure to do more with less
precludes the option to build a new facility or expand your existing facility. Therefore, it’s time to
consider alternatives to the traditional brick-and-mortar data center. In ―HP Performance Optimized
Datacenters (PODs)‖, we describe our family of modular PODs that can help you do more with less—
less capital, power, and footprint.
We develop HP power and cooling products and technologies around three strategies to help you
manage the total costs of owning and operating a data center:
Consume less power by increasing the efficiency of IT, power distribution, and cooling equipment.
Fit more IT equipment into the available data center capacity by adjusting the power and cooling
infrastructure for the real IT load.
Work smarter by measuring every watt and degree and automating energy management decisions
wherever possible.
ProLiant server efficiency
Servers are often the largest consumers of power and IT labor in the data center. Therefore, we focus
on improving server efficiency to help reduce operating expenses and help facilities cope with the
complexities of higher compute densities. This section summaries the high-efficiency features, power
control tools, and provisioning technologies we build into ProLiant servers to address data center
challenges.
High-efficiency features
We design and develop ProLiant servers to be as energy efficient as possible so they give you the
highest possible performance per watt. We accomplish this by examining every key element,
including power supplies, processors, thermal sensors, and internal fans.
HP Common Slot Power Supplies
ProLiant rack-mount servers and the HP BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure (G6 and above) have power
supply slots that accommodate HP Common Slot Power Supplies. HP Common Slot Power Supplies
have a common form factor and are available in three AC capacities—460 W, 750 W, and 1200
W—and a 1200 W 48 V DC version. These capacities let you match the power supply wattage with
the server’s power requirements, thereby operating closer to the power supply’s peak efficiency and
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consuming less energy. The ability to use Common Slot Power Supplies across multiple platforms
simplifies maintenance and reduces inventory. All HP Common Slot AC Power Supplies meet 80
PLUS® Silver, Gold, or Platinum specifications. The AC power supplies work with input voltages from
100 to 240 V, making them functional worldwide. Administrators can use the HP Power Advisor
utility at http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/solutions/power/index.html to select the right
power supply for each server’s configuration. Read the ―HP Common Slot Power Supply technology‖
white paper at http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA3-2676ENW.pdf for more
information.
HP Power Regulator
HP Power Regulator is an OS-independent power management feature included on all HP ProLiant
servers (200-series and above). Power Regulator directly monitors processor utilization and uses this
information to adjust the processor performance state (frequency and voltage). This gives processors
full power when they need it and reduces power when they do not. Read the ―Power Regulator for
ProLiant servers‖ technology brief at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00300430/c00300430.pdf for
more information.
Optimized fan power
ProLiant ML, DL, and BL G6 and G7 servers include a ―sea of thermal sensors‖ located throughout the
server, including components such as DDR3 DIMMs and hard drives. The number of sensors varies by
server platform. The server uses the sensors to construct an accurate view of its internal thermal
profile. The server’s iLO management controller uses a sophisticated control algorithm to set the speed
for each internal fan based on the server’s thermal profile. This improved monitoring technology
prevents overcooling within the server, lets the fans consume less power, and produces less acoustical
noise.
HP engineers designed Active Cool fan technology for HP BladeSystem c-Class Enclosures. Active
Cool 200 fans are ducted (the fan is longer than it is wide) to generate high-volume, high-pressure
airflow with low acoustical noise levels. HP Active Cool 200 fans use minimal power; they can cool
16 server blades using as little as 150 watts of power.
Power monitoring and reporting tools
ProLiant servers include tools that measure and report their power use to HP Insight Control so that
you can react faster and smarter to unexpected changes and track long-term trends. When a server
boots, it runs its components at full power for a few seconds to measure the maximum power use for
its configuration. The server’s iLO device reports this Calibrated Max Power to Insight Control. Also,
ProLiant servers monitor and report their peak and average power use to their iLO controller. The iLO
device collects this power usage information every 5 minutes. Administrators can view the peak and
average power usage over the previous 20 minutes or 24 hours through the local iLO interface
through Insight Control.
Power control tools
Our provisioning tools—Dynamic Power Capping and HP Enclosure Dynamic Power Capping—
reduce the uncertainty normally involved in determining worst-case power requirements for servers.
This helps administrators maximize data center power utilization by fitting more IT equipment in the
available space and power and cooling capacity. These tools are summarized below. For a more
detailed description, read the ―HP Power Capping and HP Dynamic Power Capping for ProLiant
servers‖ technology brief.
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HP Dynamic Power Capping
We use HP Dynamic Power Capping technology in most of the enterprise-class G5 ProLiant servers
and beyond. Dynamic Power Capping uses sophisticated monitoring and control circuitry to prevent
server power from exceeding a preset level. Because Dynamic Power Capping is hardware-based, it
can quickly control sudden surges in power use from servers and prevent tripping even the fastest
circuit breakers used in HP PDUs. You can set a power cap for an individual server from the iLO user
interface. For groups of servers, you can set the power caps from the power management module
within Insight Control.
HP Enclosure Dynamic Power Capping
We designed Enclosure Dynamic Power Capping technology specifically for BladeSystem enclosures.
It lets you set a power cap for an HP BladeSystem Enclosure by using Insight Control (version 2.0 or
later) or Onboard Administrator (firmware version 2.30 or later). The Onboard Administrator
monitors and maintains the power cap for the entire enclosure by adjusting cap levels on individual
server blades. As one server blade becomes busy and another becomes idle, Onboard Administrator
adjusts the individual caps to give each server blade what it needs while maintaining the total
enclosure power below the cap.
Power distribution
Power distribution extends from the utility grid to the branch circuits that deliver power to the IT
equipment. No distribution system is 100% efficient, so some power is lost during this process.
Between 2% and 12% of the power delivered to the data center is lost during distribution from the
utility power grid to the IT devices. The biggest power losses occur each time the distribution system
converts or steps-down the voltage to reach the level required by the IT devices. These power
distribution losses are costly because they don’t perform work and they generate heat that needs to be
extracted.
Follow these two basic power distribution principles to reduce your data center power losses:
Minimize power conversions to reduce power losses and heat generation.
Distribute high voltage power as close to the load as possible. High voltage circuits have lower
transmission losses than low voltage circuits and require a less expensive wiring infrastructure.
Tools and products that improve data center power distribution efficiency, monitoring, and
provisioning include:
HP Intelligent Power Discovery
HP Power Advisor tool
HP uninterruptible power supplies
HP Intelligent Power Discovery
It’s not easy to tell when a circuit is underutilized or potentially overloaded. The former can deprive
your data center of extra revenue, and the latter can lead to unscheduled downtime. It’s also difficult
to detect potential wiring errors that can cause mission-critical server failures. Intelligent Power
Discovery (IPD) removes the guesswork in determining your data center’s power and IT equipment
connectivity (topology). IPD also monitors real-time power use and detects some common wiring
errors.
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Discover the power distribution topology
Our IPD solution works with ProLiant servers with iLO 2 (firmware v2.0 or newer) or iLO 3 (firmware
v1.05 or newer). IPD components include:
An Intelligent Power Distribution Unit (iPDU) with an embedded management module and six
monitored C-19 outlets
One or more Intelligent Extension Bars, each with five monitored C-13 outlets
IPD power cords with embedded RS-232 data lines
HP Common Slot Power Supplies with IPD connectors
When you connect the IPD components as shown in Figure 1, the iPDU automatically detects and
communicates with each server’s iLO device before the server is powered on. The iPDU management
module and the iLO devices exchange identity data—hostname, IP address and serial number—
through the IPD power cords. This allows the iPDU to track the servers plugged into each of its outlets.
Figure 1: Components of the HP Intelligent Power Discovery solution
Monitor real-time power use
The iPDU collects power use data for each individual outlet twice per second. It’s 99% accurate at
1 amp and above, making it one of the most accurate monitored PDUs on the market. The iPDU’s
network connection lets you access this data locally through the HP Intelligent PDU Management GUI
or remotely through Insight Control power management software.
Eliminate human error
IPD is the only solution in the server industry today that automatically correlates server identity to
power outlets. This capability helps prevent personnel from connecting redundant power supplies to
the same circuit, which is a common cause of server failure.
Also, when you need to reset a server by cycling power to it, you must cycle the correct outlet(s) or
you will shut down the wrong server. If the server uses redundant power supplies, you have to cycle
all power supplies simultaneously to prevent boot errors and power supply errors. The iPDU
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management GUI and Insight Control include a Power Cycle Control switch that lets you cycle power
simultaneously to the redundant outlets for each server. The switch works similarly for a manually
entered device, such as a third-party device, for which the device’s universally unique identifier (UUID)
is properly matched to its outlets.
For more information about Intelligent Power Discovery, read the ―HP intelligent power infrastructure
solutions‖ technology brief at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02505050/c02505050.pdf.
HP Power Advisor
Overly conservative power provisioning practices over-allocate power to IT devices and underutilize
your data center’s power capacity. Some facilities planners provision power capacity among branch
circuits based on a percentage of the total power supply (faceplate) ratings of the servers on each
circuit. This conservative method usually has a significant error margin that can unnecessarily use up
the data center’s power budget. HP Power Advisor can help you reclaim this trapped capacity and
more efficiently provision power in your data center.
The HP Power Advisor utility helps you calculate the expected power use of ProLiant and Integrity
servers to determine power distribution, power redundancy, and battery backup requirements. It lets
you calculate the power requirements for a single server, a rack of servers, or multiple racks of
servers. These calculations are based on data collected through extensive testing of various HP
ProLiant and Integrity server configurations, running a particular synthetic workload. You can adjust
the calculations to determine server power requirements at different server utilization levels that more
closely match your expected workload.
HP Power Advisor lets you build a virtual infrastructure, component-by-component and rack-by-rack. It
generates a Power Report that you can use to calculate the cost of ownership for a single server or a
rack of servers based on the cost of electricity.
The HP Power Advisor is the first step toward the goal of completely predictable and manageable
power use. Read the ―HP Power Advisor utility‖ technology brief for more information at
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01861599/c01861599.pdf.
HP uninterruptible power supplies
Conventional AC power distribution systems use an online double conversion uninterruptible power
supply (UPS) as shown in Figure 2. The online double conversion UPS converts the utility AC power to
DC, charges a battery bank, and converts it back to AC. A conventional power distribution unit (PDU)
uses a transformer to step down the AC voltage and distributes AC through branch circuits at the input
voltage of the IT devices. Inside servers, power supplies convert the AC power to DC and step down
the voltage to the levels required by the various components. From the UPS to the power supplies, this
distribution chain often delivers less than 75% of the utility power to the IT load.
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