WHITE PAPER 8Gb Power Optimized Solution Lowers Data Center Power and Cooling Costs QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower™ Technologies Reduce TCO Executive Summary As Fibre Channel (FC) technology evolves into a new generation of 8Gb products, it is imperative that a scalable architecture be deployed to meet a full spectrum of concerns beyond cost, performance, and backwards compatibility. The modern data center is faced with ever growing demands in the areas of virtualization; power consumption; Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS); security; and manageability. This paper explores power consumption, one of the key pillars of QLogic’s next generation of FC products that are optimized to exceed the business needs of next generation data centers. Technology advancements such as multi-core processors and the transition to high-density servers (blade servers) have allowed significantly more processing power in a much smaller space. However, these advancements have created new challenges for data centers and IT managers. One of these challenges is to address the overall energy and cooling needs of this new compact data center. QLogic has introduced a variety of power saving features and design techniques as part of its StarPower technology. Key Findings QLogic’s StarPower adaptive power management techniques • include Peak Load Management (PLM), which gives IT managers the flexibility to lower Host Bus Adapter (HBA) power consumption during times of peak data center power load by adjusting performance parameters through QLogic’s easy-to-use SANsurfer ® HBA manager GUI. QLogic’s StarPower dynamic power management techniques • include Intelligent Link Training (ILT), which can save up to 400mW of power per 8Gb FC HBA in the data center. In a data center that typically has thousands of HBAs, this can result in direct cost savings in power and cooling costs. QLogic has introduced several other StarPower optimized • design techniques such as ASIC clock gating, external component count reduction, and efficient power conversion component selection.
Transcript
W H I T E P a P E r
8Gb Power Optimized Solution Lowers Data Center Power and Cooling CostsQLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables
Power Optimized SANsStarPower™ Technologies Reduce TCO
Executive Summary
as Fibre Channel (FC) technology evolves into a new generation of 8Gb products, it is imperative that a scalable architecture be deployed to meet a full spectrum of concerns beyond cost, performance, and backwards compatibility. The modern data center is faced with ever growing demands in the areas of virtualization; power consumption; reliability, availability, and Serviceability (raS); security; and manageability.
This paper explores power consumption, one of the key pillars of QLogic’s next generation of FC products that are optimized to exceed the business needs of next generation data centers.
Technology advancements such as multi-core processors and the transition to high-density servers (blade servers) have allowed
significantly more processing power in a much smaller space. However, these advancements have created new challenges for data centers and IT managers. One of these challenges is to address the overall energy and cooling needs of this new compact data center. QLogic has introduced a variety of power saving features and design techniques as part of its StarPower technology.
Key FindingsQLogic’s StarPower adaptive power management techniques •include Peak Load Management (PLM), which gives IT managers the flexibility to lower Host Bus adapter (HBa) power consumption during times of peak data center power load by adjusting performance parameters through QLogic’s easy-to-use SaNsurfer® HBa manager GUI.
QLogic’s StarPower dynamic power management techniques •include Intelligent Link Training (ILT), which can save up to 400mW of power per 8Gb FC HBa in the data center. In a data center that typically has thousands of HBas, this can result in direct cost savings in power and cooling costs.
QLogic has introduced several other StarPower optimized •design techniques such as aSIC clock gating, external component count reduction, and efficient power conversion component selection.
QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower Technologies Reduce TCO
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Introduction
Providing power and cooling for the modern data center has become one of the biggest challenges facing the IT industry, with expenses rivaling the cost of underlying hardware (see graphic below). Several factors are adding to this immense problem:
The average server power consumption of a single server is •rising, mainly due to the increased power needs of modern multi-core processors.
The number of servers deployed is always rising, while new •physical form factors (blades) enable IT managers to install more units into less space.
The cost of electricity has risen significantly during the last five •years.
according to a 2007 report from Michael Bell, Vice President of Gartner Inc, “Power and cooling is a pandemic in the world of the data center. By next year, about half the world’s data centers will be functionally obsolete due to insufficient power and cooling capacity to meet the demands of high-density equipment.”
To put this expense into a different context, the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that data center servers accounted for 1.2 percent of total US electricity expenditure in 2005! The cost of providing power and cooling has led IT giants like Google®, Microsoft®, and Yahoo!® to locate multiple mega data centers in the Pacific Northwest to benefit from the cheap hydroelectric power that is available in that region.
In addition to the business expense needed to power and cool today’s data centers, there is also a looming environmental expense. In a study led by Stanford University and commissioned by aMD™, it was reported that the annual electricity consumption in 2005 needed to power and cool the world’s data centers equaled the output of fourteen 1000-Megawatt power plants. QLogic has been participating with industry experts like the Green Grid™ and the EPa
to increase the energy efficiency of data centers around the world and to reduce the carbon footprint.
QLogic realizes the importance of power conservation in the data center, in terms of corporate bottom line as well as environmental impact. For this reason, QLogic has instituted numerous power savings features and techniques in their products that fall under the StarPower banner. This white paper discusses a few of these techniques
adaptive Power Management
Peak Load Managementan important feature for green data center equipment is the ability to adaptively adjust power consumption, either manually or automatically. One of QLogic’s latest innovations (patent pending) for reducing power consumption in the data center is a StarPower feature named Peak Load Management (PLM). PLM gives data center administrators the option to reduce power consumption on QLogic HBas. This is done using QLogic’s easy-to-use SaNsurfer GUI, a Storage area Network (SaN) management tool that can configure and manage QLogic’s entire product line of FC and iSCSI HBas. This power conservation is achieved through performance throttling. For example, administrators can configure their 8Gb QLogic HBas to run at 4Gbps or 2Gbps and reduce their PCIe link to PCIe Gen1 x4, thus trading performance for power. This feature can be programmed to turn on during specific events. For instance, during peak data center demand, when power consumption is near maximum, administrators can throttle HBa performance to reduce overall power consumption. In large data centers with thousands of HBas deployed, this can add up to substantial savings. In addition to lowering HBa power consumption, reducing data rates will save power in the server root complex and the attached SaN switches. another example is that data center managers might reduce power consumption during off-hours when demand is low. This saves power when full Fibre Channel performance is not needed. QLogic gives administrators the flexibility to choose either maximum performance or minimal power consumption to meet their data center needs.
QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower Technologies Reduce TCO
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Dynamic Power Management
Intelligent Link TrainingQLogic has also implemented a new StarPower technology, Intelligent Link Training (ILT). This feature automatically reduces power consumption without IT administrator interaction. QLogic 8Gb HBas are compliant with the PCIe Gen2 specification and are wired to transfer data over eight (x8) PCIe lanes. When the root complex to which QLogic’s 8Gb FC HBa connects supports Gen2 rates and x8 lanes, QLogic’s HBa and the root complex negotiate a x4-lane width instead of a x8-lane width. as the following graph shows, using fewer lanes does not compromise the bandwidth required to support full duplex, dual port, 8Gb FC HBas. However, using fewer lanes requires significantly less power for the HBa as well as the server root complex.
Bandwidth Comparison of PCIe and Fibre Channel
Establishing a link of x8 lanes of PCIe at the Gen2 rate is power-inefficient because the HBa continues to consume power on the additional lanes, which are not required to meet the bandwidth requirements. The StarPower approach enables potential power savings of up to 400mW per QLogic 8Gb FC HBa.
Gen1 PCIe: QLogic HBA Powers All Eight Lanes for Maximum Performance
Gen2 PCIe: QLogic HBA Powers Down Four Lanes for Maximum Performance and Maximum Energy Efficiency
Power Optimized Design
aSIC DesignThe core of QLogic’s FC HBas are their QLogic-designed I/O controller aSICs. These components consume the majority of the HBa’s power and represent the best opportunity for reducing overall HBa power consumption. For that reason, QLogic has designed all of their Fibre Channel I/O controllers for minimal power draw.
For instance, they have employed a multi-Vt (threshold voltage) design that mixes a low Vt design process for high performance circuitry (such as I/O buffers and memory) with a high Vt design process for circuitry with slow switching requirements. Using a high Vt design process in aSIC areas that do not require high performance reduces leakage current and provides a good solution for balancing speed requirements with power savings.
QLogic products also employ a practice known as “clock gating”. Through this design feature, the I/O controller aSIC can selectively turn off internal clocks to areas of the aSIC that have no work pending. Eliminating unnecessary internal activity results in reduced power consumption and waste.
QLogic has further reduced HBa power consumption by integrating external Synchronous SraM (SSraM) memory components into the I/O controller aSIC. This reduces the number of components needed on each FC HBa and shrinks overall power consumption.
QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower Technologies Reduce TCO
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HBa DesignQLogic StarPower features further reduce power consumption through smart component selection. For instance, QLogic HBas are designed using power-efficient switching power supplies that reduce energy loss (and heat) when converting voltage rails.
Airflows Within a Typical Data Center
as a testament to QLogic’s efforts to reduce overall HBa power consumption, their 4Gb HBas are spec’ed to run at full bandwidth without requiring any airflow at 55°C. Server airflow is created by individual fans that are designed into the server chassis and represent a significant source of server power consumption.
QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower Technologies Reduce TCO
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Summary and Conclusion
QLogic’s StarPower adaptive power management techniques •include Peak Load Management (PLM), which gives IT managers the flexibility to lower Host Bus adapter (HBa) power consumption during times of peak data center power load by adjusting performance parameters through QLogic’s easy-to-use SaNsurfer® HBa manager GUI.
QLogic’s StarPower dynamic power management techniques •include Intelligent Link Training (ILT), which can save up to 400mW of power per 8Gb FC HBa in the data center. In a data center that typically has thousands of HBas, this can result in direct cost savings in power and cooling costs.
QLogic has introduced several other StarPower optimized design •techniques such as aSIC clock gating, external component count reduction, and efficient power conversion component selection.
QLogic’s “Better 8Gb” Enables Power Optimized SANs StarPower Technologies Reduce Your TCO
Disclaimerreasonable efforts have been made to ensure the validity and accuracy of these performance tests. QLogic Corporation is not liable for any error in this published white paper or the results thereof. Variation in results may be a result of change in configuration or in the environment. QLogic specifically disclaims any warranty, expressed or implied, relating to the test results and their accuracy, analysis, completeness or quality.
