SafeDX* Saves Data Center Power

Advanced telemetry features in the latest Foxconn* servers, based on the Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor platform and Intel® Rack Scale Design (Intel® RSD), improve data center power usage efficiency (PUE). Cloud service providers (CSPs) and enterprises are transforming their data centers to achieve better total cost of ownership (TCO) by taking advantage of the latest advances in compute, storage, and networking technology. Operators are also looking to reduce cost by enabling more automation and improving power usage efficiency (PUE). A growing trend is to save power by operating data centers at higher ambient temperatures. Employing this technique successfully requires precise monitoring of equipment to keep local temperatures within safe maximums. Intel has collaborated with Foxconn* and SafeDX* (a Foxconn* CSP subsidiary in Europe) to develop and test an end-to-end solution to reduce data center power consumption using real-time server telemetry enabled by the Intel® Rack Scale Design (Intel® RSD) architecture. The SafeDX* solution described here uses Intel's Intelligent Data Center Management, the Intel® RSD architecture with its open management APIs, and telemetry capabilities built into the Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor platform (codenamed Purley). Together, these technologies provide precise, local thermal and power monitoring of racks and individual servers, enabling an effective feedback and control loop to improve data center cooling efficiency. The project was able to demonstrate a 17% cooling energy reduction using this closed loop approach, and is on track to deliver a PUE of 1.5 in deployment.