Random Thoughts

Just a quick note that my blog has moved to this location.  Thanks so much for your continued readership.

-Mm

I  have been talking about Energy Efficiency in the data center for some time.   It has been a primary component of my talks at both AFCOM and Uptime.   Today I read an article which talks to a lack of interest, desire, or funding to drive efficiencies across the Industry. Its sourced from the Aperature Research Institute  It begins with:

A survey by the Aperture Research Institute (ARI) of more than 100 datacenter professionals has shown that organisations are unable or unwilling to meet the expectations set by their adoption of green initiatives for the datacenter. This follows an earlier ARI report published in March 2008, which discovered that 70% of organisations are adopting green initiatives, although 19% of those had omitted the datacenter from that programme.
In the latest ARI study, 74% of those surveyed refused to activate power saving features on devices if it would require a drop in performance. While 37% are concerned that the power/performance ratio doesn’t add up, 15% worry that they have no way to track whether the power saving setting is on or off. Nearly half (48%) of those surveyed blame the business for not using power saving features, saying that users wouldn’t tolerate a drop in performance in the interests of saving power.

Bunk! I am curious if they have ever even tried these features to verify the actual impact.   When you take into consideration that the world wide utilization rate of servers is sitting between 6%-15% I am just finding it impossible to wrap my head around this alleged tradeoff.     The complaints around the fact that there would be no way to verify the status power saving settings is almost humorous if it wasn't such a terrible thing.   The fact is there are ways to check the status and turn it on or off remotely.   Even without tools that could do this for you, (System Center Anyone?) I am curious if IT has lost its ability to write and run the most basic of scripts.  

It speaks to a phenomenon that I call the "IT Victimization Syndrome" or ITS for short.   It really is a terrible affliction.  I cannot tell you how many times I go to conferences and the overall tone is how evil everyone is to the IT organization.  Everything happens to them and they have no power to combat it.    Ill come back to this in a second.  The next thing the article talks about is :

When it comes to procurement, energy efficiency and ease of disposal are the lowest priorities, rated as less significant than brand and price. 37% of datacenters have no plans to measure energy efficiency, and 76% do not charge the business for the power used by the IT commissions. One reason for that is a lack of infrastructure for measuring power consumption.

Here is where I think this study got something wrong.  Their sample size is too small.  In a  very unscientific poll performed by me between AFCOM and Uptime Symposium, I asked the collected hosts how many people were measuring for power efficiency.  Here amongst perhaps the most sophisticated and significant data center operators in the world, less than 10% raised their hands.  Even less than that had chargeback mechanisms that incorporated power.   

Im sorry the statement that the lack of infrastructure to measure consumption is just ludicrous.   I am fairly certain that most data centers have a UPS system.   Here is a free way to calculate total power consumed....its called SneakerNet.   Have your facility person stop by this device 3 times a day, write down the power draw on a clipboard, or for the more advanced, even a spreadsheet.    This allows you to do many wonderful things like even calculate your PUE or DCiE over the course of the year.   But more importantly if you take these numbers, and invest in a power meter that you can loop around individual servers you can actually start collecting power consumption at a pretty granular level.   Its a free way with little cost to at least start this effort.   As my mother used to say, 'Where there is a will, there is a way'.   I personally think there isn't much of a will.  Which is an entirely different thing than trying to blame the business or technology.

Ok back to my Victimization rant.  The next component talks about the challenges around ghost servers:

The survey also found that decommissioning processes are not strictly followed, and “ghost servers” haunt the datacenters of 19% of organisations. Ghost servers are those servers which the business no longer needs, but which have not been switched off, and which are as a result needlessly consuming electricity, space and other limited resources.

I heard this plenty at the recent conferences.  How terrible is it that the property groups / business units/ whatever, are to the poor IT folks.  They don't follow the de-commissioning processes.   Who owns the Decom process?   Who is in the best position to correct this huge injustice?   The IT organization!   This is a problem that is 100% correctable through better operational practices and attention.  This isnt magic folks, this is roll-up your sleeves and make something that works.   I walked out of 5 or 6 sessions amongst the various conferences that fell into this Victimization category.  They felt more like support group sessions than forward thinking industry sessions.  

There is inherent power in the ownership of the infrastructure and its support.   Play the victim or define solutions that work.   Find the Will!

Mike

I wanted to highlight the recent re-launch of the Microsoft corporate environmental web-site.  There is some great new content and resources available, including a video featuring Rob Bernard discussing Microsoft’s sustainability efforts.  Now perhaps I am a bit biased as I am a contributing author and content provider, but I am not sure many of you have ever given the site a visit. 

Other recent features include:

Energy Efficiency Best Practices in Microsoft Data Center Operations

-Watch this video (on TechNet Edge) to help make energy-conscious decisions about PC purchases.

How Can Technology Sustain the Environment in the 21st century?

-The software industry is leading the way in helping consumers and businesses increase energy efficiency.

Windows Server 2008: Enabling Energy-Efficient Performance

-Learn how the new power management features in Windows Server 2008 can help reduce your IT electricity bills.

If you get a chance please feel free to visit the new site at http://www.microsoft.com/environment.

Mike

Way to Go, JPL!  Great Job!  What an incredible vista of sights!  Yet another Notch in the Scout program!

Mike