HP intros architecture for net zero energy data centre

BANGALORE, INDIA: HP unveiled research from HP Labs, the company’s central research arm, that illustrates the architecture for a data centre that requires no net energy from traditional power grids.

The research shows how the architecture, combined with holistic energy-management techniques, enables organizations to cut total power usage by 30 per cent, as well as dependence on grid power and costs by more than 80 per cent, says a release.

With the HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center research, HP aims to provide businesses and societies around the world the potential to operate data centres using local renewable resources, removing dependencies such as location, energy supply and costs. This opens up the possibility of introducing IT services to organizations of all sizes.

“Information technology has the power to be an equalizer across societies globally, but the cost of IT services, and by extension the cost of energy, is prohibitive and inhibits widespread adoption,” said Cullen Bash, distinguished technologist, HP, and interim director, Sustainable Ecosystems Research Group, HP Labs. “The HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center not only aims to minimize the environmental impact of computing, but also has a goal of reducing energy costs associated with data-center operations to extend the reach of IT accessibility globally.”

The HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center architecture integrates energy and cooling supply from local renewable sources, with a novel demand-management approach that allows the scheduling of IT workloads based on resource availability and performance requirements.

The architecture for net-zero energy

The HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center is based on an innovative management architecture that integrates energy and cooling resources with IT workload planning through four modules:

·    Prediction Module: Leverages powerful predictive analytics software to forecast the availability and cost of critical resources, such as renewable energy and IT workload demand.

·    Planning Module: Delivers an optimization algorithm that balances workload scheduling with high-level operational goals, such as achieving net-zero energy operation, enabling organizations to schedule workloads based on resource availability, while meeting data-centre operational goals.

·    Execution Module: Enables organizations to manage workload and energy consumption in real time according to performance requirements and data-centre operational objectives.

·    Verification and Reporting Module: Identifies and remediates misalignment between the plan and execution, ensuring plan accuracy.

As part of the HP Open Innovation initiative, the Prediction Model leverages technologies developed by HP Labs in conjunction with Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.) and the University of Limerick (Ireland).

The HP Enterprise Group plans to further develop the HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center technology in collaboration with other HP divisions through the HP Moonshot Discovery Lab initiative and an HP EcoPOD that is part of the Discovery Lab in Houston.

HP will be showcasing the HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center architecture at HP Discover, the company’s premier client event, which takes place June 4-7 in Las Vegas.