Flexibility in temperature control:<\/strong> By allowing a slightly higher operating temperature (e.g., 3 degrees Celsius above the ASHRAE maximum), natural cooling systems can be implemented in many locations worldwide, significantly reducing operational costs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nThis flexibility in configuration aligns with the concept of utilization factors commonly used in data center design. These factors effectively simplify the design process by assuming a certain level of underutilization. Additionally, from an operational standpoint, it is often impractical to assume that a data center will operate at full capacity immediately upon deployment. The gradual ramp-up of workloads necessitates a cooling system that can efficiently handle periods of low utilization, particularly as server hardware becomes more energy-efficient. By slightly reducing the full-load cooling capacity, data centers can achieve significant cost savings and improve their market competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Part 5: Cooling Supply<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/span>5.1 Overview<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn this section, the author provides a more concrete illustration of the aforementioned configuration optimization process. They propose using time and space slices to simplify the calculations. However, I disagree with this approach. For a large-scale data center, the most appropriate unit for total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations is a cooling system module (similar to Tencent’s module concept). A finer granularity of analysis may not accurately reflect the overall cost structure and could potentially distort the results. This is because power and cooling systems are highly interconnected, and local adjustments can propagate upward, affecting the overall system performance and configuration costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>5.2 Optimizer and Problem Quantification<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis section is particularly valuable as it introduces a quantitative approach to the optimization problem by proposing potential input parameters for the optimizer (as shown in the figure). From another perspective, the identification of these parameters serves as a great example of how to define the inputs and outputs when considering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). While the provided parameters may not be exhaustive, organizations should identify additional parameters that align with their specific business objectives to create a more comprehensive TCO calculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>5.3 Cost Model<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn this section, the author simplifies the relationship between cooling load and cost using a linear model. I disagree with this simplification as the relationship between different cooling loads and costs is more likely to be parabolic, although the exact shape of the parabola would require more data to determine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBuilding upon the cost model, the author introduces the relationship between failure rate and cost. The author equates failure rate with hard disk drive failure rate, which I agree is a reasonable simplification. Furthermore, the author correlates operating temperature with hard disk drive failure rate and introduces the concept of Annualized Failure Rate (AFR). This is a valuable metric, and I would like to expand on this concept based on the paper “Impact of Temperature on Hard Disk Drive Reliability in Large Datacenters” (which I plan to review in my next reading response).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>5.4 Thermal and Cooling Model<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis section provides a high-level overview of potential input parameters for developing a thermal and cooling model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Server inlet temperature and humidity:<\/strong> The temperature and humidity of the air entering the server.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Server outlet temperature and humidity:<\/strong> The temperature and humidity of the air exiting the server.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- IT load (power consumption):<\/strong> The electrical power consumed by the IT equipment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cooling unit operation:<\/strong> The status of the cooling unit (e.g., on\/off, mode).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Equipment speed:<\/strong> The operating speed of equipment such as fans and compressors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
While this list provides a general framework, it lacks the specificity required for a practical implementation. The model presented here is more of a conceptual guide than a concrete solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>5.5 Energy Consumption Model<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nServer Energy Consumption Model:<\/strong> The author decomposes server energy consumption into three components: CPU active power (frequency-dependent), CPU idle power, and other server power. I disagree with this overly simplified model. While the CPU is a major energy consumer in servers, it typically accounts for only about 50% of total power consumption. Such a simplification can lead to significant modeling errors. I suggest including the power consumption of hard drives and fans for a more accurate model.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCooling Energy Consumption Model:<\/strong> This section is very brief, almost nonexistent. The cooling energy consumption model is indeed complex, especially for water-based systems. I propose using a combination of physics-based modeling and neural networks to create a more comprehensive model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>5.6 Load and Energy Management<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn this chapter, the author extensively discusses the use of Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) to throttle workloads and achieve peak shaving and valley filling. However, I maintain my previous stance that controlling IT workloads is not straightforward, and the additional risks introduced may not justify the benefits to the infrastructure. This is a complex issue that requires careful consideration. Therefore, I believe that the practical implementation of the strategies discussed in this chapter is limited and may face significant challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Part 6: Parasol Implementation<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThis is a very small-scale experimental implementation with little to no reference value. Moreover, the author has not provided detailed information on DVFS or addressed IT energy conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Last words<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThis paper offers a valuable perspective: ASHRAE’s thermal comfort limits should serve as a reference rather than a rigid standard for data center design. By sacrificing some operational redundancy during the design phase, designers can achieve cost savings. This approach is particularly relevant in today’s competitive market, where tight cost controls are essential. Reducing excessive redundancy and tailoring designs to real-world usage scenarios can significantly lower TCO and give enterprises a competitive edge. However, determining the optimal level of redundancy that operations managers can tolerate remains a critical question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here is the paper.This is a rather interesting article. Although it was written quite a while ago, it contains many intriguing perspectives. It is still very worth reading carefully. https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CoolProvision-final.pdf\u00a0 Part 1: Abstract This paper, a collaborative effort between Rutgers University, GoDaddy, and Microsoft, brings together academic research, real-world application, and substantial resources. It delves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2428,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[24,22,25,23],"class_list":["post-2454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pue","tag-ashrae","tag-data-center-cooling","tag-data-center-paper","tag-data-center-tco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2454"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2460,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2454\/revisions\/2460"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/157707.q73zc.group\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}