De quelle façon nos partenaires chez Lenovo et AMD peuvent-ils vous aider à construire des centres de traitement des données qui peuvent fonctionner en consommant moins d’énergie?

A data centre contains heavy-duty IT infrastructure that supports critical business functions around the clock. However, as it ages, several factors may reduce its efficiency, as mentioned below.

The pace of digital expansion

IT components that run the core workloads in a data centre are usually refreshed every three to five years. However, organizations may expand their digital footprint much faster than that to stay competitive. In such scenarios, the same equipment has to handle heavier workloads, which leads to lower efficiency and more energy consumption.

Server and processor architecture

The energy rating of a server and the capacity of the processor it contains determine its total electrical power intake. As the server architecture gets older, it starts consuming more power to deliver the same level of performance, leading to costlier operations.

Cost of local power

The cost of local power is a key reason why data centres need constant upgrades. The energy efficiency needs to grow at a faster rate than energy prices to keep data centre costs under control. Otherwise, for the same operations, the costs will continue to rise.

From new FLYP processors to better-performing server design, key innovations from Lenovo and AMD offer improved energy efficiency for data centres in the following ways.

Performance per watt (PPW) is a metric used to measure the energy efficiency of devices within a data centre. It evaluates how much computational work or performance is achieved for each watt of power consumed.

Monitoring the performance per watt can help organizations understand when to refresh their equipment. If the PPW falls below a given benchmark, it may reflect that the servers are unable to deliver the same performance and thus would need to be optimized.

Lenovo's ThinkSystem, ThinkAgile and ThinkEdge servers, powered by AMD EPYC processors, come with the following features that help data centres cut down on energy costs.

• High core density: The processors pack more cores in their architecture, which allows them to handle more workloads easily at lower energy consumption.  
• Workload optimization: ThinkSystem servers are designed to handle a wide range of workloads efficiently, from AI to virtualization and Big Data. This helps data centres offer energy efficiencies for specific as well as general computing use cases.
• Modular design: ThinkAgile and ThinkEdge servers offer modular designs that can be easily scaled up or down based on demand, allowing the flexibility to deploy only the necessary resources.

In the context of a server, the power supply refers to the component that converts electrical energy from an external source (like a wall outlet) into the specific voltages and currents needed to power the server's internal components.

The metric has improved significantly over the years with newer servers aiming for an even better energy efficiency.

Source : https://think.ing.com/articles/data-centres-continue-to-improve-energy-efficiency/

Lenovo’s V3 family of servers and AMD processors offer power supplies that are 80 PLUS or Platinum certified. This means that these power supplies can convert a high percentage of the electrical energy they draw from the wall into usable power for the server, with only a small amount lost as heat.

This high efficiency reduces energy consumption and operational costs and also minimizes heat generation, which can lower cooling requirements.

Air-based cooling has been the traditional method for cooling data centres for several reasons such as simplicity, ease of maintenance and lower initial costs. However, data centres are replacing air-based systems due to their lower energy efficiency and large physical footprint.

Liquid cooling, on the other hand, offers higher heat dissipation and better space efficiency in addition to consuming less energy. It also becomes a more suitable choice for data centres with high-performance computing (HPC) setups.

Lenovo has introduced 5^th generation Neptune Direct Water Cooling, which follows the same principle and helps bring down cooling costs in a data centre.

The technology circulates cooling water directly through cold plates that are in contact with high-heat-producing components with a lower energy footprint. Neptune cooling systems can also help reduce air conditioning costs by offering effective server rack cooling.

Energy management software can help IT operators to track key data centre metrics and make necessary adjustments in order to maintain energy efficiency.

It offers them the tools to carry out critical functions, such as real-time monitoring, that are instrumental in capacity planning and compliance checks.

With Lenovo’s XClarity Energy Manager (LXEM), organizations can enhance energy efficiency in data centres. LXEM provides a web-based console for tracking and managing power consumption and temperature across the data centre. This comprehensive monitoring helps in identifying and addressing inefficiencies.

The software enables data centre operators to optimize power usage by providing detailed insights into energy consumption patterns. This helps in reducing energy costs and improving overall efficiency.

Modern data centre servers offer several new features such as energy-efficient processors and liquid cooling that can help organizations control operational costs.

With partner offerings from Lenovo and AMD, you can begin refreshing your data centre with modern hardware. CDW Canada offers you technical and business guidance in selecting the most suitable data centre solutions that fit your needs.

Whether addressing high electricity costs in your data centre or boosting server performance, our experts can help you source, install and manage your technology with confidence.

From selecting the right server to advising you on how to make it operational, CDW simplifies the data centre refresh process for your IT team.