Next generation hosting service that cuts energy consumption by 40%
May 30, 02:17 PMDC power, diskless servers and low-voltage chips deliver enhanced performance and environmental benefits in one of the ‘greenest’ data centres in the world
UK managed hosting provider Ultraspeed has today announced the roll out of a unique combination of technology designed to deliver a next generation hosting service with dramatically enhanced reliability and a reduction in power consumption estimated at 40%. To achieve this, the company is using an innovative blend of measures which includes the adoption of DC power, a ‘diskless’ server environment and the latest Intel Xeon 5300 low-voltage quad core processors.
Ultraspeed’s initiative is designed to increase the features and reliability of its service whilst massively reducing the power required to run its data centre. The company is already one of the ‘greenest’ within the technology sector and was the first in the world to use a ‘diskless’ servers environment – in which operating systems and data are contained within a storage area network and hard disks are eliminated from individual servers. Launched in May 2007, this has already had a large positive impact on reliability and functionality, and reduced power consumption by 10%.
The switch to DC power adds significant additional power efficiencies. Currently, most AC power supplies operate at just 75% efficiency – 25% is wasted and converted to heat. DC power operates at approximately 93% efficiency and much of the excess thermal load can be shifted outside of the server so doesn’t need to be actively cooled. The cooling element is particularly important since it is estimated that for every 100 watts used to power a server, typically an additional 60-70 watts is needed to cool it. In total DC power can save around 30% of a data centre’s entire energy consumption.
The third element of Ultraspeed’s offering involves the use of Intel Xeon 5300 low-voltage processors. Using the 5300’s quad core technology maximises performance on a physically smaller chip and produces more computing power per watt of electricity used, negating the need for a larger number of processors generating greater heat volumes.
Jordan Gross, Commercial Director at Ultraspeed comments: “It’s time for the IT industry to recognise that additional features and functionality in a managed hosting environment can be achieved in parallel with a substantial reduction in the associated carbon footprint. The inherent stability and efficiency of DC power has been known for years yet very few companies operating large server farms actually use it. With a potential reduction in overall carbon emissions from that initiative alone of around 30%, this is inexcusable.”
Gross also explains the crucial commercial drivers placed on large IT energy users: “Modern servers are smaller but draw three times more power than their 1990s equivalents. Data centres were simply not designed to handle that sort of consumption and many now need a separate substation to be built (which is often not possible) in order to increase server space. This naturally pushes the price up for businesses. Switching to lower energy technology is therefore an imperative not just for the environment but is also needed for UK businesses to remain competitive.”
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