Data center metrics, especially those put forward by The Green Grid, have been on a fast pace of evolution in recent years. It is testament to the desire of the industry to have some clean cut measures for performance, especially in the area of energy efficiency.

Last year, at DCD Converged London, discussions around metrics focussed heavily on power usage effectiveness (PUE) and new ways of measuring the efficiency of IT with a metric called DPPE. DPPE – or data center performance per energy, which measures total data center productivity.

Metrics are one topic that generates much interest in the UK, one of the first countries to face new carbon emissions regulations.  Measures of PUE, for example, are now commonly stated for new builds, existing builds and by any operator wanting something quantifiable surrounding energy use to tell its board, customers and other interested parties.

But while metrics such as PUE have led to an increased focus on data center efficiency, how you measure this and under what circumstances has caused much debate. One of the challenges comes from the fact that data centers in different geographies will have differing operational challenges, so finding a solution that fits around the world requires complex processes.

Taking PUE to the ISO
Data center metrics are about to get a lot more standardized, thanks to a new initiative looking at harmonizing the way they are measured around the world.

Data center metrics, especially those put forward by The Green Grid, have been on a fast pace of evolution in recent years. It is testament to the desire of the industry to have some clean cut measures for performance, especially in the area of energy efficiency.

Last year, at DCD Converged London, discussions around metrics focussed heavily on power usage effectiveness (PUE) and new ways of measuring the efficiency of IT with a metric called DPPE. DPPE – or data center performance per energy, which measures total data center productivity.

Metrics are one topic that generates much interest in the UK, one of the first countries to face new carbon emissions regulations.  Measures of PUE, for example, are now commonly stated for new builds, existing builds and by any operator wanting something quantifiable surrounding energy use to tell its board, customers and other interested parties.

But while metrics such as PUE have led to an increased focus on data center efficiency, how you measure this and under what circumstances has caused much debate. One of the challenges comes from the fact that data centers in different geographies will have differing operational challenges, so finding a solution that fits around the world requires complex processes.

Harmonizing metrics
An initiative led by The Green Grid called the Global Harmonization of Datacenter Energy Efficiency Metrics has brought together some of the world’s largest data center markets by geography, and some of the leading organizations that influence metrics, to find a new, standardized, way of measuring data center efficiency.

The taskforce first met in March 2009 to discuss how to make metrics such as PUE and the IT productivity measurement ITTE (IT equipment energy efficiency) and ITEU (IT equipment utilization) relative on a global scale. Almost four years on and they are meeting with the International Standards Organization (ISO) which has set up its own taskforce to see if the way of measuring PUE and other standards could one day be governed by its widely respected methodology.

Last November, the first plenary into this shift – called JTC1 – was held with the ISO. Here, administrative subcommittees called SCs were formed. SC39 is made up of two working groups – or JTC 1 Working Group 1 is chaired by Jay Taylor of Schneider Electric. It looks into the  metrics, such as PUE and ITTE and ITEU, that could be suitable for ISO certification.

The second working group – JTC1 Working Group 2 – is focussed on the analysis of these metrics and how they can work together to form an overall view of data center efficiency.

Nomura Research Institute Japan senior researcher Tomoo Misaki is a convenor for both taskforce groups, and also a member of the Green IT Promotion Council which promotes DPPE. He says the resolution papers have already been drawn up (they are available on the ISO site) and the taskforce groups now have three years – extendable to four – to identify a clear-cut path to make PUE an ISO-recognized standard. (PUE is the first metric the group will tackle, largely because it is already in wide use, offering a strong working case for the group, according to Misaki.)  

He says the ISO initiative will remove much of the confusion which has come with the labelling of PUE and other data center metrics, defining a clear path for operators to use that standardizes the way a final measurement is reached.

“The method will be very defined – how to measure, where to measure and how often to measure,” Misaki says.

Expanding the ISO umbrella
The bodies behind this initiative include The Green Grid, US Department of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EU Code of Conduct and the Japanese Ministry Promotion Council.

“It is already globally accepted by the EU and US and Japan – by their government bodies – that PUE is an important metric, and they agree on how to measure it. We are now looking at the productivity proxy,” Misaki says.

Misaki says it won’t stop with PUE and ITEE and ITEU. Eventually they will look to take ratings for the measuring of renewable energy use and recycling to the ISO, but metrics proposed in these areas still need to mature.

“PUE is quite clear cut,” Misaki says. “Last year, your PUE, it could have been 1.5. This year 1.2. But then you have to put on top of that the IT usage, IT efficiency and green energy use. At some point, those numbers will be able to give you a total energy effectiveness for your data center through multiple KPIs. This is what we are trying to do in the long run,” Misaki says.

Tomoo Misaki will discuss the Global Harmonization of Metrics in a workshop at DatacenterDynamics Converged London on Day 2 in Hall 6 at 11:25. He will also provide a case study on Nomura Research Institute’s newest data center in Hall 4 at 10:15am on Day 2. An initiative led by The Green Grid called the Global Harmonization of Datacenter Energy Efficiency Metrics has brought together some of the world’s largest data center markets by geography, and some of the leading organizations that influence metrics, to find a new, standardized, way of measuring data center efficiency.