HP Dynamic Power Capping

We use HP Dynamic Power Capping technology in most of the enterprise-class G5 ProLiant servers and beyond. Dynamic Power Capping uses sophisticated monitoring and control circuitry to prevent server power from exceeding a preset level. Because Dynamic Power Capping is hardware-based, it can quickly control sudden surges in power use from servers and prevent tripping even the fastest circuit breakers used in HP PDUs. You can set a power cap for an individual server from the iLO user interface. For groups of servers, you can set the power caps from the power management module within Insight Control.

HP Enclosure Dynamic Power Capping

We designed Enclosure Dynamic Power Capping technology specifically for BladeSystem enclosures. It lets you set a power cap for an HP BladeSystem Enclosure by using Insight Control (version 2.0 or later) or Onboard Administrator (firmware version 2.30 or later). The Onboard Administrator monitors and maintains the power cap for the entire enclosure by adjusting cap levels on individual server blades. As one server blade becomes busy and another becomes idle, Onboard Administrator adjusts the individual caps to give each server blade what it needs while maintaining the total enclosure power below the cap.

Power distribution

Power distribution extends from the utility grid to the branch circuits that deliver power to the IT equipment. No distribution system is 100% efficient, so some power is lost during this process. Between 2% and 12% of the power delivered to the data center is lost during distribution from the utility power grid to the IT devices. The biggest power losses occur each time the distribution system converts or steps-down the voltage to reach the level required by the IT devices. These power distribution losses are costly because they don’t perform work and they generate heat that needs to be extracted.

Follow these two basic power distribution principles to reduce your data center power losses:

Minimize power conversions to reduce power losses and heat generation.

Distribute high voltage power as close to the load as possible. High voltage circuits have lower transmission losses than low voltage circuits and require a less expensive wiring infrastructure.

Tools and products that improve data center power distribution efficiency, monitoring, and provisioning include:

HP Intelligent Power Discovery

HP Power Advisor tool

HP uninterruptible power supplies

HP Intelligent Power Discovery

It’s not easy to tell when a circuit is underutilized or potentially overloaded. The former can deprive your data center of extra revenue, and the latter can lead to unscheduled downtime. It’s also difficult to detect potential wiring errors that can cause mission-critical server failures. Intelligent Power Discovery (IPD) removes the guesswork in determining your data center’s power and IT equipment connectivity (topology). IPD also monitors real-time power use and detects some common wiring errors.

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