IBM puts its meters where your power is

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IBM launched a new program today that allows mainframe customers to monitor their systems’ precise energy consumption in real-time.

IBM logoHere’s how the metering system works: the new IBM solution monitors a mainframe’s actual energy and cooling statistics (collected by internal sensors); and presents them in real time on the System Activity Display. With this system, a user can now correlate the energy consumed with work actually performed.

I’d like to see this make its way into our gear as well. This next part of the press release was potentially very interesting from a privacy standpoint

IBM will also begin publishing typical energy consumption data for the IBM System z9 mainframe. The data is derived from actual field measurements of approximately 1,000 customer machines, determining average watts/hour consumed which can be used to calculate watts per unit — similar to automobile miles per gallon estimates and appliance kilowatt per year ratings.

The data collected for August and September determines that typical energy use can be normally 60% of the “label” or maximum rating for the model of mainframe measures.

I assume all those customers whose data got sent back to the mothership ok’d this use. If you’re from IBM and could address this little issue, I’d be obliged and interested to know the official answer.