Comments on: Universities challenged to power down for the planet http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/ HPC News Without the Noise for Supercomputing Professionals | insideHPC Sun, 19 May 2013 10:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Power down for the planet winner announced | insideHPC http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/#comment-163218 Power down for the planet winner announced | insideHPC Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:19:45 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=3765#comment-163218 [...] issued by the Climate Savers Computing Initiative to encourage universities reduce pollution by powering down campus computers. From that story “The Power Down for the Planet program is designed to educate and engage college [...] [...] issued by the Climate Savers Computing Initiative to encourage universities reduce pollution by powering down campus computers. From that story “The Power Down for the Planet program is designed to educate and engage college [...]

]]> By: Keith Ball http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/#comment-149721 Keith Ball Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:01:19 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=3765#comment-149721 HPC facilities may achieve more calculations per Watt than desktop computers, but it would require buying more hardware, as opposed to using what already exists. Maximum resource utilization makes the most sense for equipment that becomes obsolete before it wears out. Also, just because the HPC compute servers might be more efficient, does not mean there is money to acquire them or infrastructure to accommodate them. More machines means more jonk hitting the landfill on 3 years' time. HPC facilities may achieve more calculations per Watt than desktop computers, but it would require buying more hardware, as opposed to using what already exists. Maximum resource utilization makes the most sense for equipment that becomes obsolete before it wears out. Also, just because the HPC compute servers might be more efficient, does not mean there is money to acquire them or infrastructure to accommodate them. More machines means more jonk hitting the landfill on 3 years’ time.

]]> By: Kevin Buterbaugh http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/#comment-149290 Kevin Buterbaugh Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:59:48 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=3765#comment-149290 I agree with Mary that it would be preferable to leave the computers on and doing something useful. What needs to change is where the energy that powers them comes from. If that energy is coming from solar, wind, or (yes) nuclear, then it's a win-win situation in my book... Kevin I agree with Mary that it would be preferable to leave the computers on and doing something useful. What needs to change is where the energy that powers them comes from. If that energy is coming from solar, wind, or (yes) nuclear, then it’s a win-win situation in my book…

Kevin

]]> By: Robert Link http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/#comment-149135 Robert Link Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:33:20 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=3765#comment-149135 I'm not sure I agree that desktop grid schemes are a net power saver. HPC facilities can generally achieve more calculations per Watt than desktop computers, so running on desktops is a net energy loss. Although you do gain something by harvesting otherwise idle cycles during times when desktops would have been left on, the leader boards used by many desktop grid systems encourage participants to leave their machines on during times when they otherwise would have shut them off. Moreover, modern CPUs can go into a low power state when idling, but running a desktop grid screen saver ensures that this never happens, consuming even more power. Desktop grid systems may be a great way for shoestring projects to get more computer time than they could have otherwise, but let's not kid ourselves; they are energy hogs compared to running on a real HPC facility. I’m not sure I agree that desktop grid schemes are a net power saver. HPC facilities can generally achieve more calculations per Watt than desktop computers, so running on desktops is a net energy loss. Although you do gain something by harvesting otherwise idle cycles during times when desktops would have been left on, the leader boards used by many desktop grid systems encourage participants to leave their machines on during times when they otherwise would have shut them off. Moreover, modern CPUs can go into a low power state when idling, but running a desktop grid screen saver ensures that this never happens, consuming even more power.

Desktop grid systems may be a great way for shoestring projects to get more computer time than they could have otherwise, but let’s not kid ourselves; they are energy hogs compared to running on a real HPC facility.

]]> By: maryleora http://insidehpc.com/2009/02/16/universities-challenged-to-power-down-for-the-planet/#comment-148978 maryleora Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:29:37 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=3765#comment-148978 Of course, another way to ensure idle cycles aren't wasted is to harvest them with a desktop cycle scavenging technology. A good one is Grid MP by Univa UD - this powered the IBM World Community Grid and is used by dozens of universities. Of course, another way to ensure idle cycles aren’t wasted is to harvest them with a desktop cycle scavenging technology. A good one is Grid MP by Univa UD – this powered the IBM World Community Grid and is used by dozens of universities.

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