ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Data Center Storage, Version 2.1 (Partner Commitments and Eligibility Criteria)

Overview

The document has two parts: the ENERGY STAR partner commitments and the product eligibility criteria, followed by the final test method of May 2020. The partner commitments require written certification from an EPA-recognized certification body and testing in an EPA-recognized laboratory, use of the ENERGY STAR name and marks only with certified products, annual shipment data (by 1 March) and notification of contact changes within 30 days.

On scope, a storage product is a fully functional system supplying storage services to clients directly or over a network. Eligible are products in the Disk Set Online and NVSS Disk Access Online categories 2, 3 or 4, with a controller having advanced data recovery capability, supporting block and/or file I/O and implementing scale-up or scale-out. Excluded are personal or portable storage, computer servers, blade storage, direct-attached storage (DAS), object-only storage and the Near-Online, Removable Media Library, Virtual Media Library and NVSS Memory Access categories. The taxonomy is consistent with SNIA Emerald terminology.

The certification criteria cover power supplies, active-state performance, features and reporting. Under Table 1, multi-output AC-DC PSUs must reach 88/92/88% efficiency and single-output AC-DC PSUs 90/94/91% at 20/50/100% load, with power-factor minimums of 0.80/0.90/0.95. For block I/O the active-state minimums are 28.0 IOPS/watt for transaction (Hot Band) and, for streaming, 2.3 MiBS/watt sequential read or 1.5 MiBS/watt sequential write (a streaming point may meet either). Primary components must use adaptive active cooling (for example variable fan speed at lower ambient temperature), and Online 2, 3 and 4 systems must offer at least 1, 2 and 3 capacity-optimizing methods (thin provisioning, deduplication, compression, delta snapshots).

On reporting, all active and idle state results must be submitted (for block: Hot Band, Random Read/Write, Sequential Read/Write, Ready Idle; for file: DATABASE, SW Build, VDA, VDI, Ready Idle). The optimal configuration point is chosen with defined weights for transaction and streaming optimization. Disk Set and NVSS Online 3 and 4 products must measure and report storage-product input power (within +/-5% above 200 W) and inlet air temperature (within +/-2 C) in a format third-party management systems can read, sampled at least every 10 seconds. The test method rests on SNIA Emerald Power Efficiency Measurement Specification Version 4.0.0, with ambient 18-28 C and relative humidity 15-80%.

On timing and future revisions: Version 2.0 took effect on 15 March 2021 and a model must meet the specification in force on its date of manufacture; certification is not automatically granted for a product's life. EPA intends to set active-state efficiency criteria for file I/O products in Version 3.0; for now file I/O products have no active-state minimum and only reporting applies.

Key points

1. Scope: Disk Set Online and NVSS Disk Access Online categories 2, 3 and 4; controller with advanced data recovery, block and/or file I/O, scale-up or scale-out.
2. Excluded: personal/portable storage, servers, blade storage, DAS, object-only storage and the Near-Online, Removable/Virtual Media Library and NVSS Memory Access categories.
3. PSU efficiency: multi-output AC-DC 88/92/88%, single-output AC-DC 90/94/91% at 20/50/100% load.
4. PSU power factor minimums: 0.80/0.90/0.95 at 20/50/100% load.
5. Block I/O active-state minimums: Hot Band 28.0 IOPS/watt; sequential read 2.3 MiBS/watt or sequential write 1.5 MiBS/watt (streaming).
6. Adaptive active cooling is required on primary components (for example variable fan speed).
7. Online 2, 3 and 4 systems must offer at least 1, 2 and 3 capacity-optimizing methods, verified with SNIA tests.
8. Online classes need a maximum time to first data (MaxTTFD) of 80 ms or less outside Deep Idle.
9. Online 3 and 4 products must report input power (+/-5% above 200 W) and inlet air temperature (+/-2 C), sampled at least every 10 seconds.
10. Version 2.0 took effect on 15 March 2021; file I/O active-state criteria are planned for Version 3.0.

Using it in design

• Catalogue entries for storage should carry ENERGY STAR status, PSU efficiency curve points (20/50/100%) and power factor, so the rack power model can derive input power and heat from IT load rather than nameplate.
• Use the MiBS/watt and IOPS/watt floors as warnings when a user enters a non-certified array.
• Expose the optional inlet-temperature telemetry as a DCIM-readiness attribute, and check input-power and temperature reporting for Online 3 and 4.
• In storage procurement specifications, include the number of capacity-optimizing methods and adaptive cooling.
• In heat-load calculations use storage PSU efficiency (88-94%) to separate input watts from heat loss.

Who should read it

Designers who buy storage or represent storage devices in data-centre energy models, manufacturers and certification specialists.

Document contents

1. Partner Commitments
2. Certifying Products
3. Using the ENERGY STAR Name and Marks
4. Providing Information to EPA
5. Performance for Special Distinction
6. Definitions
7. Product Types
8. Storage Product Connectivity
9. Capacity Optimizing Methods (COMs)
10. Storage Taxonomy
11. Certifying Products (Included and Excluded Products)
12. Certification Criteria
13. Power Supply Requirements
14. Energy Efficiency Active State Requirements for Block I/O Systems
15. Energy Efficiency Feature Requirements
16. Information Reporting Requirements
17. Standard Performance Data Measurement and Output Requirements
18. Testing
19. Effective Date
20. Considerations for Future Revisions
21. Final Test Method (Rev. May 2020)

Related standards

• SNIA Emerald Power Efficiency Measurement Specification V4.0.0
• ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage Test Method (Rev. Apr 2020)
• EPRI/Ecova Generalized Internal Power Supply Efficiency Test Protocol

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Publication details

Authors

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Publisher

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ENERGY STAR)

Year

2022

Document number

ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage V2.1

Document language

English

Source type

Government / public

Access

Open licence — downloadable

Licence

U.S. public domain — U.S. Government work; free to reuse

Licence evidence

www.copyright.gov

Citation