A NEW PARADIGM FOR COMPUTING

Facebook set out to develop an innovative datacenter and server solution that was both energy and cost efficient. In an unprecedented move, Facebook decided to share their designs with the larger community in an effort to promote and encourage power efficiency and future innovation. The Open Compute Project (OCP) was born from this desire and officially launched in April of 2011.

OCP CONSISTS OF 2 MAJOR COMPONENTS: SERVERS AND DATA CENTER

OCP servers were designed to be efficient, inexpensive, and easy to maintain. This server begins with a custom chassis that features a tool less design. The OCP power supply is a 450W power supply that features an AC/DC converter, single voltage of 12.5V DC, closed frame, and self-cooling. This power supply includes independent AC/DC inputs and a DC output connector. The power optimized, barebone motherboard is designed to provide the lowest capital and operating costs. These servers are housed in triplet racks, which contains 3 individual columns. Each rack houses up to 90 chassis, with multiple motherboards, plus 2 top of rack switches. The units have less material than traditional servers so they are less expensive and lighter, allowing for easier servicing. The servers are 1.5U allowing for larger heat sinks and easier air flow for better cooling.

OCP Data Centers were built with the goal of maximizing mechanical performance and having efficient thermal and electrical properties.

Facebook's Prineville Oregon Data Center, the first OCP Data Center built from the ground up, features a 48V DC UPS system that is integrated with a 277VAC server power supply. This facility contains a high-efficiently cooling system with utilizes 100% airside economization with an evaporative cooling system. There are no chillers or air ducts, which reduces materials and energy consumption.

OCP Data Centers are among the most efficient data centers in the world. The results from Facebook's Prineville Oregon data center speak for themselves:

• Energy consumption per unit of computing power has declined by 38%.
• The new data center has a PUE of 1.07, well below the EPA-defined state-of-the-art industry average of 1.5. This means 93% of the energy from the grid makes it into every Open Compute server.
• Key innovations include the removal of centralized chillers, the elimination of traditional inline UPS systems and the elimination of a 480V to 208V transformation.
• Ethernet-powered LED lighting and passive cooling infrastructure reduce energy spent on running the facility.