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 two major components that would help achieve their goal: Servers and Datacenter.

 

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 self-cooling 450W OCP power supply features an AC/DC converter, single voltage of 12.5VDC, and closed frame. It includes independent AC/DC inputs and a DC output connector. The power optimized, bare-bones motherboard is designed to provide the lowest capital and operating costs.

These servers are housed in triplet racks, which contain three individual 42U columns. Each rack houses up to 90 servers plus two 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 Datacenters were built to maximize mechanical performance, with efficient thermal and electrical properties. Facebook's Prineville Oregon Datacenter–the first OCP Datacenter built from the ground up–features a 48VDC UPS system that is integrated with a 277VAC server power supply. This facility contains a highly-efficient cooling system which utilizes 100% airside economization with an evaporative cooling system. There are no chillers or air ducts, which reduces materials and energy consumption.

 

OCP Hardware

 

In summary, OCP Datacenters are among the most efficient datacenters in the world. The results from Facebook's Prineville Oregon datacenter speak for themselves:

  • Energy consumption per unit of computing power declined by 38%
  • The new datacenter has a PUE of 1.07, well below the EPA-defined state-of-the-art industry average of 1.5. This means that 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 in-line UPS systems, and the elimination of a 480V to 208V transformation.
  • Ethernet-powered LED lighting and passive cooling infrastructure reduces energy spent on running the facility.

"SYNNEX Corporation is very excited to be a part of Facebook's ground-breaking effort to improve datacenter efficiency, and will use our design and integration services and logistics infrastructure to make this technology advancement available to a wide user base."

Steve Ichinaga
SVP and GM – System Integration
SYNNEX Corporation


SYNNEX Corporation and the Open Compute Project:

SYNNEX is the final integration point for Open Compute Servers, delivering fully-racked and tested solutions to Facebook datacenters. As a single point of contact, SYNNEX can provide you with a turnkey, fully-integrated multi-rack solution. Our stress testing and rack integration "know-how" is a key differentiator. SYNNEX has shipped full integrated racks to large-scale datacenters for over 10 years.

 

SYNNEX provides the flexibility required to implement datacenter solutions, purchasing OCP components, configured server nodes, and fully-integrated racks. Our design and engineering staff is on-hand to assist in further customized solutions as required. As a leading distributor for Intel, AMD, Seagate, WD, and other industry-leading manufacturers, SYNNEX has a robust supply chain that allows you more flexibility, with lower risk and financial cost.