Communications of the ACM
Sandia Releases Interface to Help Standardize Supercomputer Power and Energy Systems
The new High Performance Computing--Power API specification is designed to standardize measurement and control of power- and energy-relevant features for high-performance computing systems.
Credit: Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories has released the High Performance Computing--Power API specification, an application programming interface (API) designed to standardize the measurement and control of power- and energy-relevant features for high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
The API is vendor-neutral and has been vetted through reviews by other laboratories, universities, and commercial collaborators.
"While the bulk of improvements in energy efficiency will no doubt come from hardware advances, software will play a critical role in maximizing the benefits of new hardware capabilities," says Sandia researcher Jim Laros.
He notes the specification standardizes relevant measurement and control interfaces for a comprehensive range of HPC roles, from the hardware level to application interfaces. For example, standardizing how a work-load manager engages with the HPC system will facilitate such features as energy-aware scheduling, which can minimize power consumption during the hours in which utility companies often charge higher rates.
"Our specification defines standard interfaces to facilitate appropriate choices in allocating the available power budget among many, sometimes conflicting, and often site-specific, considerations," Laros says. "The specification we have developed provides multiple levels of abstractions to satisfy the requirements of multiple types of users or roles."
The first production implementation of the Power API specification will be on the Trinity supercomputer.
From Sandia National Laboratories
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