ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Data Center Storage
Draft 1 Version 1.0

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Table of Contents
Definitions .................................................................................................................................... 5
Qualifying Products .................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.
Included Products .............................................................................................................. 12
2.2.
Excluded Products............................................................................................................. 12
3.
Energy Efficiency Criteria........................................................................................................... 13
PSU Efficiency Criteria ...................................................................................................... 13
3.1.
3.2.
PSU Power Factor Criteria ................................................................................................ 13
3.3.
Active State Efficiency Criteria........................................................................................... 14
Idle State Efficiency Criteria............................................................................................... 14
3.4.
3.5.
Power Management Requirements ................................................................................... 14
3.6.
Additional Requirements.................................................................................................... 14
4.
Standard Information Reporting Requirements ......................................................................... 14
4.1.
Power and Performance Data Sheet (PPDS).................................................................... 145.
Standard Performance Data Measurement and Output Requirements ..................................... 15
6.
Testing ....................................................................................................................................... 16
7.
Product Qualification.................................................................................................................. 17
7.1.
Storage Product Qualification Requirements..................................................................... 17
7.2.
Product Family Qualification Requirements....................................................................... 178.
Effective Date............................................................................................................................. 17
9.
Future Specification Revisions................................................................................................... 18
1.
2.

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ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Data Center Storage
Draft 1 Version 1.0
Partner Commitments

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Commitment

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Note: The Partner Commitments section will be expanded in the final specification to include new
ENERGY STAR testing requirements and other program changes proposed in the Enhanced Program
Plan for ENERGY STAR products. EPA will work with interested stakeholders to develop these newrequirements, and will be hosting a series of stakeholder meetings focused specifically on testing. Please
visit the ENERGY STAR Web site at www.energystar.gov/mou for additional information on the proposed
requirements and planned meetings.

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The following are the terms of the ENERGY STAR Partnership Agreement as it pertains to the
manufacturing of ENERGY STAR qualified data center storage products (herein: ‘storage product’ or‘storage’). The ENERGY STAR Partner must adhere to the following program requirements:

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comply with current ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria, defining the performance criteria that must
be met for the marketing and sale of ENERGY STAR qualified storage products and specifying
the testing criteria for storage products. EPA may, at its discretion, conduct tests on products thatare referred to as ENERGY STAR qualified. These products may be obtained on the open market,
or voluntarily supplied by Partner at EPA’s request;

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comply with current ENERGY STAR Identity Guidelines, describing how the ENERGY STAR
marks and name may be used. Partner is responsible for adhering to these guidelines and for
ensuring that its authorized representatives, such as advertising agencies, dealers, anddistributors, are also in compliance;

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qualify at least one ENERGY STAR storage product within one year of activating the storage
product portion of the agreement. When Partner qualifies a product, it must meet the specificationin effect at that time;

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Note: EPA will consider all Partners to be provisional until they have qualified a product under thisspecification. Once Partner has qualified a storage product, their organization will be listed on the
ENERGY STAR Web site and will be given access to the ENERGY STAR certification and partner logos.
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provide clear and consistent identification of ENERGY STAR qualified storage products andstorage product families. Partner must use the ENERGY STAR mark in all of the following ways:

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the ENERGY STAR mark shall be included on the product specification sheet on thePartner’s Web site where product information is displayed. This mark shall serve as a
hyperlink from the manufacturer’s specification sheet to the ENERGY STAR Power andPerformance Data Sheet for the qualified storage product or storage product family;

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the ENERGY STAR mark shall appear on the ENERGY STAR Power and Performance
Data Sheet; and

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the ENERGY STAR mark shall be used to identify qualified storage products and storage
product families in electronic and printed marketing collateral materials, including but notlimited to user manuals, product guides, and marketing brochures.

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Note: The concept of “product family” is included in this first draft as a basis for discussion. The productfamily concept is included in the Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR computer server specification andimplementation details are still under revision. The family concept may be well suited to the data center
storage product category due to the high degree of customization and configurability of storage products.
Stakeholders are encouraged to submit feedback on the suitability of the product family concept forstorage, specifically with regard to the needs of their own sales channels.

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work with Value Added Resellers (VARs) of Partner’s products to ensure that storage products
remain in compliance with ENERGY STAR requirements. Any party within the distribution channelof an ENERGY STAR qualified storage product that alters the power profile of a product after its
date of manufacture through hardware or software modifications must ensure that the productcontinues to meet the ENERGY STAR requirements through delivery to the end customer. If the
product ceases to meet the requirements, it may not be marketed or sold as ENERGY STAR
qualified;

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if a VAR makes any modifications to a product qualified to this specification, re-brands the
product, and promotes it as ENERGY STAR, the VAR must become an ENERGY STAR Partnerand follow the requirements outlined in this specification;

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provide to EPA, on an annual basis, an updated list of ENERGY STAR qualifying storage
products. Once the Partner submits its first list of ENERGY STAR qualified storage products, thePartner will be listed as an ENERGY STAR Partner. Partner must provide annual updates in orderto remain on the list of participating product manufacturers;

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Note: Effective March 30, 2010, products may no longer be labeled by manufacturers (including productpackaging, product literature, Web sites, etc.) until qualifying product information, including a lab report, is
submitted to and approved by EPA.

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provide to EPA, on an annual basis, unit shipment data or other market indicators to assist in
determining the market penetration of ENERGY STAR. Specifically, Partner must submit the total
number of ENERGY STAR qualified storage products shipped (in units by model) or an equivalentmeasurement as agreed to in advance by EPA and Partner. Partner is also encouraged to provide
ENERGY STAR qualified unit shipment data segmented by meaningful product characteristics(e.g., capacity, size, or other as relevant), total unit shipments for each model in its product line,
and percentage of total unit shipments that qualify as ENERGY STAR. The data for each calendar
year should be submitted to EPA, preferably in electronic format, no later than the following Marchand may be provided directly from the Partner or through a third party. The data will be used by
EPA only for program evaluation purposes and will be closely controlled. If requested under theFreedom of Information Act (FOIA), EPA will argue that the data is exempt. Any information usedwill be masked by EPA so as to protect the confidentiality of the Partner;

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notify EPA of a change in the designated responsible party or contacts for storage products within
30 days.

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Performance for Special Distinction

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In order to receive additional recognition and/or support from EPA for its efforts within the Partnership, the
ENERGY STAR Partner may consider the following voluntary measures and should keep EPA informedon the progress of these efforts:

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consider energy efficiency improvements in company facilities and pursue the ENERGY STAR
mark for buildings;

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purchase ENERGY STAR qualified products. Revise the company purchasing or procurement
specifications to include ENERGY STAR. Provide procurement officials’ contact information to
EPA for periodic updates and coordination. Circulate general ENERGY STAR qualified productinformation to employees for use when purchasing products for their homes;

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ensure the power management feature is enabled on all ENERGY STAR qualified displays andcomputers in use in company facilities, particularly upon installation and after service is performed;

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provide general information about the ENERGY STAR program to employees whose jobs are
relevant to the development, marketing, sales, and service of current ENERGY STAR qualified
product models;

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feature the ENERGY STAR mark(s) on Partner Web site and in other promotional materials. If
information concerning ENERGY STAR is provided on the Partner Web site as specified by the
ENERGY STAR Web Linking Policy (this document can be found in the Partner Resources
section on the ENERGY STAR Web site at www.energystar.gov), EPA may provide links whereappropriate to the Partner Web site. The Partner shall comply with the ENERGY STAR Web
Linking Policy;

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provide a simple plan to EPA outlining specific measures Partner plans to undertake beyond theprogram requirements listed above. By doing so, EPA may be able to coordinate, communicate,and/or promote Partner’s activities, provide an EPA representative, or include news about theevent in the ENERGY STAR newsletter, on the ENERGY STAR Web pages, etc. The plan may be
as simple as providing a list of planned activities or planned milestones that Partner would like
EPA to be aware of. For example, activities may include: (1) increase the availability of ENERGYSTAR labeled products by converting the entire product line within two years to meet ENERGYSTAR guidelines; (2) demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency
through special in-store displays twice a year; (3) provide information to users (via the Web site
and user’s manual) about energy-saving features and operating characteristics of ENERGY STAR
qualified products, and (4) build awareness of the ENERGY STAR partnership and brand identity
by collaborating with EPA on one print advertorial and one live press event;

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provide quarterly, written updates to EPA as to the efforts undertaken by Partner to increaseavailability of ENERGY STAR qualified products, and to promote awareness of ENERGY STARand its message;

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join EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership to improve the environmental performance of thecompany's shipping operations. SmartWay Transport works with freight carriers, shippers, andother stakeholders in the goods movement industry to reduce fuel consumption, greenhousegases, and air pollution. For more information on SmartWay, visit www.epa.gov/smartway;

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join EPA's Climate Leaders Partnership to inventory and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Through participation companies create a credible record of their accomplishments and receive
EPA recognition as corporate environmental leaders. For more information on Climate Leaders,
visit www.epa.gov/climateleaders;

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join EPA’s Green Power partnership. EPA's Green Power Partnership encourages organizations
to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with traditional fossil
fuel-based electricity use. The partnership includes a diverse set of organizations including
Fortune 500 companies, small and medium businesses, government institutions as well as a
growing number of colleges and universities, visit www.epa.gov/grnpower.

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ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Data Center Storage
Draft 1 Version 1.0
Eligibility Criteria
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Below is the Version 1.0 product specification for ENERGY STAR qualified data center storage products.
A product must meet all of the identified criteria if it is to earn the ENERGY STAR.

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Note: EPA has been actively engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders during development of this firstdraft data center storage specification. Many parties have submitted comments and feedback on behalf of
their individual organizations and as part of larger industry groups such as the Storage Networking
Industry Association (SNIA) and The Green Grid. In many cases, the sum of individual contributor
submissions and broad industry organization perspective has been more valuable than the individual
parts. There are numerous references to the contributions of industry organizations throughout this draft
specification – this is intended both to properly attribute the content to those who worked hard to develop a
consolidated industry perspective, and to encourage further dialog about the content as part of a vendorand organization-agnostic voluntary energy efficiency program.

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This draft specification builds off of the Specification Framework that was distributed for industry review inlate 2009. EPA reviewed substantial written feedback from stakeholders on the framework document, andhas since conducted a series individual and group meetings to further develop the ENERGY STAR
perspective on storage energy efficiency. EPA is grateful for the efforts of all contributors to this effort todate, and continues to welcome feedback from all interested stakeholders on this and future draft versionsof the specification.

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1. Definitions

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Note: Many of the definitions in this document have been aligned with definitions in the Fall 2009 edition of
the SNIA Dictionary. Notes have been added to this document to describe any substantive deviations fromthat document.

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A. Storage Product: A fully-functional storage system that supplies data storage services to clients anddevices attached directly or through a network. Components and subsystems that are an integral partof the storage product architecture (e.g., to provide internal communications between controllers anddisks) are considered to be part of the storage product. In contrast, components that are normallyassociated with a storage environment at the data center level (e.g., devices required for operation ofan external SAN) are not considered to be part of the storage product. A storage product composed ofintegrated storage controllers, storage media, embedded network elements, software, and otherdevices. For purposes of this specification, a storage product is a unique configuration of one or more
SKUs prepared for sale to an end user.

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Note: A concise and unambiguous definition for “Storage Product” is critical to the success of thisprogram. It is the storage product that will ultimately be subject to ENERGY STAR qualification.
Subsystems and components of storage products will not be eligible for qualification. This definition is awork in progress – included in Draft 1 is a composite of best efforts by EPA and other industry
organizations to date.

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At the February 2 meeting, stakeholders suggested that the storage product definition and storage
taxonomy may need to be broad enough to apply to products such as: hybrid storage solutions that
include servers and database engines in addition to disk storage; hybrid storage solutions withcombinations of SSD and HDD, HDD and tape or optical storage, etc.; scale-out systems and subsystems;
and bare-bones JBOD (“just a bunch of disks”) products that consist only of a drawer and a collection of
HDDs. EPA welcomes additional feedback on the types of products that should be eligible to carry the
ENERGY STAR label, especially with regard to the way products or SKUs are marketed and sold to end­
users.

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1) Storage Element: Any device designed and built primarily for the purpose of persistent data
storage and delivery. This definition specifically encompasses disk drives, tape drives, RAID
array subsystems, robotic tape libraries, filers, and file servers.

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2) Storage Device: A collective term for disks, tapes, disk arrays, tape arrays, and any othermechanisms capable of non-volatile data storage. This definition specifically excludes aggregatingstorage elements such as RAID array subsystems, robotic tape libraries, filers, and file servers.

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Storage Media: The material in a storage device on which data is recorded. Storage media
includes solid state, magnetic (e.g., hard disk, tape), and optical media.

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Note: Stakeholders have suggested that two terms are needed in this specification to differentiate
between “aggregating” and “non-aggregating” storage product components. Per the SNIA Dictionary, theterm “Storage Element” is proposed to encompass “aggregating” subsystems such as RAID subsystems,
file servers, etc.; whereas “Storage Device” is used for stand-alone components. EPA continues toinvestigate the implications of this definition structure, and may delete one or more definitions if they are
immaterial to this specification in order to reduce complexity. EPA welcomes continued stakeholder
feedback on this topic.

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3) Storage Controller: A device for handling storage requests that includes a processor or sequencer
programmed to autonomously process a substantial portion of I/O requests directed to storage
devices. RAID controllers and filers are examples of storage controllers.

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B. Storage System Connectivity:

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1) Direct-attached Storage (DAS): One or more dedicated storage devices that are physicallyconnected to one or more servers.

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2) Network Attached Storage (NAS): One or more dedicated storage devices that connect to a
network and provide file access services to remote computer systems.

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3) Storage Area Network (SAN): A network whose primary purpose is the transfer of data between
computer systems and storage elements and among storage elements. A SAN consists of acommunication infrastructure, which provides physical connections, and a management layer,
which organizes the connections, storage elements, and computer systems so that data transfer issecure and robust.

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C. Data Storage Efficiency: [TBD]

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Note: Storage system software is an important contributor to overall system energy efficiency. Reducing
the number of disk drives in a system through the use of software features such as data deduplication,
data compression, delta snapshots, thin provisioning and RAID 5/6 should be considered in any
calculation of overall storage system energy efficiency. The Capacity Optimization Subgroup (COS) of the
SNIA Green Storage Technical Work Group (TWG) is currently working to characterize the various
software contributions to system efficiency with the goal of developing a single “data storage efficiency”
metric. EPA supports the efforts of the SNIA COS and intends to evaluate future software metrics forinclusion in the ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage specification, either in the form of reporting
requirements or qualification requirements.

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D. Storage Taxonomy1: A categorization scheme for use in segmenting the data center storage market
by end-use application and key product characteristics. The major categories of the taxonomy that arereferenced in this document are as follows:

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Note: One objective of the ENERGY STAR specification development process is to define requirementsthat are consistent across several taxonomy categories, in order to simplify the specification for both
vendors and end users. Further, the ongoing data collection process and subsequent stakeholder
commentary may identify necessary deviations from the included draft definitions. The rationale for any
such deviations will be documented and shared with the stakeholder community.

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1) Online Storage: Storage products that are intended to service a mixture of Random andSequential I/O requests with a short response time. All data stored in Online storage must beaccessible in ≤ 80 ms, unless the storage product is in a Deep Idle state. Online storage istypically comprised of one or more HDDs or SSDs and a storage controller, and provides primarydata storage to supplement a Computer Server’s internal memory.

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2) Near-online Storage: Storage products that are intended to service a mixture of Random andSequential I/O requests with a short to moderate response time. Near-online storage products
offer an asymmetrical response; a portion of data may be accessible in ≤ 80 ms, while other data
may be accessible in > 80 ms.

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3) Virtual Media Library: Storage products that are intended to service primarily Sequential I/O, with ashort response time. The media in a Virtual Media Library (e.g., HDD, optical disk) is not designed
to be physically removed from the system. All data stored in the Virtual Media Library must be
assessable in ≤ 80 ms, unless the storage product is in a Deep Idle state. Virtual Medial Libraries
are intended primarily for moderate and long term data storage.

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4) Removable Media Library: Storage products that are intended to service primarily Sequential I/O,
with a moderate to long response time. The media (e.g., tape cartridge, optical disk) in a
Removable Media Library is designed to be physically removed from the storage product.
Removable Media Libraries are intended primarily for long term data archiving.

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E. Other Data Center Equipment
1) Computer Server: A computer that provides services and manages networked resources for client
devices (e.g., desktop computers, notebook computers, thin clients, wireless devices, PDAs, IP
telephones, other computer servers and other network devices). Computer servers are soldthrough enterprise channels for use in data centers and office/corporate environments. Computer
servers are primarily accessed via network connections, versus directly-connected user input
devices such as a keyboard or mouse. For purposes of this specification, a computer server mustmeet all of the following criteria:

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is marketed and sold as a computer server;

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is designed for and listed as supporting computer server operating systems (OS) and/or
hypervisors, and is targeted to run user-installed enterprise applications;

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iii) provides support for error-correcting code (ECC) and/or buffered memory (including bothbuffered DIMMs and buffered on board (BOB) configurations);

264iv) is packaged and sold with one or more ac-ac or dc-dc power supplies; and

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v) is designed such that all processors have access to shared system memory and are
independently visible to a single OS or hypervisor.

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The ENERGY STAR storage taxonomy is consistent with the taxonomy developed by the Storage
Networking Industry Association Green Storage Initiative. Further detail may be found atwww.snia.org/green.

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2) Network Equipment: A device whose primary function is to provide data connectivity among an
arbitrary combination of devices connected to its several ports. Data connectivity is achieved via
the routing of data packets encapsulated according to Internet Protocol, Fibre Channel, InfiniBandor other standard protocol. Examples of network equipment commonly found in data centers arerouters and switches.

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3) Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): A device that is intended to supply limited-duration,
emergency electrical power to connected IT equipment in the event of a power grid failure.

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Note: EPA recently commenced development of an ENERGY STAR UPS specification. The UPS
definition will be updated in the future to align with the definitions used in the UPS program.

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4) Power Distribution Unit (PDU): A single- or three-phase power strip designed for data center use.
A PDU may include instrumentation for metering power input and output, switched outlets forcontrol of individual receptacles, or other advanced features.

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5) Blade System: A system comprised of a blade chassis and one or more removable blade servers,
blade storage, or blade network equipment devices. Blade systems provide a scalable means for
combining multiple blade server or storage devices in a single enclosure, and are designed toallow service technicians to easily add or replace (hot-swap) blades in the field.

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Note: EPA previously included definitions for Blade Server, Blade Storage, and Blade Chassis in theSpecification Framework document. Per stakeholder suggestions, these definitions have been removed
from this document and consolidated under the term Blade System in accordance with the SNIA
dictionary. Due to small market share and lack of test data, EPA does not intend to include blade form­
factor storage products under the scope of this initial Version 1.0 specification. As blade system definitions
and requirements are developed under the ENERGY STAR Computer Servers program, they will beassessed for inclusion in future versions of this specification.

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F. Capacity: Capacity is reported in units of either binary bytes (1 MiB = 1,048,576 Byte) or decimal bytes(1 MB = 1,000,000 Byte).

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1) Assigned Capacity: The amount of space on a system or data container which has been allotted tobe written by an end user or application. (Note: For capacity-optimizing systems, an assigned
capacity number represents a promise that that amount of space will be provided on demand;
usable capacity is allocated as the container is written too. For fully-provisioned systems, usable
capacity must be committed at the same time the container is allocated.)

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2) Effective Capacity: The amount of data stored on a storage system, plus the amount of unused
formatted capacity in the system.

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3) Formatted (Usable) Capacity: The total amount of bytes available to be written after a system ordevice has been formatted for use (e.g., by an object store, file system or block services
manager). Formatted capacity is less than or equal to raw capacity. It does not include areas set
aside for system use, spares, RAID parity areas, checksum space, host- or file system-level
remapping, "right sizing" of disks, disk labeling and so on. However, formatted capacity may
include areas that are normally reserved – such as snapshot set-asides – if these areas may be
configured for ordinary data storage.

3064) Free Space: The amount of unused, formatted capacity as reported by the storage product.

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5) Raw (Addressable) Capacity: The sum total amount of addressable capacity of the storage
devices in a storage product. The raw capacity of a storage device is commonly understood to be
the number of bytes available to be written via SCSI or equivalent protocol. It does not include
unaddressable space, ECC (error correcting code) data, remap areas, inter-sector gaps, etc.

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Note: Capacity definitions in this draft are per the SNIA Dictionary. EPA welcomes stakeholder feedbackon the suitability and implications of these definitions.

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G. Operational States:

3141) Active State: The state in which a storage product is processing external I/O requests.

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Note: The SNIA Dictionary defines Active State as, “An operational state in which a Storage Product canconsistently maintain a level of service implied by its taxonomy rating. This generally means that most or
all of its storage elements are fully-powered and active, and that background data cleansing and otheroperations are as active as I/O load allows.” EPA is proposing a simplified definition for purposes of thisspecification, and welcomes stakeholder comment on the suitability of the proposed definition.

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2) Idle State: An operational state in which the Storage Product is capable of completing I/Otransactions, but no active I/Os are requested or pending. The system may, however, be servicing
self-initiated I/Os from background data protection and cleansing, and other operations.

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i)

Ready Idle: The state in which a storage product is able to respond to I/O requests within the
MaxTTD limits for its taxonomy category, but is not receiving external I/O requests. The
storage product may perform routine housekeeping tasks during Ready Idle, provided suchoperations do not compromise the product’s ability to meet MaxTTD requirements.

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ii)

Deep Idle: A state in which one or more storage product components or subsystems havebeen placed into a low-power state for purpose of conserving energy. A storage product inDeep Idle may not be able to respond to I/O requests within the MaxTTD limits for its
taxonomy category, and may need to perform a managed ‘wake-up’ function in order to return
to a Ready Idle or Active state. Deep Idle capability must be a user-selected, optional featureof the Storage Product.

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Note: A definition for “Hardware Idle” has been proposed by stakeholders as an addition to thisspecification. This definition is not included at this time, since EPA intends to focus on energy efficiency ofsystems in use, and true “hardware idle” states are believed to be uncommon for in-use storage products.
The definition may be reinserted into subsequent drafts if references to a “hardware idle” state areincluded in the specification.

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H. Power Supply Unit (PSU): A device that converts ac or dc input power to one or more dc power
outputs for the purpose of powering a storage product. A storage PSU must be self-contained andphysically separable from the system and must connect to the system via a removable or hard-wired
electrical connection. Storage PSUs may be Field Replaceable Units (FRUs), but in some cases may
be further integrated with the storage product

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Note: Stakeholders have asked for clarification as to whether storage PSUs must by definition be Field
Replaceable Units (FRUs). EPA has added a statement about FRUs to the above definition with theintention of differentiating storage PSUs from embedded voltage regulators. However, EPA wants toensure that integrated PSUs are included in testing if they are the primary power supply for a particularstorage product. EPA seeks feedback on whether the proposed language successfully supports this intent.

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1) Ac-dc Power Supply: A PSU that converts line-voltage ac input power into one or more dc power
outputs.

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2) Dc-dc Power Supply: A PSU that converts line-voltage dc input power to one or more dc power
outputs. For purposes of this specification, a dc-dc converter (also known as a voltage regulator)that is internal to a storage product and is used to convert a low voltage dc (e.g., 12 V dc) into
other dc power outputs for use by storage product components is not considered a dc-dc power
supply.

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3) Single-output Power Supply: A PSU that is designed to deliver the majority of its rated output
power to one primary dc output. Single-output PSUs may offer one or more standby outputs thatremain active whenever connected to an input power source. For purposes of this specification,
the total rated power output from all additional PSU outputs that are not primary and standby
outputs shall be less than 20 watts. PSUs that offer multiple outputs at the same voltage as theprimary output are considered single-output PSUs unless those outputs (1) are generated fromseparate converters or have separate output rectification stages, or (2) have independent current
limits.

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4) Multi-output Power Supply: A PSU that is designed to deliver the majority of its rated output power
to more than one primary dc output for the purpose of powering a storage product. Multi-output
PSUs may offer one or more standby outputs that remain active whenever connected to an input
power source. For purposes of this specification, the total rated power output from all additional
PSU outputs that are not primary and standby outputs must be greater than or equal to 20 watts.

368
369

5) Redundant Power Supplies: Two or more PSUs that are configured to maintain uninterrupted
output load in the event of failure of one PSU.

370

I.

Product Family: [TBD]

371
Base
Component
TBD
TBD

Table 1: Product Family Requirements
Same
Same Part
Technical
Same Quantity
NumberSpecifications
Required?
Required?
Required?
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Notes
TBD
TBD

372
373
374

1) Maximum Configuration: A product configuration that includes the combination of basecomponents that generates the maximum possible power consumption within a product family.
[TBD]

375
376

2) Minimum Configuration: A product configuration that includes the combination of basecomponents that generates the least possible power consumption within a product family. [TBD]

377
378

3) Typical Configuration: A product configuration that lies between the minimum and maximum
configurations and is representative of a product with high volume sales. [TBD]

379
380

4) Base Configuration: A product configuration that does not qualify for additional power allowances.
The base configuration is [TBD].

381
382
383
384

Note: A placeholder “Product Family” definition is included in this draft – this structure is analogous to thatfrom the ENERGY STAR Computer Servers program. EPA may or may not choose to define productfamilies once the initial data collection process and data analysis is complete. These definitions will be
developed or deleted, accordingly.

385

J.

Other Definitions:

386
387
388

1) Field-replaceable Unit (FRU): A system component that is designed to be replaced by customers
or service personnel in the field, without requiring that the system be returned to a factory or othersite for repair.

389
390
391

2) High-availability (HA): The ability of a system to perform its function continuously (without
interruption) for a significantly longer period of time than the reliabilities of its individualcomponents would suggest. High availability is most often achieved through failure tolerance.

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392
393
394
395
396

3) Maximum Sustainable Performance: Maximum I/O per second (IOPS) or GiB/s that the UUT isable to deliver under a specified workload. For purposes of this specification, it is suggested that“sustainable” performance is that which ensures the maximum achievable data rate, excludes any
transient system caching effects, and can be maintained to within ±5% for the duration of themeasurement phase.

397
398
399
400

4) Maximum Time to Data (MaxTTD): The maximum time before an entire data object is accessible
within the constraints imposed by its storage media. For random-access media, a data object isaccessible when any byte may be accessed. For sequential-access media, a data object isaccessible when the requested object has begun streaming from a previously inactive drive.

401
402
403

5) RAS Features: An acronym for reliability, availability, and serviceability features. RAS issometimes also expanded to RASM, which adds “Manageability” criteria. The three primary
components of RAS as related to storage products are defined as follows:

404
405
406
407

i)

Reliability Features: Features supporting a storage product’s ability to perform its intended
function without interruption due to component failures. Technologies applied to increase
reliability include: component selection (MTBF), redundancy (both at a micro and macrolevels), temperature and/or voltage de-rating, error detection and correction technologies.

408
409

ii)

Availability Features: Features that support a storage product’s ability to maximize normal
operating time and minimize planned and unplanned down time.

410
411

iii) Serviceability Features: Features that support a storage product’s ability to be serviced (e.g.,
hot-plugging).

412
413
414

iv) Non-disruptive Serviceability: Support for continued availability of data and response times
during all FRU and service operations; including break/fix, code patches, software/firmware
upgrades, configuration changes, data migrations, and system expansion.

4156) Read/Write:

416
417
418

i)

Random Read: Any I/O load in which consecutively issued read requests do not specify
adjacently addressed data. The term random I/O is commonly used to denote any I/O loadthat is not sequential, whether or not the distribution of data locations is indeed random.

419
420
421

ii)

Random Write: Any I/O load whose consecutively issued write requests do not specify
adjacently addressed data. The term random I/O is commonly used to denote any I/O loadthat is not sequential, whether or not the distribution of data locations is indeed random.

422
423

iii) Sequential Read: An I/O load consisting of consecutively issued read requests to adjacently
addressed data.

424
425

iv) Sequential Write: An I/O load consisting of consecutively issued write requests to adjacently
addressed data.

4267) Response Time: The time required for the UUT to complete an I/O request.

427
428

8) Single Point of Failure (SPOF): One component or path in a system, the failure of which would
make the system inoperable.

4299) Unit Under Test (UUT): The Storage Product being tested.

430
431
432
433
434
435

Note: Definitions for “I/O Adapter” and “I/O Port” that were included in the specification framework havebeen removed from this draft since there are no direct references are included in this document. Several
other terms have been suggested for inclusion but have not yet been added to this draft for the same
reasons. These terms include: “Storage Protection,” “Small Computer System Interface (SCSI),” “CountKey Data (CKD),” and “Fixed Block Architecture (FBA)”. Should reference definitions of these terms beneeded later in the specification development cycle, they will be added to this section of the document.

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436

2. Qualifying Products

437
438

2.1. Included Products
To be eligible for ENERGY STAR qualification under this specification, a product must:

439

1) meet the definition of a storage product provided in Section 1 of this document;

4402) not fall within the exceptions identified in Section 2.2 of this document;

441

3) be able to be tested to the provisions specified in Appendix A of this document;

442
443

4) be comprised of one or more SKUs and be able to be purchased in a single order from a systemvendor;4445) be characterized within the one of the following storage taxonomy categories:

445

i)

Online;446

ii)

Near-online;

447iii) Virtual Media Library; or

448iv) Removable Media Library.

449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456

Note: EPA is aware of several types of “hybrid” storage systems that do not fit well with the establishedtaxonomy, and has received test data for at least one such system. These systems may, for example,
combine attributes of a removable media library with attributes of an online storage system to meet theneeds of a specific application. Hybrid systems may also include highly capable, server-like storage
controllers with, for example, the ability to natively host third-party applications. EPA continues toinvestigate the best means of categorizing and evaluating these types of devices to ensure that products
are treated fairly within the ENERGY STAR program, and welcomes further test data, product examples
and application details, and stakeholder comments on these topics.

457
458
459
460
461
462
463

Note: In the October 2009 test procedure workshop, stakeholders inquired about the risks of qualifying
products that use components or subsystems from 3rd-party vendors. EPA believes that by specifying test
procedures and requirements at the system level, Partners will have the most flexibility to sourcecomponents and subsystems that will allow their products to earn the ENERGY STAR. The primary
exception to this system-level efficiency approach is for power supplies. However, the practice of requiringhigh-efficiency PSUs is a cornerstone of the ENERGY STAR Computers and Servers programs, andrepresents a simple and effective path to improved efficiency across a product’s full range of operation.

464
465
466
467
468

2.2. Excluded Products
Products that are covered under other ENERGY STAR product specifications are not eligible for
qualification under the ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage specification. The full list of specifications
currently in effect can be found at www.energystar.gov/products. Also excluded from qualification under
this specification are products which are being considered for future ENERGY STAR programs.

469

The following products are specifically excluded from qualification under this specification:

4701) Personal / Portable Data Storage Products

4712) Computer Servers

4723) Computers (Laptop, Desktop, Small Workstation, Thin-client, Game Console)4734) Data Center Network Equipment

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474

3. Energy Efficiency Criteria

475
476

Products must meet all of the requirements specified below to be eligible for ENERGY STAR qualification
under this specification.

477
478
479

3.1. PSU Efficiency Criteria
To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must be configured with PSUs that meet or exceed theapplicable efficiency requirements specified in Table 2.

480
PSU Type
TBD

Table 2: Efficiency Requirements for PSUs
10%
20%
Rated Output Power
Load Load
TBD

TBD

TBD

50%
Load

100%
Load

TBD

TBD

481
482
483
484

Note: Because storage PSUs are often installed in redundant configurations, EPA intends to focus its
efforts on encouraging (1) the use of PSUs that are most efficient at low loads (<40%) for use in redundantactive/active configurations, (2) right-sizing of PSUs to application requirements, and (3) novel approaches
to redundant PSU installations to allow for greater overall system efficiencies.

485
486
487
488

The ENERGY STAR Computer Server specification establishes efficiency and power factor requirements
at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% load points. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback regarding
the usefulness of these load points as a basis for evaluation of storage PSUs, and suggestions for otherways to reward efficient PSU subsystem architectures.

489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496

Further, the EPA’s initial approach is to require that all storage product PSUs, including those used to
power both spinning disks and controllers, meet ENERGY STAR qualification criteria. It may be necessary
to define unique efficiency requirements for the various types of PSUs used in storage products, especiallygiven the long lifetimes of some storage products (and corresponding long refresh cycles for PSUs) –further stakeholder feedback on this proposal is welcome. EPA also continues to track the efforts of
Climate Savers Computing Initiative and 80 PLUS® to develop unique testing and efficiency criteria forstorage PSUs, and intends harmonize requirements with these programs, after industry review andcomment, as appropriate.

497
498
499
500
501
502

3.2. PSU Power Factor Criteria
To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must be configured with PSUs that meet or exceed theapplicable power factor requirements specified in Table 3, under all loading conditions for which output
power is greater than or equal to [TBD] watts. Partners are required to measure and report PSU power
factor under loading conditions of less than [TBD] watts, though no minimum power factor requirements
are applicable.

503

Table 3: Power Factor Requirements for PSUs
10%
20%
PSU Type
Rated Output Power
Load
Load
TBD

504
505
506
507
508
509
510

TBD

TBD

TBD

50%
Load

100%
Load

TBD

TBD

Note: EPA will not be implementing Net Power Loss (NPL) requirements in the Version 1.0 specification.
During the computer server specification development process, stakeholders expressed broad concern
with the approach, both in terms of testing burden and familiarity with the NPL concept in bothmanufacturer and end user communities. EPA continues to believe that power supply requirements should
show the impact of power supply sizing and sourcing practices, and intends to address this in futureversions of the specification. EPA also urges further research or pilot programs on NPL to evaluate
benefits of the metric to end users.

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511
512

3.3. Active State Efficiency Criteria
To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must [TBD].

513
514
515
516
517
518

Note: Active state efficiency requirements will be developed in more detail in subsequent draft
specifications, following the completion of the first round of data collection and analysis. One goal of the
ENERGY STAR program is to develop a simple, easy-to-understand energy performance metric for data
center storage products. To that end, the ongoing data collection process will ideally result in one or more
metrics (such as GB/Watt or IOPS/Watt) that is applicable across all storage products within a taxonomy
category.

519
520

3.4. Idle State Efficiency Criteria
To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must [TBD].

521
522
523
524

Note: EPA understands that true idle conditions occur only infrequently in most data center storage
applications. A placeholder for idle state requirements is included in this draft specification pending theresults of data analysis. One important focus of the EPA data analysis is to assess whether idle stateenergy efficiency can be a suitable proxy for active state energy efficiency.

525
526
527

3.5. Power Management Requirements
1) Power Management Function: To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must offer thefollowing power management features: [TBD]

528
529
530

2) Power Management Disclosure: To qualify for ENERGY STAR, all power management featuresoffered by the storage product must be itemized on the Power and Performance Data Sheet,along with an indication of which features are enabled by default.

531

3.6. Additional Requirements

532
533
534
535
536
537

Note: EPA proposed including Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) per IEEE 802.3az as a requirement for all
physical layer Ethernet protocols in an early draft of the Version 2.0 servers specification. Although thisrequirement was removed in subsequent drafts due to a lack of compatible hardware, EPA remains
interested in future requirements for EEE in all IT-related specifications, including storage. Stakeholders
are asked to comment on the availability and applicability of EEE or other energy-efficient communication
protocols (e.g., Fibre Channel) for data center storage.

538

4. Standard Information Reporting Requirements

539
540
541

4.1. Power and Performance Data Sheet (PPDS)A PPDS must be published for each ENERGY STAR qualified storage product. The PPDS must be postedon the Partner’s Web site alongside information on qualified products.

542
543
544
545
546
547

Note: An example PPDS for the ENERGY STAR Computer Servers program is available on the ENERGYSTAR Product Development Web page at www.energystar.gov/NewSpecs under the link for Data Center
Storage. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the example data sheet and send comments regarding
data fields that should be included in a PPDS for data center storage products. EPA plans to distribute afirst draft of the storage PPDS for stakeholder review along with the next draft of the data center storage
product specification in the coming months.

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548
549
550
551
552
553

Partners are encouraged to provide one data sheet for each ENERGY STAR qualified storage product,
though EPA will also accept a data sheet for each qualified storage product family. A product family PPDS
must include data for Maximum, Minimum and Typical configurations as defined in Section 1 of thisdocument. Whenever possible, Partners must also provide a hyperlink to a more detailed power calculator
on their Web site that purchasers can use to understand power and performance data for specific products
within the product family.

554
555
556
557

Templates for the Power and Performance Data Sheet can be found on the ENERGY STAR Web site at[future]. EPA may periodically revise the template, and will notify Partners of the revision process. If using
the ENERGY STAR PPDS, Partners should always use the most recent version posted on the ENERGYSTAR Web site.

558
559

Partners are encouraged to use the PPDS template provided by EPA, but may also create their own
template provided that it is approved by EPA and contains the following information, at a minimum:

560

1) product model name, model number, and SKU or other configuration identification number;

5612) a list of important product characteristics; including [TBD]

562
563

3) a list of qualified system configurations, including maximum, minimum and typical configurations ofqualified product families;

564
565
566

4) power consumption and performance data, along with guaranteed accuracy levels for all power
and temperature measurements, disclosure of the time period used for data averaging, and a
hyperlink to a detailed power calculator, as available;

5675) additional power and performance data for at least one benchmark as chosen by the Partner;

568
569
570
571

Note: The requirement to report additional benchmarks is taken from the ENERGY STAR Computer
Servers program and may not be applicable to the storage product category, since there are not as wide avariety of storage benchmarks available for vendors to choose from. EPA would like additional feedback
from stakeholders regarding the suitability of this requirement.

572

6) a list of power management and other power saving features available and enabled by default;

573

7) information on product power measurement and reporting capabilities;

5748) a list of selected data from the ASHRAE Thermal Report; and575

9) for product families, a list of qualified storage products within the family.

576

5. Standard Performance Data Measurement and Output Requirements

577
578
579

To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a storage product must report data on input power consumption (W), andinlet air temperature (°C). Data must be made available in a published or user-accessible format that isreadable by third-party, non-proprietary management software over a standard network.

580
581
582
583
584
585

Note: The requirements in this section are similar to those in the Draft 1 Version 2.0 ENERGY STAR
Computer Servers specification. For storage, EPA would like to assess the relative costs and benefits ofpower, temperature, and other data reporting at the rack, shelf, or component (PSU, disk) level.
Stakeholders are encouraged to comment on examples of reporting strategies in use today, and provide
examples of other data points that may help data center managers and other end users to make informed
decisions to improve the energy performance of their storage systems.

586

1) Implementation: To qualify for ENERGY STAR:

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587
588
589

i)

a storage product must make energy performance data available to end users via either
embedded components or add-in devices that are packaged with the storage product (e.g., aservice processor, embedded power or thermal meter or other out-of-band technology); and

590
591

ii)

when an open and universally available data collection and reporting standard becomes
available, manufacturers shall incorporate the universal standard into their systems.

592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603

2) Measurement Accuracy: To qualify for ENERGY STAR:i)input power measurements must be reported with accuracy of less than or equal to 5% of theactual value for measurements greater than 200 W, through the full range of operation. For
measurements less than or equal to 200 W, the accuracy must be less than or equal to 10 W
times the number of installed PSUs; andNote: During the October 2009 test procedure workshop, stakeholders asked whether the “percent error”
approach to power measurement should be applicable across the board, with no 10 W limit in place. EPA
intends to assess this request prior to the next draft specification after reviewing recent storage PSU test
data from SNIA & 80 PLUS.
ii)

inlet air temperature measurements must be reported with an accuracy of less than or equal
to 2 °C.

3) Sampling Requirements: To qualify for ENERGY STAR:

604
605
606

i)

input power measurements must be collected at a rate of greater than or equal to one
measurement per second. A rolling average, encompassing a period of no more than 30
seconds, must be reported at a frequency of greater than or equal to one per second; and

607
608

ii)

inlet air temperature measurements must be collected and reported at a rate of greater than orequal to one measurement every 10 seconds.

609

6. Testing

610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617

Partners are required to test and self-certify those products or product families that meet the ENERGYSTAR guidelines. A representative sample of storage products shall be tested to ensure that all units willmeet ENERGY STAR criteria. Test results must be reported to the EPA, European Commission, or otherinternational governing body using the Data Center Storage Qualifying Product Information (QPI) Form or
Online Product Submittal (OPS) tool. The qualification submittal for each product must also include acompleted Power and Performance Data Sheet. All testing shall be performed per the ENERGY STAR
Data Center Storage Test Procedure that is included as [TBD]. All test results must meet the specified
qualification criteria without the assistance of rounding.

618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627

Note: During the February 2 meeting, stakeholders inquired about how ENERGY STAR accounts for theenergy use of 3rd-party components (e.g., a laptop computer included for storage system diagnostics)
during qualification testing. In general, EPA intends for product qualification data to be representative oftypical system performance in end-use environments; so a product that is delivered with a 3rd-party
component would have to be tested with the component installed and operational. However, an exception
to this rule may be granted if the 3rd-party component is (1) not essential to normal operation of thesystem, (2) used only infrequently, or (3) demonstrated to have a negligible impact on system energy
consumption. In this case, EPA may allow for the component to be detached, disabled, or otherwise
removed from consideration during qualification testing. EPA welcomes further stakeholder suggestions
and rationale for 3rd-party storage system components that should be evaluated for exceptions.

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628

7. Product Qualification

629
630
631

7.1. Storage Product Qualification Requirements
The party that ultimately sells an ENERGY STAR qualified storage product to an end-user is responsible
for ensuring that the product meets all applicable ENERGY STAR qualification criteria.

632
633

The following requirements apply to storage products that are sold to end-users through indirect, 3rd-party
sales channels: [TBD]

634
635
636
637
638

Note: EPA plans to closely review the reporting and qualification framework for the indirect sales channel(e.g., Value Added Reseller (VAR), distributor) for inclusion in a future draft of this specification. Similar
efforts are underway for the Version 2.0 server specification. EPA intends to develop indirect sales
channel requirements for accurate marketing and distribution of qualified product offerings within theunique constraints and characteristics of the indirect sales channel.

639

7.2. Product Family Qualification Requirements

640
641
642
643

Note: This section is included in anticipation of the development of a “product family” designation for data
center storage. Testing and qualification requirements for product families will be detailed in future draft
versions of this specification. EPA welcomes stakeholder comments on the applicability of the productfamily structure from the ENERGY STAR Computer Servers specification to the storage product category.

644
645
646

Partners are encouraged to test and submit individual storage products for qualification to ENERGY
STAR. However, several products may be submitted as a product family if all products within the family
meet at least one of the following requirements:

647
648

1.

Individual storage products are built on the same platform and are identical in every respect tothe tested, representative storage product except for [TBD]; or

649
650

2.

Individual products meet the requirements of a product family, as defined in Section 1 of thisdocument. In this case, partners must test and submit power data on [TBD].

651
652
653

Partner must complete one Power and Performance Data Sheet per product family that is submitted for
qualification. All storage products within a product family must meet ENERGY STAR requirements,
including products for which data is not reported.

654
655
656
657
658

If a Partner wishes to qualify individual product configurations within a family that contains non-qualifying
products, the Partner must assign a unique identifier to ENERGY STAR qualified storage products. This
identifier must be used consistently in association with qualifying products in marketing collateral and on
the ENERGY STAR Qualified Product List (e.g., model number A1234 for baseline product configurations
and A1234-ES for ENERGY STAR qualifying product configurations).

659

8. Effective Date

660
661

The date that products must meet the requirements specified under the Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR Data
Center Storage specification will be defined as the effective date of the agreement.

662
663
664
665
666

Qualifying and Marking Products under the Version 1.0 Specification: The effective date for thisspecification is [TBD]. All products with a date of manufacture on or after this effective date must meet
applicable Version 1.0 requirements in order to qualify for ENERGY STAR. The date of manufacture is
specific to each unit and is the date (e.g., month and year) on which a unit is considered to be completely
assembled.

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667
668
669
670
671

Note: EPA will likely distribute two or more drafts of the storage specification before publishing the final
specification. Subsequent drafts will include revisions based on stakeholder comments on Draft 1, plus
additional content to define energy efficiency requirements based on the results of ongoing data collection
and analysis. Since data center storage is a new program, eligible storage products will be able to qualify
for ENERGY STAR immediately upon finalization of this specification.

672
673
674
675

Grandfathering: When ENERGY STAR specifications are revised, EPA does not automatically grantcontinued qualification to products submitted under previous versions of the specification. Any productsold, marketed, or identified by the manufacturing Partner as ENERGY STAR must meet the specificationin effect on the date of manufacture of the product.

676

9. Future Specification Revisions

677
678
679
680
681

EPA reserves the right to revise this specification should technological and/or market changes affect its
usefulness to consumers, industry, or the environment. In keeping with current policy, revisions to thespecification are arrived at through industry discussions. To carry the ENERGY STAR mark, a productmodel must meet the ENERGY STAR program requirements that are in effect on the date of manufactureof the product.

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