Summary
By leveraging Intel’s Active Idle Efficiency Mode, FlashArray//XL R5 arrays deliver significant power savings while maintaining the high performance enterprises require.
Optimizing storage array power consumption is more important than ever. That’s why Everpure’s latest innovation focuses on reducing power usage in low-load conditions on the FlashArray//XL™ R5 platform by leveraging Intel Active Idle Efficiency Mode, part of the uncore frequency governor. This approach delivers significant power savings while maintaining the high performance our customers rely on.
What Is Uncore Frequency Scaling?
Uncore frequency scaling is a power management technique that adjusts the frequency of the uncore portion of the CPU—components such as the L3 cache and the inter-core communication mesh—based on system load. These components represent nearly 50% of the CPU’s silicon area, making them a key target for efficiency improvements.
While we initially experimented with core frequency governors, we found that aggressive tuning of core frequencies, although power-efficient, introduced unacceptable latency spikes and performance penalties due to the slow response times of those governors. Interestingly, much of the power savings we observed during this phase were a byproduct of reduced uncore frequencies, not the lower core frequencies themselves.
This insight led us to shift focus—away from core governors—and toward tuning the uncore frequency governor directly. Intel refers to this capability as Active Idle Efficiency Mode, and it provides a faster-responding, more granular way to reduce CPU power draw during idle or light load conditions.
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Tuned for Real Workloads
We tuned the uncore governor specifically for the Purity operating environment, with the goal of achieving aggressive power savings at low utilization, while ensuring no noticeable performance impact when system activity ramps up. Through extensive profiling, we identified configurations where under very light load, the array enters an optimized low-power state with substantial CPU power savings.
Unlike traditional core governors, Intel’s Active Idle Efficiency Mode responds quickly and smoothly to changes in workload intensity. As the load increases, frequency scales up with no perceivable latency hit, allowing us to maintain performance even as we minimize idle power consumption.
Real-world Impact: Measuring the Savings
Our testing on the FlashArray//XL R5 platform shows CPU power savings of about 24% under real-world conditions, which results in overall array power savings of:
- ~18% reduction when both primary and secondary controllers are under low load
- ~6% reduction in more common scenarios where only the secondary is lightly loaded
This savings occurs without compromising responsiveness or throughput—especially critical in high-availability, performance-sensitive environments.
Comparing FlashArray//XL R5 with the power-saving feature on versus off, we’re projecting the average power savings per array to be over 900kWh/year!
Why It Matters
Reducing power consumption isn’t just about cost, it’s about sustainability and long-term scalability:
- Lower operational costs: Energy-efficient controllers reduce the power bill in always-on data centers.
- Environmental impact: Decreased energy use contributes to lower carbon emissions.
By integrating Intel’s uncore frequency scaling into FlashArray//XL R5 arrays, we’ve delivered a smarter, greener platform that still meets the performance demands of enterprise workloads.
Looking Ahead
Our engineering team continues to refine idle state detection and load threshold tuning to unlock even greater savings. With ongoing advancements, we aim to extend these power optimization benefits across a wider range of workload patterns and system configurations.
Stay tuned—we’re just getting started in pushing the boundaries of efficiency in enterprise storage.erprise storage.
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