ECMA-383 Kevin Fisher, Convenor Ecma TC38-TG2 Representing BSI UK Employee Intel Corp Rue du Rhône 114- CH-1204 Geneva - T: +41 22 849 6000 - F: +41 22

ECMA-383• Kevin Fisher, Convenor Ecma TC38-TG2

Representing BSI UKEmployee Intel Corp

Rue du Rhône 114- CH-1204 Geneva - T: +41 22 849 6000 - F: +41 22 849 6001 - www.ecma-international.org

Rue du Rhône 114 - CH-1204 Geneva - T: +41 22 849 6000 - F: +41 22 849 6001 - www.ecma-international.org 2

Agenda

• Background / History

• ECMA-383 1st edition (Plan A)

• Issues with Plan A

• Plan B proposal

• Challenges with Plan B


Background and History

• Ecma International: an industry association founded in 1961, dedicated to standardization of ICT & CE products

http://www.ecma-international.org/

Organisation membership from Asia, Europe and America

Companies, Research institutes, Single person companies

• 2003: Ecma issued the world’s first environmentally conscious design standard (ECMA-341)

Aimed at the designer, provides pragmatic advice on how to reduce the environmental footprint of an ICT/CE product at the design stage.

ECMA-341 now available as IEC 62075.

• Neither of these standards provide energy measurement criteria

http://www.ecma-international.org/


Ecma TC38-TG2

• In Q4/05, Ecma set up Task Group 2 within Technical Committee 38 to create energy [efficiency] standards Initial scope was desktop and notebook computers Kevin Fisher of Intel is the convenor

• In order to ensure maximum transparency and a wide adoption of the work, Ecma agreed to the participation of non-Ecma member companies

• Participants include: IBM, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Sony Apple, Microsoft, Novell Lexmark, Ricoh, Océ Intel, AMD, nVidia, VIA technologies Ecos, ICF, ITI, LBNL, Terra Novum

• Observers include: EPA (US), EC (EU), CSC (China)


Energy environment for Computers

• Voluntary and regulatory

Energy Star, TopRunner, EuP Lot 6 etc.

• IEC 62301 exists today for measuring off mode.

• The goal for Ecma TC38-TG2 was from the outset to determine a more holistic approach to measuring energy [efficiency] of computers.


Plan A

• Ecma TC38-TG2 embarked on Plan A

• Three vectors required:

Energy consumption (annualised)

Capabilities

Performance

• Require a benchmark to:

measure performance

enumerate capabilities

run workloads for measuring Active energy consumption

• Require a set of criteria for compliant benchmarks


Rational for the 3 vectors in Plan A

The Computer vs. the Fridge

Fridge Energy Efficient Performance =

Cubic Capacity

Energy used to get it cold + energy use to sustain temperature over a given time

Computer Energy Efficient Performance

The Computer vs. the Motorbike

• Energy Efficiency = Litres/Kilometre

• Capabilities = How many seats, A/C, electric windows, heated seats etc

Fitness for purpose and informed choice

A motorbike is very energy efficient, but not great for salespeople (unless selling pizzas!) or a family of six

Which vehicle has the highest quality: A hybrid energy efficient family saloon or a Land Rover when driving off road?

A 4 X 4 is great for off road, but inefficient for the school run

Performance = How fast it accelerates & how fast it goes.


Measuring Energy, Performance and Capabilities

• Classifications: Computer type: Notebook or Desktop Workloads: Office productivity or Media Rich (others such as

3D or HD to be defined)

• Duty cycle: How long is the machine doing work vs. idle or sleep?

• Two key vectors: Power and Time Historical emphasis has been on Power. The new concept was

to place more emphasis on Time.


Po

we

r

Time

off sleep

idle

active

offsleep

idle

active

Which one is more energy efficient?Hint: Add up the total area of the graphs

Note: This is simplified conceptual example and represents a sum of activities in each state

Today Future

Max power

regulated

Max power

regulated

Metric on the total energy consumed

in all states, adjusted for performance


Summary of the 1st edition ECMA-383

• Initial focus on Desktop and Portable Computers

• Provides a consistent test methodology and reporting structure

• In support of the standard a benchmark is required

• Three components: UUT workload classification: Rich media or office productivity

Performance and capability measurement

Energy consumption per workload and defined duty cycle

1. Select the appropriate

benchmark tool (6.3 and Annex A)

2. Decide on the classification of the

product (5.2 and 6.4)

4. Select the appropriate meter (6.6 and Annex B)

5. Set up and run the test (6.7 and Annex

C)

6. Record the results (6.8 and Annex D)

3. Decide on the Duty Cycle to be used (6.5)


Benchmark Criteria

• The 1st edition of the Ecma Standard does not specify THE benchmark.

It provides criteria that a self declared benchmark must comply with

• “Criteria for a benchmark that can be self declared by its developer to be used in support of the Ecma Standard: ECMA-383 1st Edition”

A benchmark developer would self declare compliance, inform Ecma who would add a link to their benchmark on the Ecma web site.

ECMA-383 provides the relevant Ecma url’s

Microsoft Word Document


Problems with Plan A

• The link with a benchmark has been problematic Criteria for BM compliance complicated Approval process open to criticism

• Overheads to run the standard and benchmark high Costs associated with BM purchase and renewal Test time in excess of 1 hour

• Performance vector complicated How do you define Performance? Difficulty in reaching agreement on performance measurement vector

(e.g. the benchmark score) Performance benchmarks already exist today

• Simple enumeration of Capabilities does not allow for product to product comparisons

• Three vectors as output: How do they all relate?


Plan B required

• Goals of plan B Find replacement criteria for Performance to enable energy consumption

comparisons of like machines Reduce / remove the link to a benchmark Provide a standard that can be used to measure power consumption in all

energy states and report energy consumption over a given period of time (e.g. annualised)

• Timescales for Plan B Be ready for Ecma GA in December 2009 Work in parallel with IEC TC108 WG Environment


Plan B: The proposal

• Replace the Capability and Performance vectors used in Plan A with a Categorisation vector Enable the comparison of energy consumption of like for like machines Categorisation details need to be defined. Examples would be:

• Processor: # cores, # physical processors, cache etc

• Audio: s/n ratio, # channels etc.

• Graphics: size of memory, GPU capabilities etc

• Memory: How big, how fast

• Storage: Number and size of devices

• Enable the standard to measure power in any or all power states: e.g. Off, Sleep, idle, active


Plan B: The Benefits

• Removed the link with a BM (however see next slide for Active power discussions)

• The standard becomes simpler, faster and cheaper for user

• More holistic standard for energy measurement

User can choose to measure power / energy in any power state, or:

Report overall energy consumption over a given period of time, and:

Compare like machines


Plan B: The challenges

• Categorisation: Not a new concept but will require much debate and comparison of ideas

• Energy consumption in Active mode, two arguments: On an annualised basis, the energy consumed in active is negligible

therefore it could be considered as idle In the coming years, idle time will reduce and so active energy will

become more important

• If active energy mode included: What workload to run to demonstrate real world active mode energy consumption?


Plan B: Next steps

• Define a roadmap for December completion

Categorisation and Active energy are risk factors

• Solicit ideas from all members on Categorisation techniques

• Agree how to handle Active power

• Start basics of the standard (definitions, test flow etc)

• Agree a working process between IEC and Ecma

Comparison Plan A to B


Plan B

Plan A

ECMA-383 Standard1st Edition

Benchmark

BenchmarkCriteria

Performance score

Energyconsumption

Capabilities

ProblemsBenchmarkTest time

Performance definitionThree outputs

Plan BECMA-383 Standard

2nd Edition

Workload forActive*

System Categorised

Energyconsumption in

any or allpower states

*If we include Active energy consumption in the 2nd edition

Address

Ecma is driven purely by the will of its members

It is run by industry for industry, and is aware of your time and cost constraints

Proven system for getting things done right and on time

The know-how of the secretariat, GA and CC guides technical experts through international standardization jungle

The Ecma process filters out non-commercial interests, resolves competitive clashes which are not productive

The “fast track” by Ecma saves you time and money.

If you get three members together for a project, it can not be stopped by other members

Ecma works readily on several competing solutions to the same problem

The development of an Ecma Standard takes (typically) no more than half the time required to develop a similar standard in any competing forum.

Ecma Standards are recognized worldwide as amongst the highest quality


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Rue du Rhône 114CH-1204 GenevaT: +41 22 849 6000 F: +41 22 849 6001

www.ecma-international.org

Thank you!

Documents

ECMA-383 Kevin Fisher, Convenor Ecma TC38-TG2 Representing BSI UK Employee Intel Corp Rue du Rhône 114- CH-1204 Geneva - T: +41 22 849 6000 - F: +41 22