Open Compute Project

File:Open Compute Server Front.jpg

File:Open Compute 1U Drive Tray Bent.jpg

The Open Compute Project Foundation is a 501(c)(6) non-profit incorporated in the state of Delaware, United States. OCP has multiple committees, including the board of directors, advisory board and steering committee to govern its operations.

As of July 2020, there are seven members who serve on the board of directors which is made up of one individual member and six organizational members. Mark Roenigk (Facebook) is the Foundation's president and chairman. Andy Bechtolsheim is the individual member. In addition to Mark Roenigk who represents Facebook, other organizations on the Open Compute board of directors include Intel (Rebecca Weekly), Microsoft (Kushagra Vaid), Google (Partha Ranganathan), and Rackspace (Jim Hawkins).{{Cite web|title = Organization and Board|url = http://www.opencompute.org/about/organization-and-board/|website = Open Compute|access-date = 2015-09-12|archive-date = 2015-09-26|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150926112457/http://www.opencompute.org/about/organization-and-board/|url-status = dead}}

A current list of members can be found on the [http://opencompute.org/membership/membership-organizational-directory opencompute.org] website.

The Open Compute Project began in Facebook as an internal project in 2009 called "Project Freedom". The hardware designs and engineering team were led by Amir Michael (Manager, Hardware Design){{Cite web|date=2009-11-27|title=Facebook Follows Google to Data Center Savings|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/11/27/facebook-follows-google-to-data-center-savings|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Data Center Knowledge|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Oxide Computer Company: On the Metal: Amir Michael|url=https://oxide.computer/podcast/on-the-metal-2-amir-michael/|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Oxide Computer Company|language=en}}{{Cite magazine|title=Facebook Hacks Shipping Dock Into World-Class Server Lab|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/01/facebook-server-lab/|access-date=2020-12-13|issn=1059-1028}} and sponsored by Jonathan Heiliger (VP, Technical Operations) and Frank Frankovsky (Director, Hardware Design and Infrastructure). The three would later open source the designs of Project Freedom and co-found the Open Compute Project.{{Cite web|title=Why I Started the Open Compute Project – Vertex Ventures|url=http://old.vertexventures.com/2015/06/why-i-started-the-open-compute-project/|access-date=2020-12-13|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Introducing the Open Compute Project - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4D9UNXKGV4&ab_channel=FacebookApp|access-date=2020-12-13|website=www.youtube.com}} The project was announced at a press event at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto on April 7, 2011.{{Cite web|date=2011-04-07|title=Facebook Opens its Server, Data Center Designs|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/04/07/facebook-opens-its-server-data-center-designs|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Data Center Knowledge|language=en}}

The Open Compute Project Foundation maintains a number of OCP projects, such as:

Two years after the Open Compute Project had started, with regards to a more modular server design, it was admitted that "the new design is still a long way from live data centers".{{Cite magazine |title= Facebook Shatters the Computer Server Into Tiny Pieces |date= January 16, 2013 |first= Cade|last= Metz |magazine= Wired |url= https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/01/facebook-server-pieces/ |access-date= July 9, 2013 }} However, some aspects published were used in Facebook's Prineville data center to improve energy efficiency, as measured by the power usage effectiveness index defined by The Green Grid.{{Cite web |title= Facebook's Open Compute Project |work= Stanford EE Computer Systems Colloquium |date= February 15, 2012 |url= http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee380/Abstracts/120215.html |first= Amir|last= Michael |publisher= Stanford University}} ([http://ee380.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/videologger.php?target=120215-ee380-300.asx video archive])

Efforts to advance server compute node designs included one for Intel processors and one for AMD processors. In 2013, Calxeda contributed a design with ARM architecture processors.{{Cite web |title= ARM Server Motherboard Design for Open Vault Chassis Hardware v0.3 MB-draco-hesperides-0.3 |first= Tom |last= Schnell |date= January 16, 2013 |url= http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_ARM_Server_Specification_v0.3.pdf |access-date= July 9, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141023095543/http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_ARM_Server_Specification_v0.3.pdf |archive-date= October 23, 2014 |url-status= dead }} Since then, several generations of OCP server designs have been deployed: Wildcat (Intel), Spitfire (AMD), Windmill (Intel E5-2600), Watermark (AMD), Winterfell (Intel E5-2600 v2) and Leopard (Intel E5-2600 v3).{{Cite web |title=Guide to Facebook's Open Source Data Center Hardware|author=Data Center Knowledge|date=April 28, 2016|url=http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2016/04/28/guide-to-facebooks-open-source-data-center-hardware/|access-date=May 13, 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Facebook rolls out new web and database server designs|first=The|last=Register|website=The Register |date=January 17, 2013|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/17/open_compute_facebook_servers/|access-date=May 13, 2016}}

OCP Accelerator Module (OAM) is a design specification for hardware architectures that implement artificial intelligence systems that require high module-to-module bandwidth.{{cite book | last=Ledin | first=Jim | title=Modern Computer Architecture and Organization | publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd | publication-place=Birmingham Mumbai | date=2020-04-30 | isbn=978-1-83898-710-7 | page=361}}

OAM is used in some of AMD's Instinct accelerator modules.

The designs for a mechanical mounting system have been published, so that open racks have the same outside width (600 mm) and depth as standard 19-inch racks, but are designed to mount wider chassis with a 537 mm width (21 inches). This allows more equipment to fit in the same volume and improves air flow. Compute chassis sizes are defined in multiples of an OpenU or OU, which is 48 mm, slightly taller than the typical 44mm rack unit. The most current base mechanical specifications were defined and published by Meta as the Open Rack V3 Base Specification in 2022, with significant contributions from Google and Rittal.{{cite web |last1=Charest |first1=Glenn |last2=Mills |first2=Steve |last3=Vorreiter |first3=Loren |title=Open Rack V3 Base Specification |url=https://www.opencompute.org/documents/open-rack-base-specification-version-3-pdf |website=opencompute.org |publisher=Meta |access-date=25 September 2024}}

At the time the base specification was released, Meta also defined in greater depth the specifications for the rectifiers and power shelf.{{cite web |last1=Keyhani |first1=Hamid |last2=Tang |first2=Ted |last3=Shapiro |first3=Dmitriy |last4=Fernandes |first4=John |last5=Kim |first5=Ben |last6=Jin |first6=Tiffany |last7=Mercado |first7=Rommel |title=Open Rack V3 48V PSU Specification Rev: 1.0 |url=https://www.opencompute.org/documents/orv3-48v-psu-spec-rev-1-0-docx-1 |website=opencompute.org |publisher=Meta |access-date=25 September 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Keyhani |first1=Hamid |last2=Shapiro |first2=Dmitriy |last3=Fernandes |first3=John |last4=Kim |first4=Ben |last5=Jin |first5=Tiffany |last6=Mercado |first6=Rommel |title=Open Rack V3 Power Shelf Rev 1.0 Specification |url=https://www.opencompute.org/documents/ocp-open-rack-v3-power-shelf-rev-1-0-docx-1 |website=opencompute.org |publisher=Meta |access-date=25 September 2024}} Specifications for the power monitoring interface (PMI), a communications interface enabling upstream communications between the rectifiers and battery backup unit(BBU) were published by Meta that same year, with Delta Electronics as the main technical contributor to the BBU spec.{{cite web |last1=Sun |first1=David |last2=Shapiro |first2=Dmitriy |last3=Kim |first3=Ben |last4=Athavale |first4=Jayati |last5=Mercado |first5=Rommel |title=Open Rack V3 48V BBU Specification Rev: 1.4 |url=https://www.opencompute.org/documents/open-rack-v3-bbu-module-spec-1-4-pdf |website=opencompute.org |publisher=Meta |access-date=25 September 2024}}

Since 2022 however, the power demands of AI in the data center has necessitated higher power requirements in order to fulfill the heavy power demands of newer data center processors that have since been released. Meta is currently in the process of updating its Open Rack v3 rectifier, power shelf, battery backup and power management interface specifications to account for these new more powerful AI architectures being used.

In May 2024, at an Open Compute regional summit, Meta and Rittal outlined their plans for development of their High Power Rack (HPR) ecosystem in conjunction with rack, power and cable partners, increasing the power capacity in the rack to 92 kilowatts or more of power, enabling the higher power needs of the latest generation of processors.{{cite web |last1=Open Compute Project |title=ORv3 High Power Rack (HPR) Ecosystem Solution |url=https://youtube/X5A_uX1vzvg |website=youtube.com |publisher=Youtube |access-date=25 September 2024}} At the same meeting, Delta Electronics and Advanced Energy introduced their progress in developing new Open Compute standards specifying power shelf and rectifier designs for these HPR applications.{{cite web |last1=Open Compute Project |title=Requirements/Considerations of Next Generation ORv3 PSU and Power Shelves |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YB08H1ssJc |website=Youtube |access-date=25 September 2024}} Rittal also outlined their collaboration with Meta in designing airflow containment, busbar designs and grounding schemes to the new HPR requirements.{{cite web |last1=Open Compute Project |title=ORv3 High Power Rack (HPR) Ecosystem Solution |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5A_uX1vzvg |website=Youtube |access-date=25 September 2024}}

Open Vault storage building blocks offer high disk densities, with 30 drives in a 2U Open Rack chassis designed for easy disk drive replacement. The 3.5 inch disks are stored in two drawers, five across and three deep in each drawer, with connections via serial attached SCSI.{{Cite web |title= Open Vault Storage Hardware V0.7 OR-draco-bueana-0.7 |author= Mike Yan and Jon Ehlen |date= January 16, 2013 |url= http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_Open_Vault_Storage_Specification_v0.7.pdf |access-date= July 9, 2013 |archive-date= May 21, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130521151714/http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_Open_Vault_Storage_Specification_v0.7.pdf |url-status= dead }} This storage is also called Knox, and there is also a cold storage variant where idle disks power down to reduce energy consumption.{{Cite web |title=Under the hood: Facebook's cold storage system|date=May 4, 2015|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/1433093613662262/-under-the-hood-facebook-s-cold-storage-system-/|access-date=May 13, 2016}} Another design concept was contributed by Hyve Solutions, a division of Synnex in 2012.{{Cite web |title= Hyve Solutions Contributes Storage Design Concept to OCP Community |work= News release |date= January 17, 2013 |url= http://ir.synnex.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=733922 |access-date= July 9, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130414055759/http://ir.synnex.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=733922 |archive-date= April 14, 2013 |url-status= dead }}{{Cite web |title= Torpedo Design Concept Storage Server for Open Rack Hardware v0.3 ST-draco-chimera-0.3 |first= Conor |last= Malone |date= January 15, 2012 |url= http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_Storage_Server_for_Open_Rack_Specification_v0.3.pdf |access-date= July 9, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130521143229/http://www.opencompute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Open_Compute_Project_Storage_Server_for_Open_Rack_Specification_v0.3.pdf |archive-date= May 21, 2013 |url-status= dead }} At the OCP Summit 2016 Facebook together with Taiwanese ODM Wistron's spin-off Wiwynn introduced Lightning, a flexible NVMe JBOF (just a bunch of flash), based on the existing Open Vault (Knox) design.{{Cite web |title=Introducing Lightning: A flexible NVMe JBOF|first=Chris|last=Petersen|date=March 9, 2016|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/989638804458007/introducing-lightning-a-flexible-nvme-jbof/|access-date= May 13, 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Wiwynn Showcases All-Flash Storage Product with Leading-edge NVMe Technology|date=March 9, 2016|url=http://www.wiwynn.com/english/company/newsinfo/23|access-date= May 13, 2016}}

The OCP has published data center designs for energy efficiency. These include power distribution at 277 VAC, which eliminates one transformer stage in typical data centers, a single voltage (12.5 VDC) power supply designed to work with 277 VAC input, and 48 VDC battery backup.

{{See also|SONiC (operating system)}}

On May 8, 2013, an effort to define an open network switch was announced.{{Cite web|url=https://www.opencompute.org/news/up-next-for-the-open-compute-project-the-network|title=Up next for the Open Compute Project: The Network|author=Jay Hauser for Frank Frankovsky|date=May 8, 2013|work=Open Compute blog|access-date=June 16, 2019}} The plan was to allow Facebook to load its own operating system software onto the switch. Press reports predicted that more expensive and higher-performance switches would continue to be popular, while less expensive products treated more like a commodity (using the buzzword "top-of-rack") might adopt the proposal.{{Cite news |title= Can Open Compute change network switching? |first= David|last= Chernicoff |work= ZDNet |date= May 9, 2013 |url= https://www.zdnet.com/article/can-open-compute-change-network-switching/ |access-date= July 9, 2013 }}

The first attempt at an open networking switch by Facebook was designed together with Taiwanese ODM Accton using Broadcom Trident II chip and is called Wedge, the Linux OS that it runs is called FBOSS.{{cite web|title=Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS) from Facebook|url=https://www.sdxcentral.com/projects/facebook-open-switching-system-fboss/reports/2017/open-source-networking/|website=SDxCentral|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001142442/https://www.sdxcentral.com/projects/facebook-open-switching-system-fboss/reports/2017/open-source-networking/|archive-date=October 1, 2018|via=Internet Archive}}{{cite web|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/681382905244727/introducing-wedge-and-fboss-the-next-steps-toward-a-disaggregated-network/|title=Introducing "Wedge" and "FBOSS," the next steps toward a disaggregated network|website =Meet the engineers who code Facebook|date=June 18, 2014|access-date = 2016-05-13}}{{cite web|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/843620439027582/facebook-open-switching-system-fboss-and-wedge-in-the-open/|title=Facebook Open Switching System ("FBOSS") and Wedge in the open|website=Meet the engineers who code Facebook|date=March 10, 2015|access-date = 2016-05-13}} Later switch contributions include "6-pack" and Wedge-100, based on Broadcom Tomahawk chips.{{cite web|url=https://code.facebook.com/posts/203733993317833/opening-designs-for-6-pack-and-wedge-100/|title=Opening designs for 6-pack and Wedge 100|website=Meet the engineers who code Facebook|date=March 9, 2016|access-date = 2016-05-13}} Similar switch hardware designs have been contributed by: Accton Technology Corporation (and its Edgecore Networks subsidiary), Mellanox Technologies, Interface Masters Technologies, Agema Systems.{{cite web|url=http://www.opencompute.org/wiki/Networking/SpecsAndDesigns|title=Accepted or shared hardware specifications|website=Open Compute|access-date = 2016-05-13}} Capable of running Open Network Install Environment (ONIE)-compatible network operating systems such as Cumulus Linux, Switch Light OS by Big Switch Networks, or PICOS by Pica8.{{cite web|url=http://www.opencompute.org/wiki/Networking/ONIE/NOS_Status|title=Current Network Operating System (NOS) List|website=Open Compute|access-date = 2016-05-13}} A similar project for a custom switch for the Google platform had been rumored, and evolved to use the OpenFlow protocol.{{Cite magazine |title= Facebook Rattles Networking World With 'Open Source' Gear |date= May 8, 2013 |first= Cade|last= Metz |magazine= Wired |url= https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/05/facebook_networking/ |access-date= July 9, 2013 }}{{Cite magazine |title= Going With the Flow: Google's Secret Switch to the Next Wave of Networking |date= April 17, 2012 |first= Steven|last= Levy |magazine= Wired |url= https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/04/going-with-the-flow-google/ |access-date= July 9, 2013 }}

Sub-project for Mezzanine (NIC) OCP NIC 3.0 specification 1v00 was released in late 2019 establishing 3 form factors: SFF, TSFF, and LFF .{{Cite web |title=Server/Mezz - OpenCompute |url=https://www.opencompute.org/wiki/Server/Mezz |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=www.opencompute.org}}{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Rohit |date=2022-05-02 |title=OCP NIC 3.0 Form Factors The Quick Guide |url=https://www.servethehome.com/ocp-nic-3-0-form-factors-quick-guide-intel-broadcom-nvidia-meta-inspur-dell-emc-hpe-lenovo-gigabyte-supermicro/ |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=ServeTheHome |language=en-US}}

In March, 2015,{{cite web|title=BladeRoom Group Limited et al v. Facebook, Inc.|url=https://dockets.justia.com/docket/california/candce/5:2015cv01370/286012|website=Justia|access-date=18 February 2017}} BladeRoom Group Limited and Bripco (UK) Limited sued Facebook, Emerson Electric Co. and others alleging that Facebook has disclosed BladeRoom and Bripco's trade secrets for prefabricated data centers in the Open Compute Project.{{cite web|title=ORDER granting in part and denying in part 128 Motion to Dismiss|url=https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/candce/5:2015cv01370/286012/193|website=Justia|access-date=18 February 2017}} Facebook petitioned for the lawsuit to be dismissed,{{cite news|last1=Greene|first1=Kat|title=Facebook Wants Data Center Trade Secrets Suit Tossed|url=https://www.law360.com/ip/articles/794537/facebook-wants-data-center-trade-secrets-suit-tossed|access-date=8 March 2017|publisher=Law360|date=10 May 2016}} but this was rejected in 2017.{{cite news|last1=SVERDLIK|first1=YEVGENIY|title=Court Throws Out Facebook's Motion to Dismiss Data Center Design Lawsuit|url=http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2017/02/17/court-throws-facebooks-motion-dismiss-data-center-design-lawsuit/|access-date=8 March 2017|publisher=Data center Knowledge|date=17 February 2017}} A confidential mid-trial settlement was agreed in April 2018.{{cite web|title=Facebook settles $365m modular datacentre IP theft case with UK-based BladeRoom Group|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252438774/Facebook-settles-365m-modular-datacentre-IP-theft-case-with-UK-based-BladeRoom-Group|website=Computer Weekly|date=11 April 2018|access-date=15 March 2019}}

• {{ Annotated link | List of open-source hardware projects }}
• {{ Annotated link | Telecom Infra Project }}
• {{ Annotated link | OpenBMC }}
• {{ Annotated link | OpenPOWER Foundation }}
• {{ Annotated link | Novena (computing platform) }}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|https://www.opencompute.org/}}
• Data Centers
• [https://www.facebook.com/PrinevilleDataCenter/ Prineville Data Center]
• [https://www.facebook.com/ForestCityDataCenter/ Forest City Data Center]
• [https://www.facebook.com/AltoonaDataCenter/ Altoona Data Center]
• [https://www.facebook.com/LuleaDataCenter/ Luleå Data Center (Sweden)]
• [https://www.facebook.com/FortWorthDataCenter/ Fort Worth Data Center]
• [https://www.facebook.com/CloneeDataCenter/ Clonee Data Center (Ireland)]
• Videos
• {{YouTube|2hTfzUmdAOw|HC23-T2: The Open Compute Project}}, Hot Chips 23, 2011 2.5 Hour Tutorial
• {{YouTube|QtTF9pDQxPc|Facebook Open Compute Server}}, Facebook V1 Open Compute Server
• {{YouTube|ckNzwqhDS60|Facebook V2 Windmill Server}}
• {{YouTube|GbzQe3jO4hc|Hyve: Adapting Facebook's Servers for Your Data Center}}, Open Compute starts at 5:40
• Case Studies
• [https://www.xcloudnetworks.com/case-study/ Game publisher builds a cost-efficient, scalable data center and reduces operational complexities with OCP.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013220100/https://www.xcloudnetworks.com/case-study/ |date=2018-10-13 }}

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