Podcast #99: Lenovo Discusses the Benefits of Liquid Cooling

While in Raleigh recently, Brian had a chance to visit Lenovo and talk to Scott Tease about HPC, Liquid Cooling, and F1 racing. Scott is currently Vice President, General Manager HPC and AI WW at Lenovo, but has been in the HPC world for many years. He has been with Lenovo, through System X, for almost 8 years and prior to that 14 years with IBM.

Lenovo Liquid Cooled 1U Servers

Brian’s guests are always knowledgeable and passionate about the technology they support and Scott is no exception. In fact, it would be unkind to limit his passion to HPC when he is truly concerned with the environment, energy consumption, efficiency, and helping customers get the most from the available technology offered. You can hear it in his descriptions, explaining how the right technology can help with controlling our carbon footprint.

The conversation covered everything from what is currently happening with Lenovo, specifically HPC, moving into the enterprise space, liquid cooling versus air cooling and why that matters, and what is forcing this trend. It is an intelligent view of where we are technically and how the move to liquid cooling will drive down costs for the future. Definitely a podcast worth watching or just listening in.

If you don’t have time to attend the entire 45-minute podcast, we have timestamped the conversation below. Skip around if you like.

Minute

00:00 Brian’s introduction

Where is Lenovo with HPC
Some history and the future
What customers are doing today
HPC and the Enterprise

05:00 What is the main purpose for HPC

F1 racing and racetrack references
climate and changing patterns
HPC is used for EVERYTHING
Brian watches the fishing channel!?
- Tuna humor

10:00 Liquid cooling

Been around for a decade
Reasons to go Liquid
Costs are driving change and acceptance
Liquid versus Air
Liquid changes the dynamics

15:00 Power/Environment/Benefits

Scott talks about the ThinkSystem SD650-N
Reaction to Liquid Cooling
- The fear

20:00 Home gaming

How it works in all systems
Lifespan of liquid servers
Adding life to components

25:00 Where it’s headed

Why Liquid?

30:00 Partnering

Challenges
Recent successes
How SR uses open-air cooling in the lab in Ohio
- it’s cold in Cinncinnatti! (an editorial comment)
Even small businesses benefit from liquid cooling
- how they are dealing with heat dispersion
Where are installs happening today
Cooling Distribution Unit (CDU)
Liquid to Air cooling

35:00 Impact of design

Power budgets
- Fans
- Densities

40:00 Use of Schedulers

What’s next
Lenovo is a leader in the HPC space

Video pod on YouTube

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2 years ago

Harold Fritts

I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology.