SMP and frequency scaling

Frequency management is common in laptops, primarily as a mechanism to improve battery life. This concept is spreading to desktop machines (an attempt to reduce fan noise and power consumption), and also to servers. The common thread here is that lowering the processor frequency at times of reduced load will reduce power consumption, which reduces the heat output.

This paper will explore a multi-processor implementation of frequency management, using an AMD Opteron 4-way server as a test vehicle. The multiple processors obviously introduce complexity.

Topics will include:

- the benefits of doing this, and why server customers are asking for this,

- the hardware, for case of the AMD Opteron processor,

- the various software components that make this work,

- the issues that arise, and

- some areas of exploration for follow on work.