Method of Workload Generation for Rack Enclosed Systems with Open Source Tools

Operating Conditions for Rack-Enclosed systems in ECMA-74 specifies a 50% utilization of the primary system as well as secondary subsystems leaving implementation & validation to test personnel. While some testing applications are mentioned, little guidance is offered on how to properly implement and validate, nor how to proceed when the tools mentioned are not available for a given platform or architecture. Such implementation questions are difficult, lying at a nexus of hardware architecture, thermal design, and software, while simultaneously having a significant impact on the acoustic emissions of the system. Although companies and organizations may develop their own proprietary tools for testing, they may not be widely available, limited to a specific platform, or have costs associated with them. These challenges can make independent verification difficult if not impossible. This paper is intended to provide general guidance on how test personnel can develop, validate, and implement a workload meeting the requirements of ECMA-74 using open-source tools. As well as touching on how implementation can affect the observed Acoustics and desirability of revising the operating conditions specified in ECMA-74 to a usage-based procedure.