How can I enable the power-saving features on the PowerEdge R660?

To enable and configure power-saving features on the Dell PowerEdge R660, follow these step-by-step instructions across BIOS, iDRAC, and OS-level settings.

1. Enable Power-Saving Features via BIOS

Access the BIOS during server boot (press F2 when prompted) and navigate to these settings:

System Profile Settings

Go to System BIOS > System Profile Settings.
Set System Profile to Performance Per Watt (DAPC). This optimizes power efficiency while maintaining baseline performance.
Disable Dell Controlled Turbo (if not required) to prevent unnecessary CPU frequency spikes.

CPU Power Management

Under System BIOS > Processor Settings:
Enable Energy Efficient Turbo to let the CPU dynamically adjust frequencies based on workload.
Enable C-States (check C1E and C6 options) to allow the CPU to enter low-power idle states.
Set Uncore Frequency Scaling to Dynamic to optimize power distribution between CPU cores and uncore components.

Memory Power Savings

Under System BIOS > Memory Settings:
Enable Memory Power Management (if available) to allow DDR5 memory to enter low-power modes during idle.

2. Configure Power-Saving via iDRAC (Remote Management)

Use the iDRAC web interface (access via server’s IP) to adjust thermal and power policies:

Thermal Settings

Go to Configuration > System Settings > Thermal.
Set Thermal Profile to Minimum Power to prioritize energy efficiency over maximum cooling.
(Optional) Adjust Maximum Exhaust Temperature to 70°C (default) to reduce fan activity unless high ambient temperatures require stricter limits.

Power Cap Settings

Go to Configuration > System Settings > Power Management.
Enable Power Capping to set a maximum power limit (e.g., 80% of the server’s rated capacity) to prevent overconsumption during peak loads.

3. Optimize Storage and PCIe Power Settings

Storage Power Savings

For NVMe SSDs:
Access the RAID controller configuration (press Ctrl+R during boot for PERC controllers).
Enable Idle Timeout (set to 500ms) to let drives enter low-power modes when inactive.
For SATA/SAS drives:
Enable AHCI Link Power Management via the OS (see Section 4) to reduce power during idle.

PCIe Power Management

In BIOS, go to System BIOS > Integrated Devices.
Enable PCIe ASPM (Active State Power Management) to allow PCIe cards (e.g., NICs, GPUs) to enter low-power states when idle.

4. OS-Level Power Management

Configure the operating system to align with hardware power-saving features:

Windows Server

Go to Control Panel > Power Options.
Select Balanced or Power Saver plan (avoid "High Performance" unless required).
Run powercfg -h off in Command Prompt to disable hibernation (saves memory power).

Linux (e.g., RHEL, Ubuntu)

Use cpupower to enable CPU idle states:

sudo cpupower idle-set -e 1 # Enable C1E
sudo cpupower idle-set -e 2 # Enable C6

Set the CPU governor to powersave for idle systems

sudo cpupower frequency-set -g powersave

5. Validate Power Savings

Use iDRAC’s Dashboard > Power Monitoring to track real-time power consumption before/after changes.
Run racadm getsystempowerstats via iDRAC CLI to generate power usage reports.
Aim for 10-20% reduction in idle power and 5-10% under typical workloads.