Unified extensible firmware interface: An innovative approach to DRAM power control

Abstract

As computing becomes more pervasive across an ever-increasing array of devices and as more complex solutions are integrated in silicon, the role of intelligent firmware is becoming ever more critical for enabling and unleashing advanced platform capabilities. Furthermore, since enterprise servers rarely operate at their peak capacity, efficient power capping is deemed as a critical component of modern enterprise computing environments. In this paper we present the role of platform firmware in DRAM power estimation, optimization and control. We develop firmware assisted smarts that optimizes the DRAM locality as well as enhances the accuracy of the DRAM power limiting (RAPL).