Frequently asked questions

How are power savings calculated?

Power savings are determined by the amount of time your computer is on but not in use. For example, Idle mode is considered wasteful because the computer is using power without being actively used.

Your power savings is equal to Current Consumption minus Minimum Power Consumption. Minimum Power Consumption is the amount of time in active state per day times the Active Power Usage of the computer, for example, 70 kWh. Current Consumption is the amount of time in active and idle modes (Active Power Usage) plus Standby Power Usage, for example, 3 kWh.

These basic formulas will vary for each individual deployment. For specific parameters for setting and understanding power calculation formulas, contact your Sales Engineer or technical support. See the Power Management Calculations Documentation for detailed explanations of the calculations used in some key features of Power Management.

How realistic are the power savings calculations?

IBM Endpoint Manager's power savings calculations are based on tracking different aspects of the computer including: the time spent in each power state, the computer type (server, desktop, laptop), monitor count, and more. The results are used in combination with the electricity costs and power draw values to calculate the amount of power the computer is using.

To ensure the calculations are as accurate as possible, review the Manage Assumptions values and verify that the data, such as the cost you pay for electricity, is appropriate for your organization.

Can I see how my power management efforts are affecting my CO2 emissions?

Yes. The IBM Endpoint Manager Power Management visual power spectrum provides data on the projected CO2 savings from your power management efforts.

What is the methodology used in calculating carbon savings?

IBM Endpoint Manager carbon estimates are based on the results of research studies that determine the average carbon emissions needed to generate a kilowatt-hour of power. For more information, see the DOE Energy Information Administration website.

Are carbon savings findings robust enough to be used for external trading and regulatory reporting uses?

IBM Endpoint Manager Power Management uses carbon estimates from the US Department of Energy for the average amount of CO2 released per kilowatt-hour. Carbon emissions per kilowatt-hour will vary per region and per power source. For more information about power compliance and rules, contact your regulatory agency.

What if power settings are accidentally set on my servers and it causes a problem?

Typically, power settings are set on desktop and laptop computers rather than servers. If power settings are set on a server, the administrator has the ability to correct the issue within a matter of minutes. There are Fixlets that alert you if Standby policies are enabled on your servers.

Can I get a centralized view and control of my power management efforts?

Yes. You can centrally manage up to 250,000 endpoints with a single IBM Endpoint Manager Server. You can also view your deployment through the Web Reports feature.

Can I set different power schemes for different groups of computers?

Yes. You can apply different power schemes to a wide variety of groups of computers, including ad hoc schemes, to target specific settings for specific groups such as help desk workstations vs. mobile laptops.

How can I change the default values of cost, power draw, and CO2?

You can create and manage different cost and power assumptions for each endpoint with the Manage Custom Assumptions wizard.

Is there be a difference between the new and previous power calculations?

The new version of IBM Endpoint Manager Power Management is considered to be more accurate than previous versions. The new version improvements include: specifically tracking standby time, more granular calculations on a per-agent level, rather than averaging certain values deployment wide, and a better algorithm for calculating power used based on recent activities.

What is the resource impact of power tracking on my computer?

The calculations and tracking for IBM Endpoint Manager Power Management are relatively simple and low-cost for the agent. Enabling power management is not expected to impact users' computers in any noticeable way.

What is the Client Logging Service used for?

IBM Endpoint Manager agents version 8.0 and later have a native ability to track standby and idle times. If you do not yet have the IBM Endpoint Manager version 8.0 agent installed, you can use the Client Logging service to track these values on the computers with the older agents.