[Review]: Open Compute Project (OCP)

by Davoud Teimouri · 06/06/2018

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What is Open Compute Project (OCP)

The Open Compute Project (OCP) is a collaborative community focused on redesigning hardware technology to efficiently support the growing demands on compute infrastructure.

In 2009, Facebook was growing exponentially, offering new services and giving millions of people a platform to share photos and videos. Looking ahead, the company realized that it had to rethink its infrastructure to accommodate the huge influx of new people and data, and also control costs and energy consumption.

That’s when Facebook started a project to design the world’s most energy efficient data center, one that could handle unprecedented scale at the lowest possible cost. A small team of engineers spent the next two years designing and building one from the ground up: software, servers, racks, power supplies, and cooling. The result now stands in Prineville, Oregon.

It was 38% more energy efficient to build and 24% less expensive to run than the company’s previous facilities and has led to even greater innovation.

In 2011, Facebook shared its designs with the public and along with Intel and Rackspace, Goldman Sachs and Andy Bechtolsheim launched the Open Compute Project and incorporated the Open Compute Project Foundation. The five members hoped to create a movement in the hardware space that would bring about the same kind of creativity and collaboration they see in open source software. And that’s exactly what’s happening.

OCP Mission

The Open Compute Project Foundation is a rapidly growing, global community whose mission is to design, use, and enable mainstream delivery of the most efficient designs for scalable computing.

They believe that openly sharing ideas, specifications, and other intellectual property is the key to maximizing innovation and reducing complexity in tech components.

The Open Compute Project Foundation provides a structure in which individuals and organizations can share their intellectual property with others and encourage the IT industry to evolve.

In designing commodity hardware that is more efficient, flexible, and scalable, they’re redefining tech infrastructure. Together, they’re throwing off the shackles of proprietary, one-size-fits-all gear.

OCP Vision

As technologists across industries participate in this community, they are creating and refining more designs, making it possible for more companies to transition from their old, proprietary solutions to OCP gear.

In response, hardware manufacturers are changing their offerings to keep up with our innovations and meet the market’s changing needs and expectations.

They know that as they move more services to the cloud, handle more data, and bring connectivity to the world, they must do it in the most efficient, economical, and sustainable way. Hardware must become a commoditized and evolving set of products optimized for these challenges.

They believe open collaboration is the best way to get there.

OCP Tentes

To insure a level of consistency in our contributions, OCP requires that all contributions meet three out of the four core OCP tenets below:

Efficiency
Scalability
Openness
Impact

OCP Marketplace

OCP offers two lines for products:

OCP Accepeted
OCP Inspired

OCP Accepted

Products that carry the OCP Accepted recognition comply 100% with an OCP accepted specification and the design files are open sourced and available.

OCP Inspired

Products that carry the OCP Inspired recognition comply 100% with an OCP accepted specification and are available from a Gold, Silver or Platinum member of OCP.