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Xerox PARC Plans Data Center Software

The Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed data center management software.

The Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed data center management software and is in talks with large data center users about the new tools, according to Greentech Media. The software evolved from Xerox tools to manage complex printing tasks, which coordinated activity of different parts of the printer system. An excerpt:

Using the same reasoning, PARC has developed software that can reduce servers' energy usage by 30 percent (or, more likely, allow data centers to provide 30 percent more service using the same energy), he said. The software basically predicts demand, allowing data centers to prioritize and manage jobs more efficiently, he said. Similar control software could be used to monitor and control electricity demand on the grid or in buildings, he said, but the first application is likely to be increasing data-center efficiency.

As background, PARC has developed many major technology innovations, including laser printing, distributed computing and Ethernet, the graphical user interface (GUI), object-oriented programming, and ubiquitous computing. PARC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox Corporation.