I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6278 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 2, 2012 Mr. Connolly of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To optimize Federal data center usage and efficiency.

1.

Short title; table of contents

(a)

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Data Center Optimization Act. (b)

Table of contents

The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Purpose. Sec. 3. Definitions. Sec. 4. Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative. Sec. 5. Performance requirements related to data center consolidation. Sec. 6. Disposition of savings from data consolidation. Sec. 7. Reporting requirements to Congress and the Federal Chief Information Officer. Sec. 8. Agencies included in the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative.

2.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to optimize Federal data center usage and efficiency.

3.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative

The term Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative means the initiative developed and implemented pursuant to section 4. (2)

Covered agency

The term covered agency means any agency included in the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative pursuant to section 8. (3)

Federal Chief Information Officer

The term Federal Chief Information Officer means the chief information officer of the Office of Management and Budget. (4)

Data Center

The term data center means any room that is devoted to data processing servers, including server closets (typically less than 200 square feet) and server rooms (typically less than 500 square feet), within a conventional building, and larger spaces in any building dedicated to housing servers, storage devices, and network equipment, but the term does not include facilities that are exclusively devoted to communications and network equipment (such as telephone exchanges) and telecommunications rooms and closets. (5)

Desktop Virtualization

The term desktop virtualization means any technology that creates a virtual version of an information technology device or resource and is used to separate a computer desktop environment from the physical computer. (6)

Virtualization

The term virtual­i­za­tion means the simulation of the software or hardware, or both, upon which other software runs which allows servers to be consolidated in ratios of 5:1 up to 25:1. The use of virtualization technology is both an instrumental and necessary component to achieve increases in server utilization rates. This simulated environment is called a virtual machine (VM). (7)

Federal Data Center

The term Federal data center means any data center of a covered agency used or operated by a covered agency, by a contractor of a covered agency, or by another organization on behalf of a covered agency. (8)

Power Utilization Effectiveness

The term power utilization effectiveness means the ratio obtained by dividing the total amount of electricity and other power consumed in running a data center by the power consumed by the information and communications technology in the data center. (9)

Server Utilization

The term server utilization refers to the activity level of a server relative to its maximum activity level during peek hours of operation, expressed as a percentage. (10)

Cloud Computing

The term cloud computing, as defined by National Institute of Standards and Technology, means a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. The model is composed of the following: (A)Five essential characteristics, which are on-demand service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. (B)Three service models, which are software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. (C)Four deployment models, which are private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud.

4.

Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative

(a)

Requirement for initiative

The Federal Chief Information Officer, in consultation with the chief information officers of covered agencies, shall develop and implement an initiative to optimize the usage and efficiency of Federal data centers by meeting the requirements of this Act and taking additional measures, as appropriate. (b)

Requirement for plan

Within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Chief Information Officer, in consultation with the chief information officers of covered agencies, shall develop and submit to Congress a consolidated plan for implementation of the initiative by each agency. The agency consolidation plans must include descriptions of how agencies will use reductions in floor space, energy use, infrastructure, equipment, applications, personnel, increases in multiorganizational use, and other appropriate methods to meet the requirements of the initiative. The agency consolidation plans must also be included in, and consistent with, the President’s annual budget submission materials, including the detailed budget justifications and appropriations estimates.

5.

Performance requirements related to data center consolidation

(a)

Server utilization

(1)

75 percent

Each covered agency shall meet or exceed 75 percent average server utilization in agency data centers by 2015. (2)

Methods to achieve requirement

Each covered agency shall use the following methods to meet the requirement in paragraph (1): (A)The closing of existing data centers that have an average server utilization of under 65 percent. If the agency fails to close data centers with a utilization of under 65 percent, the agency must provide a detailed explanation as to why this data center should remain in use as part of the submitted plan. The Federal Chief Information Officer will include an assessment of the agency explanation in the annual report to Congress. (B)The use of virtualization technology to achieve the consolidation of services within existing data centers to increase server utilization rates. (C)Shifting to a cloud first policy, under which agencies shall use one or more of the following: (i)Use commercial cloud technologies where feasible and cost effective by migrating agency data and government-provided services from agency owned and operated data centers to cloud computing services generally available with the private sector. (ii)Launch private government cloud services within an agency, or share resources across several agencies where more feasible and cost-effective in comparison to use of public cloud services. (iii)Use regional clouds with State and local governments where appropriate. (D)The consolidation of data centers across agencies. (E)Other methods identified by chief information offices of the agencies and the Federal Chief Information Officer. (b)

Power utilization effectiveness

Each covered agency shall achieve an average power utilization effectiveness for its data centers of 1.2 or less by 2015. (c)

Power metering

(1)This Act authorizes a pilot program be established at the Department of Defense aimed at researching innovative ways to achieve full metering. (2)The covered agency must establish other methods to obtain accurate data to measure power utilization effectiveness subject to the approval of the Federal Chief Information Officer. (d)

Desktop Virtualization

Each covered agency shall use desktop virtualization with existing workstations to the extent that is practicable, to save equipment replacement costs and improve the security posture of enpoint devices by migrating end user data from the device into the private cloud of the agency. (e)

Efficient Information Technology

Each covered agency shall give high priority to replacement of data center servers and other information technology equipment with more efficient equipment, using a baseline including the physical to virtual consolidation ratio and other criteria developed by the Federal Chief Information Officer in consultation with agency chief information officers.

6.

Disposition of savings from data consolidation

(a)

Requirement To track costs

(1)

In general

Each covered agency shall track costs resulting from implementation of the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative within the agency and submit a report on those costs annually to the Federal Chief Information Officer. Covered agencies shall determine the net costs from data consolidation on an annual basis. (2)

Factors

In calculating net costs each year under paragraph (1), a covered agency shall use the following factors: (A)Energy costs. (B)Personnel costs. (C)Real Estate costs. (D)Capital expense costs. (E)Operating system, database, and other software license expense costs. (F)Other appropriate costs, as determined by the agency in consultation with the Federal Chief Information Officer. (b)

Requirement To track savings

(1)

In general

Each covered agency shall track savings resulting from implementation of the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative within the agency and submit a report on those savings annually to the Federal Chief Information Officer. Covered agencies shall determine the net savings from data consolidation on an annual basis. (2)

Factors

In calculating net savings each year under paragraph (1), a covered agency shall use the following factors: (A)Energy savings. (B)Personnel savings. (C)Real Estate savings. (D)Capital expense savings. (E)Operating system, database and other software license expense savings. (F)Other appropriate savings, as determined by the agency in consultation with the Federal Chief Information Officer. (c)

Cost effective measures

Covered agencies shall use the most cost effective measures to implement the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative. (d)

Use of savings

Any savings resulting from implementation of the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative within a covered agency shall be used for the following purposes: (1)To offset the costs of implementing the Initiative within the agency. (2)To further enhance information technology capabilities and services within the agency. (e)

Comptroller General report

Not later than three months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall examine methods for calculating savings from the Initiative and using them for the purposes identified in subsection (c), including establishment and use of a special revolving fund that supports data centers and server optimization, and shall submit to the Federal Chief Information Officer and Congress a report on the Comptroller General’s findings and recommendations. The Federal Chief Information Officer shall take those findings and recommendations into account in developing the plan under section 4(b).

7.

Reporting requirements to Congress and the Federal Chief Information Officer

(a)

Agency Requirement To report to CIO

Each year, each covered agency shall submit to the Federal Chief Information Officer a report on the implementation of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative. The report shall include an update of the agency’s plan for implementing the Initiative. (b)

Federal Chief Information Officer requirement To report to Congress

Each year, the Federal Chief Information Officer shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a consolidated report that assesses agency progress in carrying out the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative and updates the plan under section 4(b). The report may be included as part of the annual report required under section 3606 of title 44, United States Code. This report may also be included in the agency budget submissions to the Office of Management and Budget.

8.

Agencies included in the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative

The following agencies shall be covered by the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative: (1)

Current agencies

Each agency described in section 901(b) of title 31, United States Code. (2)

Additional agencies

Such other additional agencies as the Federal Chief Information Officer determines appropriate, after examining whether additional agencies should be covered by the Initiative and including the results of such examination in the plan under section 4(b) and updates under section 7.