Lack of ASPM Support in Mellanox Cards

Nvidia’s Mellanox cards do not support ASPM (Active State Power Management), a power management feature that helps reduce the consumption of PCI Express (PCIe) cards. This is problematic because Mellanox cards are used in many high-performance computing (HPC) systems, which often have a large number of PCIe devices that can significantly contribute to the system’s energy consumption.

But why does this matter? One of the main reasons is the environmental impact of energy consumption. HPC systems can consume a large amount of electricity, which generates greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change. By improving the energy efficiency of these systems, we can help reduce their carbon footprint and do our part to protect the environment.

ASPM is a valuable energy management feature that can significantly reduce a system’s energy consumption by allowing devices to enter a low-power state when not in use. If Mellanox cards supported ASPM, it could improve the energy efficiency of HPC systems and reduce their carbon emissions. This would be a win-win situation: it would not only help reduce our impact on the environment but also save money on electricity bills and improve the performance of HPC systems by reducing energy-related bottlenecks.

Unfortunately, despite user requests, Nvidia has not provided firmware updates to enable ASPM support on Mellanox cards. This is disappointing, as it would be a simple and effective way to improve the energy efficiency of HPC systems. It is unclear why Nvidia has not provided these updates, but the manufacturer needs to consider this matter and think about providing the necessary firmware updates.

In the meantime, we need to continue exploring ways to improve the energy efficiency of HPC systems and reduce their environmental impact. This may include using more efficient hardware, optimizing software and algorithms, and implementing other energy management techniques. For example, some HPC systems use power capping or dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) to limit the energy consumption of individual components.

By focusing on energy-efficient technologies and practices, we can help reduce the carbon footprint of HPC systems and make a positive impact on the world.