Data Centre Hardware-Software Interoperability

Can a standardised data layer between data centre hardware and software unlock sustainability improvements that siloed systems currently miss?

Data centres are increasingly instrumented — cooling systems, power distribution units, and rack-level hardware all generate real-time telemetry on energy, water, and thermal performance. But this data rarely reaches the software layer in a usable form. Each hardware vendor exposes it differently: different APIs, different granularities, different boundaries. Operators making workload scheduling decisions, and software teams calculating SCI scores, are routinely working from estimates rather than measured values from the hardware beneath them.

The gap has direct consequences for measurement accuracy. GSF specifications including SCI, SEE, and the planned Software Water Efficiency (SWE) specification all depend on hardware-level data that, in most deployments today, is not reliably accessible at the software layer. Until there is a standardised way for hardware to expose sustainability-relevant telemetry, these frameworks will continue to rely on assumptions where they should be using measurements.

This assembly will bring together hardware OEMs, data centre operators, DCIM and monitoring software vendors, and cloud providers to examine whether a standardised interoperability layer is technically feasible and broadly adoptable. Participants will map the current landscape of hardware data exposure, identify where standardisation is tractable, and assess what a minimum viable shared data layer would need to cover. The WDPC specification will serve as a reference point throughout.

The deliverable is a consensus statement scoping the problem and identifying the most tractable areas for standardisation. If the group reaches agreement that further work is warranted, the output transitions directly into the Hardware Standards Working Group for formal specification development, with an ISO track as a potential endpoint.

What you'll produce

• A consensus statement mapping the current hardware telemetry exposure landscape across cooling, power, and rack-level infrastructure
• Agreement on which interoperability gaps are most tractable to standardise first
• A scoped problem statement and recommended next steps for the Hardware Standards Working Group
• Input into the planned Software Water Efficiency (SWE) and Software Energy Efficiency (SEE) specifications, which depend on hardware telemetry to function reliably

Who we're looking for

• Hardware OEMs with products in cooling, power distribution, or rack-level infrastructure
• Data centre operators responsible for sustainability measurement or operational efficiency
• DCIM, monitoring, or workload optimisation software vendors
• Cloud providers with sustainability or infrastructure engineering teams
• Specialists in data centre energy or water measurement frameworks
• Standards professionals with experience in hardware-software interface specifications

This assembly runs asynchronously via email using Harmony, GSF's AI-assisted consensus engine — expect to respond to one or two structured rounds per week, around 10-15 minutes each. No scheduled meetings required.