OCP HM - OpenRMC-DM Project Call (Mar 24, 2026)

Why It Matters

Finalizing OpenRMC‑DM’s 1.3 spec will shape standardized, rack‑scale management for GPUs and liquid‑cooling systems, giving early contributors a strategic edge in the evolving data‑center ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

• New participants introduced, including liquid cooling startup Strategic Thermal Labs.
• Discussion on OpenRMC-DM 1.2 and 1.3 specs focusing GPU telemetry.
• Call for contributions to 1.3 use cases, especially liquid cooling.
• Guidance on submitting Redfish model extensions via GitHub or DMTF portal.
• April meeting may shift due to OCP AMIA conference scheduling conflicts.

Summary

The OCP OpenRMC-DM project call on March 24, 2026 brought together core maintainers and several new contributors, notably Sharda Krishna from Strategic Thermal Labs, a Texas‑based liquid‑cooling startup, and Mitch Dinsley of Open Gear. The meeting opened with introductions, a brief login troubleshooting session, and a reminder that the session was recorded for compliance.

The discussion centered on the progress of the 1.2 and 1.3 specifications. Version 1.2, released after 1.1, adds composability and telemetry features, with a strong emphasis on GPU management—defining how GPUs are composed across systems and how telemetry is collected. Version 1.3 is envisioned as an aggregation layer, enabling single commands to control entire racks, pods, or rows, and remains open for additional use‑case submissions, especially from the newly‑joined liquid‑cooling group.

Key contributors highlighted concrete collaboration opportunities. Sharda noted that Strategic Thermal Labs’ liquid‑management controller aligns closely with the OpenRMC‑DM controller, proposing future joint demos. John Stewie outlined his plan to present the 1.2 GPU workstream to the DMTF system‑GPU workgroup and to seek input for 1.3 interface changes. Practical guidance was given on extending Redfish models: non‑members should file issues on the Redfish forum, while members can submit pull requests on the Redfish GitHub or use the DMTF portal for IP‑sensitive proposals.

The meeting concluded with logistical planning for the April session, which may need to be rescheduled around the OCP AMIA conference, and a call for volunteers to implement and test the new specifications. Closing the 1.3 spec by year‑end hinges on community contributions, making the upcoming weeks critical for vendors seeking influence over emerging data‑center management standards.