Targeted Power Plugin#

The Targeted Power plugin detects a GPU that cannot reach a configured minimum board-power threshold under sustained compute load. Such a result can expose a power-delivery, GPU loading, or performance limitation; an enforced power limit that makes the target unattainable is reported separately as a configuration constraint.

Availability and prerequisites#

The canonical test name is targeted_power. It runs on selected physical GPUs. Run it on idle GPUs: competing workloads and an enforced power limit below the configured target can prevent a meaningful target-power result.

Behavior#

This test’s core purpose is to sustain a high level of power usage. It relies on CUDA and performs large matrix multiplications simultaneously on each GPU in order to keep the GPUs busy and drawing power. Each GPU has a large workload that is sustained throughout the test; the workload does not pulse.

Parameters#

The following table lists the global parameters for the targeted power plugin:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
test_duration	Double	120.0	This is the time in seconds that the test should run.
target_power	Double	Product-specific; plugin fallback is 100.0	Target board power, in watts. The installed SKU configuration normally overrides the plugin fallback.
target_power_min_ratio	Double	0.75	Minimum fraction of `target_power` that must be reached for the test to pass. `0.75` means 75%.
use_dgemm	Bool	True	If set to true, the test will use 64 bit precision in its matrix multiplications instead of 32 bit.
is_allowed	Bool	False	Specifies whether or not this test is allowed to run.

Examples#

Run the power test for 10 minutes:

$ dcgmi diag -r targeted_power -p targeted_power.test_duration=600.0

Run the level 3 diagnostic with a 5 minute targeted power test:

$ dcgmi diag -r 3 -p targeted_power.test_duration=300.0

Run the target power test targeting 200 W of power usage:

$ dcgmi diag -r targeted_power -p targeted_power.target_power=200.0

Run the level 4 test, skipping targeted power:

$ dcgmi diag -r 4 -p targeted_power.is_allowed=false

Run the targeted power test, using single precision (32 bit):

$ dcgmi diag -r targeted_power -p targeted_power.use_dgemm=false

Results and failure conditions#

Targeted Power results#
Condition	Result or code	Interpretation
Maximum observed board power is below `target_power_min_ratio * target_power`.	`DCGM_FR_TARGET_POWER`; fail	The GPU did not reach the configured power threshold. The message can include a utilization note when another workload affected the run.
The enforced power limit is too low for the configured minimum to be attainable.	`DCGM_FR_ENFORCED_POWER_LIMIT`; skip for that GPU	This is a configuration constraint, not evidence that the GPU failed under an attainable target.
DCGM cannot obtain the board-power statistic needed for evaluation.	`DCGM_FR_CANNOT_GET_STAT`; fail	The test cannot make its target-power determination.
A common monitored condition occurs, including an uncorrectable memory error, XID, failed or pending row remap, thermal violation, or an enabled SBE threshold violation.	Fail with the condition-specific `DCGM_FR_*` code	See Diagnostic Errors for the reported condition.
CUDA setup, host-memory allocation, a DCGM call, or another execution operation fails.	`DCGM_FR_CUDA_API`, `DCGM_FR_MEMORY_ALLOC_HOST`, `DCGM_FR_DCGM_API`, or `DCGM_FR_INTERNAL`; fail	The workload did not complete. These are not target-power findings.
The plugin is disabled.	`DCGM_FR_TEST_DISABLED`; skip	Numbered-suite or product configuration did not allow the workload.
The run is interrupted.	`DCGM_FR_ABORTED`; skip	No completed target-power result was produced.