I just returned from a visit with a BMS integrator where we spent time discussing PLC controllers and monitoring systems. Unsurprisingly, OSIsoft PI came up frequently—it was a chance for me to geek out over how monitoring systems function, and how OSIsoft PI has long been the default historian software in many industrial and infrastructure settings.
That discussion brought back a memory of Pat Kennedy, the founder of OSIsoft. When I looked him up, I discovered that he had sadly passed away. At the end of this note, I’ve included a beautiful tribute his daughter Kathy wrote about him.
Why am I writing about Pat Kennedy?
Because Pat once asked a simple question that changed the trajectory of my career:
“What is the power consumption of an application in a data center?”
No one knew.
At the time, I had spent more than half of my career working on operating systems—first at Apple, focusing on hardware, analog power supplies, and software integration; then at Microsoft, from Windows 3.1 through to XP and Windows Server. I had enough technical grounding to know what questions to ask—and more importantly, what I didn’t yet know.
That question from Pat led me to discover Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), and more importantly, the startling realization that the industry lacked meaningful instrumentation for app-level power monitoring. Monitoring power consumption at the application layer simply wasn’t part of standard operating procedure.
Then, while talking to a friend about what I was uncovering—how this lack of visibility directly affected the environmental performance of data centers—he said: “That’s a great topic. You should start blogging about it.”
And that’s how my Green Data Center journey began:
With Pat Kennedy asking a smart question that no one could answer.
Here’s what his daughter Kathy wrote about him:
Here is what his daughter Kathy wrote about her dad.
Dr. J. Patrick Kennedy of San Leandro, CA | 1943 – 2023 | Obituary
J. Patrick Kennedy, 79, of San Leandro, CA passed away on April 9, 2023. Pat lost his fight with interstitial lung disease after ten months.
He was born on June 4, 1943, in Portland, Oregon, to Ted and Grace Kennedy and was raised in Lawrence, Kansas, where his parents met and married. Pat was raised on a farm south of Lawrence along with his brothers Ted and David.
Pat had a strong sense of right and wrong and stood up for what he believed in. Although this attitude had a positive effect on his life, there were moments that it caused problems. Pat actually failed to get a high school diploma. A friend of his was suspended for wearing shorts and in protest, Pat came to school the next day in shorts and was kicked out. This setback was minor, as he was already a sophomore at the University of Kansas at the time. Pat went on to earn a BS and PhD in chemical engineering, and was a Jayhawks fan for life.
Along the way, he met and married the love of his life, Patricia. They met in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Patty was working as a nurse.
Over the next nine years, Pat and Patty had three children and their small family moved several times.. They finally landed in San Leandro, CA. At age 37, he started Oil Systems Inc. (later known as OSIsoft). The firm evolved into a software company that developed monitoring products for heavy industry. He ran the business for 40 years.
He was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather and continually extended himself for those that he loved. Pat enjoyed a life of family events and activities and playing the ukulele. In the last few years, Pat focused his philanthropy on food insecurity in Alameda County.
Pat was a giant in his industry. His life’s work will continue to grow, and among other things, we will miss his unique sense of humor. Pat is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patty, three children, their spouses, grandchildren and his brother in San Diego.
