Floating set points to optimize power allocation and use in data center

• US 10,063,629 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Duncan, Tyler B., Bailey, Mark M., Toulouse, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amoroso, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US14/748,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836

Abstract

An interactive component-level visual monitoring and control (ICVMC) system of a large-scale information handling system (LIHS) displays on a display device graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that include a visual representation of data centers (DCs) each having functional components operationally configured and interconnected in a system that operates based, at least in part, on one or more set points stored in respective registers. in response to receiving a user selection, ICVMC system changes set point/s respectively in registers in at least one DC based upon a test protocol or a locally-optimized operating protocol to obtain one of a test result and a local optimization of the at least one DC.

Claims

1. A large-scale information handling system (LIHS) comprising:

more than one data center (DC) that each comprise functional components operationally configured and interconnected in a system that operates based at least in part on one or more set points stored in respective one or more registers, wherein each of the more than one DC comprises;

an infrastructure power or cooling system of the respective DC and one or more ambient monitors; and

a local controller in communication with the one or more ambient monitors, the infrastructure power or cooling system, and the one or more registers and which;

detects the one or more registers are set to enable variable set points;

receives an ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors; and

in response to detecting the enabled variable set points, configures operation of infrastructure power or cooling systems based on the received ambient condition to reduce power consumption;

an interactive component-level visual monitoring and control (ICVMC) system comprising;

a network interface in communication with the one or more registers of the one or more DCs;

a memory containing a configuration datastructure containing;

a default set point for each of the set points in the respective registers of each DC; and

a protocol for performing a variable set point procedure, the protocol comprises a locally-optimized operating protocol; and

a controller that changes the one or more set points of the one or more registers each to a variable set point based on the locally-optimized operating protocol, the controller comprising;

a processor in communication with the network interface and memory and that executes a program module to configure the ICVMC system to change the one or more set points of one or more registers in at least one DC, based upon the protocol.

2. The LIHS of claim 1, wherein:

the protocol comprises a testing protocol;

each of the one or more DCs further comprise one or more component monitors that respectively monitor at least one functional component and that communicate with a network controller; and

the controller executes the testing protocol by;

setting one or more set points of the respective one or more of the registers to a test value to cause the respective DC to operate a functional component in an abnormal state; and

monitoring the one or more component monitors of the respective DC to detect a test result of the functional component operating in the abnormal state.

3. The LIHS of claim 2, further comprising:

a display device that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) on which a control affordance can be presented;

at least one user input component capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on the GUI;

wherein the controller responds to a user selection of a user indication by;

setting the one or more set points to execute the test protocol;

displaying test results on visual representations of the DCs on the GUI; and

resetting the one or more set points to respective default set point values.

4. The LIHS of claim 1, wherein:

each of the one or more DCs further comprise one or more ambient monitors;

the protocol comprises a locally-optimized operating protocol; and

the controller communicates via the network interface to;

receive a respective ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors of a selected DC; and

dynamically setting the set points in the one or more registers of the selected DC based on the respective ambient conditions to reduce power consumption by the selected DC.

5. The LIHS of claim 4, further comprising:

a display device that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) on which a control affordance can be presented;

at least one user input component capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on the GUI;

wherein the controller responds to a user selection of the control affordance by;

setting the one or more set points to execute the locally-optimized operating protocol for one or more selected DCs;

receiving power consumption values for the one or more selected DCs; and

displaying power consumption values on visual representations of the respective one or more selected DCs on the GUI.

6. The LIHS of claim 1, further comprising a display device;

wherein the memory contains visual representations of the functional components, infrastructure systems, and the DCs; and

wherein the ICVMC system displays on the display device one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that include a visual representation and current setting of one or more registers associated with a one or more of selected DCs, functional components, and an infrastructure system.

7. An interactive component-level visual monitoring and control (ICVMC) system of a large-scale information handling system (LIHS), the ICVMC system comprising:

a network interface in communication with one or more registers of one or more data centers (DCs) that each comprise functional components operationally configured and interconnected in a system that operates based at least in part on one or more set points stored in respective registers, each DC of the one or more DCs comprising an infrastructure power or cooling system of the respective DC, and each of the one or more DCs further comprise;

one or more ambient monitors; and

a local controller in communication with the one or more ambient monitors, the infrastructure power or cooling system, and the one or more registers and which;

detects the one or more registers are set to enable variable set points;

receives an ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors; and

in response to detecting the enabled variable set points, configures operation of infrastructure systems, based on the received ambient condition, to reduce power consumption;

a memory containing a configuration datastructure containing;

a respective address of each DC;

a default set point for each of the set points in the respective registers of each DC; and

a protocol for one of testing and locally optimized operation of the functional components by controlling the one or more set points stored in the respective registers, the protocol comprising a locally-optimized operating protocol; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and memory and that executes a program module to configure the ICVMC system to;

change the one or more set points respectively in one or more registers in at least one DC based upon the protocol to obtain one of a test result and a local optimization of the at least one DC, wherein the ICVMC system changes each of the one or more set points of the one or more registers to a variable set point based on the locally-optimized operating protocol.

8. The ICVMC system of claim 7, wherein:

the protocol comprises a testing protocol;

each of the one or more DCs further comprise one or more component monitors that respectively monitor at least one functional component and that communicate with a network controller; and

the ICVMC system executes the testing protocol by;

setting one or more set points of the respective one or more of the registers to a test value to cause the respective DC to operate a functional component in an abnormal state; and

monitoring the one or more component monitors of the respective DC to detect a test result of the functional component operating in the abnormal state.

9. The ICVMC system of claim 8, further comprising:

a display device that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) on which a control affordance can be presented;

at least one user input component capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on the GUI;

wherein the ICVMC system responds to a user selection of the control affordance by;

setting the one or more set points to execute the test protocol;

displaying test results on visual representations of the DCs on the GUI; and

resetting the one or more set points to respective default set point values.

10. The ICVMC system of claim 7, wherein:

each of the one or more DCs further comprise one or more ambient monitors;

the protocol comprises a locally-optimized operating protocol; and

the ICVMC system communicates via the network interface to;

receive a respective ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors of a selected DC; and

dynamically setting the set points in the one or more registers of the selected DC based on the respective ambient conditions to reduce power consumption by the selected DC.

11. The ICVMC system of claim 10, further comprising:

a display device that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) on which a control affordance can be presented;

at least one user input component capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on the GUI;

wherein the ICVMC system responds to a user selection of the control affordance by;

setting the one or more set points to execute the locally-optimized operating protocol for one or more selected DCs;

receiving power consumption values for the one or more selected DCs; and

displaying power consumption values on visual representations of the respective one or more selected DCs on the GUI.

12. The ICVMC system of claim 7, further comprising a display device;

wherein the memory contains visual representations of the functional components, infrastructure power or cooling system of the selected DC, and the DCs; and

wherein the ICVMC system displays on the display device one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that include a visual representation and current setting of one or more registers associated with a one or more of selected DCs, functional components of selected DCs, and the infrastructure power or cooling system of selected DCs.

13. A method of variable set point testing and local optimization of a large-scale information handling system (LIHS), the method comprising:

displaying on a display device one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that include a visual representation of one or more selected data centers (DCs) that each comprise functional components operationally configured and interconnected in a system of the one or more distance that operates based at least in part on one or more set points stored in respective registers, each DC comprising an infrastructure power or cooling system of the respective DC;

receiving, via a local controller, an ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors;

detecting the variable set point;

in response to detecting the variable set point, configuring operation of a power or cooling infrastructure system of a selected DC, based on the received ambient condition, to reduce power consumption;

displaying on the display device at least one control affordance associated with a protocol for setting variable set points, the protocol comprising a locally-optimized operating protocol;

receiving a selection of one of the at least one control affordance from a user input component that is capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on the GUI; and

in response to receiving the user selection, changing one or more set points respectively in one or more registers in at least one DC, based upon the protocol, wherein the changing the one or more set points of the one or more registers comprises;

changing each to a variable set point based on the locally-optimized operating protocol in a selected DC.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the protocol comprises a testing protocol and the method further comprises:

setting one or more set points of the respective one or more of the registers to a test value to cause the respective DC to operate a functional component in an abnormal state; and

monitoring one or more component monitors that respectively monitor at least one functional component of the respective DC to detect a test result of the functional component operating in the abnormal state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying test results on visual representations of the DCs on the GUI; and

resetting the one or more set points to respective default set point values in response to one of expiration of the test protocol and receiving a user selection that indicates cancellation of the test protocol.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

each of the one or more DCs further comprise one or more ambient monitors;

the protocol comprises a locally-optimized operating protocol; and

changing the one or more set points respectively in the one or more registers in at least one DC comprises;

receiving a respective ambient condition from the one or more ambient monitors of a selected DC; and

dynamically setting the set points in the one or more registers of the selected DC based on the respective ambient conditions to reduce power consumption by the selected DC.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the visual representations comprise three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) models; and

displaying the visual representations comprises rendering the CAD models at a user selected spatial orientation.