System and method for server rack power management

• US 10,146,295 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, John R., Ahmed, Sajjad, Masuyama, Jinsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Alan
• Application Number:
  US15/222,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 713320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A server rack includes a management controller, a power mapping module coupled to the management controller, and a plurality of power receptacles. Each power receptacle is coupled to the power mapping module to provide an indication to the power mapping module of the power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle. The management controller is operable to determine that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a high power threshold and throttle a first piece of equipment installed in the rack.

Claims

1. A server rack comprising:

a baseboard management controller; and

a plurality of power receptacles, wherein each power receptacle provides an indication of the power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

wherein the baseboard management controller is operable to;

receive the indications from the power receptacles;

determine that the power consumed by a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a high power threshold based upon the indications;

throttle the first piece of equipment installed in the server rack in response to determining that the power consumed by the first piece of equipment is greater than a high power threshold;

determine that the power consumed by a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold based upon the indications; and

power down the second piece of equipment installed in the server rack in response to determining that the power consumed by the second piece of equipment is less than the first low power threshold.

2. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the baseboard management controller is further operable to throttle a processor of the first piece of equipment.

3. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the baseboard management controller is further operable to throttle a memory of the first piece of equipment.

4. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the baseboard management controller is further operable to throttle a running average power of the first piece of equipment.

5. The server rack of claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller is further operable to:

determine that the power consumed by a third piece of equipment installed in the server rack is less than a second first low power threshold; and

power the third piece of equipment from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

6. The server rack of claim 5, wherein the baseboard management controller is further operable to:

determine that the power consumed by the third piece of equipment installed in the server rack is less than a third low power threshold, the third low power threshold being lower than the second low power threshold; and

power the third piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered off state.

7. A method comprising:

installing equipment in a server rack;

coupling each piece of equipment to a power receptacle of the server rack;

providing, by each power receptacle, an indication to a management controller of the server rack, the indication indicating a power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a high power threshold based on the indications from the power receptacles;

throttling the first piece of equipment in response to determining that the power consumed by the first piece of equipment is greater than the high power threshold;

determining that the power consumed by a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold based upon the indications; and

powering down the second piece of equipment in response to determining that the power consumed by the second piece of equipment is less than the first low power threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a processor of the first piece of equipment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a memory of the first piece of equipment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a running average power of the first piece of equipment.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by a third piece of equipment installed in the rack is less than a second low power threshold; and

powering the second piece of equipment from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the third piece of equipment is less than a third low power threshold, the third low power threshold being lower than the second low power threshold; and

powering the third piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered off state.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

providing, by a plurality of power receptacles, an indication to a management controller of a server rack, the indication indicating a power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a high power threshold based on the indications from the power receptacles;

throttling the first piece of the equipment in response to determining that the power consumed by the first piece of equipment is greater than the high power threshold;

determining that the power consumed by a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold based upon the indications; and

powering down the second piece of equipment rack in response to determining that the power consumed by the second piece of equipment is less than the first low power threshold.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a processor of the first piece of equipment.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a memory of the first piece of equipment.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a running average power of the first piece of equipment.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by a third piece of equipment installed in a server rack is less than a second low power threshold; and

powering the third piece of equipment from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the third piece of equipment is less than a third low power threshold, the third low power threshold being lower than the second low power threshold; and

powering the third piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered off state.