Apparatus, method and program product for automatically distributing power to modules within a server

• US 20040103327A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dake, Gregory William, Franke, Jeffery Michael, Johnson, Donald Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

In a chassis based server a programmed processor determines the fabric type that allows the maximum numbers of processor modules and switches to be powered on. The processor then allows power to be applied to processor modules and switches whose fabric type is the same as the determined fabric type.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a chassis;

n modules operatively mounted in said chassis, wherein n>

1;

m connectors operatively mounted in said chassis, wherein m>

than 1 and said connectors providing interconnection between the n modules and interconnection between said n modules and communications highway;

a high speed interconnect module operatively coupling the n modules to the m connectors; and

a controller that interrogates the modules and the connectors and based upon responses received causes selected ones of said modules and connectors to be placed in a power-on state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including at least one daughter card operatively connected to at least one of said n modules.

3. The apparatus of claims 1 or 2 wherein at least one of said modules is a management module.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller is placed on the management module.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further including a first bus interconnecting the management module to the other modules;

and

a second bus interconnecting the management module to said switches.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further including at least one processor operatively mounted on at least one of the modules, said at least one processor monitoring status including temperature, media type and voltage and forwarding selected information to said management module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connectors include switches.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the switches include ethernet.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the switches include fibre.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connectors include serial port connector.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the high speed interconnect module includes a support member;

plurality of transmission channels operatively fabricated on the support member; and

receptacles operatively connected to selective ones of the transmission channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the transmission channels include wire conductor fabricated as lands on said support member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller includes a processor and a program to be executed on said processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the program includes a first set of instructions to determine fabric type;

a second set of instructions to analyze the fabric type information and determine fabric configuration resulting in maximum number of modules/connectors to be powered on; and

third set of instructions to allow power on.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the allowing power act for a module includes the act of not granting permission to the module to power on.

24. The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the modules include blades.

15. A method to provide electrical power to modules and connectors of a server comprising acts of:

(a) determining fabric type of said modules;

(b) determining fabric type of said connectors;

(c) determining the fabric type that results in the most modules/connectors being powered on; and

(d) allowing power to be applied to modules and connectors whose fabric types are similar to the fabric type determined in step (c).

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the allowing power act for a module includes the acts of granting permission to the module to power on.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the allowing act for a connecter includes the act of powering up the connector.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the allowing act for a connector further includes the act of not powering up the connector.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the determining fabric type act further includes the act of querying the modules to detect fabric type.

21. The method of claim 15 further including the acts of querying the connectors to detect fabric type.

22. A management module comprising:

a processor;

a software program to be executed on said processor, said program including a first set of instructions to determine fabric type;

a second set of instructions to analyze the fabric type information and determine fabric configuration resulting in maximum number of modules/connectors to be powered on;

third set of instructions to allow power on; and

a port controller providing communication facilities between said processor and external devices.

23. A program product comprising:

a media on which computer readable information is recorded, said computer readable information including;

a first instruction set for determining fabric type;

a second instruction set for analyzing fabric type information and determining fabric type resulting in maximum number of modules/connectors being powered on; and

third instruction set for allowing modules/connectors similar to the determined fabric type to be powered on.