Rack equipment application performance modification system and method

• US 20050076251A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Barr, Andrew Harvey, Espinoza-Ibarra, Ricardo, Bresniker, Kirk Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A rack equipment application performance modification system and method is disclosed for providing a convenient and efficient manner to modify performance of rack equipment based upon an application. In one embodiment of the present invention, a rack equipment application performance modification system comprises rack equipment, an application performance modification component, and a communication bus. The rack equipment processes information. The application performance modification component modifies performance of said rack equipment based upon an application. The communication bus communicatively couples the rack equipment and the application performance modification component and the communication bus communicates information between the application performance modification component and the rack equipment.

Claims

1. A rack equipment application performance modification system comprising:

rack equipment for processing information;

an application performance modification component for modifying performance of said rack equipment based upon an application; and

a communication bus for communicatively coupling said rack equipment and said application performance modification component, wherein said communication bus communicates information between said application performance modification component and said rack equipment.

2. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein said application performance modification component modifies a performance frequency and voltage of said rack equipment.

3. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein said modification permits consumption of a greater portion of a rack power budget by rack equipment implementing a high priority application than rack equipment implementing a low priority application.

4. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein an application performance assignment guideline sets forth rack equipment performance for a particular application.

5. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein said application performance assignment guideline allocates a portion of a rack power budget for a particular application.

6. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein an application performance assignment guideline is dynamically adjustable on the fly.

7. An application server management system of claim 1 wherein said modification is maintained within a rack power consumption and thermal budget.

8. An application performance allocation method comprising:

ascertaining application priority;

guiding apportionment of a rack equipment budget characteristic based upon said application priority; and

investigating execution of an alteration to said rack equipment budget characteristic.

9. An application performance allocation method of claim 8 wherein a performance level associated with a rack equipment budget is altered.

10. An application performance allocation method of claim 8 wherein said alteration includes turning a voltage and frequency of rack equipment associated with said application processing.

11. An application performance allocation method of claim 8 further comprising providing a correlation between said apportionment and said application.

12. An application performance allocation method of claim 8 wherein said apportionment corresponds to an agreement between a client and a host.

13. An application performance allocation method of claim 8 wherein said apportionment to said application is changed interactively.

14. A computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to implement application based performance modification instructions comprising:

an application determination module for determining an application implemented on rack equipment;

a performance allocation examination module for examining performance allocation information associated with said application; and

a performance control module for controlling performance modulation in accordance with an application performance assignment guideline.

15. A computer usable storage medium of claim 14 further comprising an application event spawning module for generating application events.

16. A computer usable storage medium of claim 14 further comprising a telemetry monitoring module for monitoring characteristics and activity of said rack equipment associated with said application.

17. A computer usable storage medium of claim 14 wherein said performance allocation information indicates power consumption and thermal dissipation budget allocation.

18. A computer usable storage medium of claim 17 wherein said performance control module controls performance adjustment in accordance with said power consumption and thermal dissipation budget allocation.

19. A computer usable storage medium of claim 14 wherein said application performance assignment guideline includes tradeoffs in the percentage of power consumption and thermal dissipation budget allocated to particular pieces of rack equipment in accordance with the business priority a client attaches to an application.

20. A computer usable storage medium of claim 14 wherein said application performance assignment guideline balances rack equipment power and thermal budget limitations on particular pieces of said rack equipment.