System and method for throttling power in one or more information handling systems

• US 20050102544A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sauber, William F., Brewer, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

An information handling system includes support for dynamic power throttling. In one embodiment, an information handling system includes power level detection and power control modules. The power level detection module may monitor power consumption for the information handling system and may automatically transmit power level data to a power level manager, based on the monitored power consumption. The power control module may receive power control data from the power level manager. The power control module may also automatically adjust power consumption of the information handling system, in accordance with the power control data received from the power level manager. In another embodiment, an information handling system may include an interface and a power level manager. The power level manager may receive power information for computers via the interface, may automatically compute an adjusted power threshold setting, and may automatically transmit the adjusted power threshold setting to a computer.

Claims

1. A method of controlling power consumption of a group of information handling systems that use a common power source, the method comprising:

storing an aggregate power limit for a group of information handling systems;

monitoring individual power consumption levels for the information handling systems;

automatically calculating an aggregate power consumption for the group of information handling systems, based on the individual power consumption levels;

automatically determining whether the aggregate power consumption for the group of information handling systems approaches the aggregate power limit;

in response to determining that the aggregate power consumption approaches the aggregate power limit, automatically selecting at least one information handling system among the group for power reduction; and

in response to determining that the aggregate power consumption approaches the aggregate power limit, automatically communicating with the selected information handling system to cause the selected information handling system to reduce power consumption.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of monitoring individual power consumption levels for the information handling systems comprises:

receiving power information from the information handling systems via a power line.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the power line that carries the power information comprises a conductor that provides power from the circuit breaker to the information handling systems.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of automatically communicating with the selected information handling system to cause the selected information handling system to reduce power consumption comprises:

communicating with the selected information handling system via a power line.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of monitoring individual power consumption levels for the information handling systems comprises:

receiving power information reported from a power level detection module within each of the information handling systems.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of monitoring individual power consumption levels for the information handling systems comprises:

reading power information from at least one device within at least one of the information handling systems.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the operation of reading power information from at least one device within at least one of the information handling systems comprises:

obtaining extended display identification data from the device.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a power limit for at least one of the information handling systems in the at least one information handling system during a manufacturing process, before shipping the at least one information handling system to a customer.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a power priority setting for at least one of the information handling systems in the at least one information handling system, during a manufacturing process, based on information provided by a customer, before shipping the at least one information handling system to the customer.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing individual power limits for the information handling systems in the information handling systems during a manufacturing process, based on information regarding a deployment environment for the information handling systems, before shipping the information handling systems to a customer; and

storing individual power priority settings for the information handling systems in the information handling system, during a manufacturing process, based on information regarding the deployment environment for the information handling systems, before shipping the information handling systems to the customer.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of monitoring individual power consumption levels for multiple information handling systems comprises:

receiving a slave power packet from at least one of the information handling systems, the slave power packet including a request for permission to modify power consumption.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the operation of automatically and dynamically determining whether the aggregate power consumption approaches the aggregate power limit comprises:

determining whether the request for permission to modify power consumption, if granted, would exceed the aggregate power limit.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation of monitoring individual power consumption levels for the information handling systems comprises monitoring computers that draw power from a shared circuit breaker; and

the operation of storing an aggregate power limit comprises storing trip point data that corresponds to a current trip point for the shared circuit breaker.

14. A method for dynamically throttling power consumption of information handling systems, the method comprising:

receiving power information from power level detection modules of multiple computers;

in response to receiving the power information, automatically computing an adjusted power threshold setting for at least one of the computers; and

in response to computing the adjusted power threshold setting, automatically transmitting the adjusted power threshold setting to a power control module for the at least one computer.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the operation of receiving power information from power level detection modules of multiple computers comprises:

receiving a slave power packet from at least one of the computers, the slave power packet including a request for permission to modify power consumption of the at least one computer.

16. An information handling system with support for dynamic power throttling, the information handling system comprising:

an interface operable to communicate with multiple computers; and

a power level manager in communication with the interface, wherein the power level manager performs operations comprising;

receiving power information for each of the computers;

in response to receiving the power information, automatically computing an adjusted power threshold setting for at least one of the computers; and

in response to computing the adjusted power threshold setting, automatically transmitting the adjusted power threshold setting to the least one computer.

17. An information handling system according to claim 16, wherein:

the interface comprises a power line data interface; and

the power level manager transmits the adjusted power threshold setting over a power line via the power line data interface.

18. An information handling system with support for dynamic power throttling, the information handling system comprising:

a power level detection module operable to communicate with a power level manager; and

a power control module operable to communicate with the power level manager, wherein;

the power level detection module monitors power consumption for the information handling system;

the information handling system automatically transmits power level data to the power level manager, based on the monitored power consumption;

the power control module receives power control data from the power level manager; and

the power control module automatically adjusts power consumption of the information handling system, in accordance with the power control data received from the power level manager.

19. An information handling system according to claim 18, wherein the power control data comprises a power threshold setting.

20. An information handling system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a power supply that converts alternating current to direct current; and

wherein the power level detection module resides within the power supply.

21. An information handling system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a power line data interface in communication with a power line; and

wherein the power control module receives the power control data from the power level manager via the power line data interface.

22. An information handling system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a power supply that converts alternating current from a source of electricity to direct current; and

wherein the power line data interface resides within the power supply.

23. An information handling system according to claim 18, further comprising:

multiple slave computers that draw power from a shared circuit breaker having a predetermined trip point, each slave computer containing a power level detection module and a power control module according to claim 18;

and

a master computer containing a power level manager according to claim 18, wherein the master computer automatically and dynamically adjusts power thresholds for each of the slave computers, to prevent the slave computers from exceeding the trip point of the shared circuit breaker.

24. A method of supporting dynamic power throttling in an information handling system, the method comprising:

monitoring power consumption for an information handling system;

automatically transmitting power level data from the information handling system to a power level manager, based on the monitored power consumption;

receiving power control data from the power level manager at the information handling system; and

automatically adjusting power consumption of the information handling system, in accordance with the power control data received from the power level manager.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the operation of automatically transmitting power level data from the information handling system to a power level manager comprises:

utilizing a network module to transmit the power level data.

26. A method for dynamically throttling current draw of computers on a common circuit, the method comprising:

receiving current information from current level detection modules of multiple computers on a common circuit;

in response to receiving the current information, automatically computing an adjusted current threshold setting for at least one of the computers; and

in response to computing the adjusted current threshold setting, automatically transmitting the adjusted current threshold setting to a current control module for the at least one computer.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

automatically determining whether an aggregate current draw of the multiple computers approaches a breaker threshold for a breaker on the common circuit; and

if the aggregate current draw approaches the breaker threshold, automatically transmitting the adjusted current threshold setting to at least one of the computers, to preventing the aggregate current draw of the multiple computers from exceeding the breaker threshold.

28. A method for throttling current in an information handling system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer, user input that specifies a current limit for the computer;

receiving current information from a current level detection module in the computer; and

automatically throttling current draw of the computer to prevent the current draw from exceeding the current limit, based on the current limit and the current information.