Rack level power management

• US 20060082222A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevermore Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsemi Corp. - Analog Mixed Signal Group, Ltd. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pincu, David, Ferentz, Alon, Blaut, Roni, Korcharz, Dror, Giat, Yaniv
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/001 limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1457 Power distribution arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for rack level power management, the system comprising: at least one power source; a management module; and a plurality of power managed modules in communication with the management module and connected to draw power from the at least one power source, each of the plurality of power managed modules comprising a power manager and an operating circuit, the operating circuit being operable at a plurality of power drawing levels responsive to the power manager, the management module being operative to allocate a power budget to each of the plurality of power managed modules and communicate the allocated power budgets to the power managers, each of the power managers being operative to control the operating circuit of the power managed module to be operable at a power drawing level within the allocated budget.

Claims

1. A system for rack level power management, the system comprising:

at least one power source;

a management module; and

a plurality of power managed modules in communication with said management module and connected to draw power from said at least one power source, each of said plurality of power managed modules comprising a power manager and an operating circuit, said operating circuit being operable at a plurality of power drawing levels responsive to said power manager,

said management module being operative to allocate a power budget to each of said plurality of power managed modules and communicate said allocated power budgets to said power managers,

each of said power managers being operative to control said operating circuit of said power managed module to be operable at a power drawing level within said allocated budget.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said management module is connected to receive an indication of power availability from said at least one power source, said power budgets being allocated responsive said received indication.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said management module is operative to allocate power budgets on the basis of priority, each of said power managed modules being assigned a priority.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of power managed modules exhibits a minimum required power and an additional power level in excess of said minimum required power, said management module being operative to assign a power budget for said minimum required power for each of said plurality of power managed modules, and in the event that additional power is available, to allocate a power budget for said additional power level of at least one of said plurality of power managed modules.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said power budget for said additional power level is allocated on a priority basis.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of power managers comprises a power meter, said power manager of each of said plurality of power managers receiving an indication of power drawn from said power meter.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of power managed modules is selected from the group consisting of power over a Ethernet enabled switch, a switch, a hub, a concentrator, a computing equipment, a power sourcing device, and a telecommunication module.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said operating circuit of at least one of said plurality of power managed modules comprises a power sourcing device operable for use with a power ready patch panel.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one power source and said management module are comprised within a single equipment shelf.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said management module is further operative to input a total power available, said allocated power budgets being responsive to said input total available power.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one module not comprising a power manager, said management module being operative to reduce the power requirements of said at least one module from said input total available power.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said management module is further operative to transmit at least one power budget scenario, said management module being further operative to monitor a condition of said at least one power source, and in the event of a change in said monitored condition, to broadcast a command to said plurality of power managed modules, said plurality of power managed modules being operative to adhere to said at least one power budget scenario responsive to said broadcast command.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a first bus and a second bus, wherein said management module is operative to transmit said at least one power budget scenario via said first bus and to broadcast said command via said second bus.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said first bus and said second bus in arranged in a closed ring arrangement.

15. A system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one communication bus arranged in a closed ring configuration, said management module being operative to communicate said allocated power budgets via said at least one communication bus.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said management module is further operative to monitor a loop back of said at least one communication bus, and in the event that said communicated allocated power budgets are not received via said monitored loop back, to communicate said allocated power budgets via said loop back.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein said power manager of at least one said plurality of power managed modules is further operative to sense a reduced voltage, and responsive to sensed reduced voltage to control said operating circuit associated with said power manager to reduce power drawn.

18. A method of rack level power management comprising:

providing at least one power source;

providing a plurality of power managed modules connected to draw power from said at least one power source;

allocating a power budget to each of said provided plurality of power managed modules; and

transmitting said allocated power budgets to said plurality of power managed modules,

each of said power managed modules controlling said drawn power to be within said transmitted allocated power budget.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an indication of power availability from said at least one power source,

said allocating being responsive said received indication.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said allocating is at least partially on the basis of priority.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein said provided plurality of power managed modules exhibit a minimum required power and an additional power level in excess of said minimum required power, said stage of allocating comprising:

allocating said minimum required power for each of said plurality of power managed modules, and

in the event that additional power is available, allocating a power budget for said additional power level of at least one of said plurality of power managed modules.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said allocating a power budget for said additional power level is on a priority basis.

23. A method according to claim 18, further comprising for each of said plurality of provided power managed modules, receiving an indication of power drawn by said power managed module.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said provided plurality of power managed modules is selected from the group consisting of power over a Ethernet enabled switch, a switch, a hub, a concentrator, a computing equipment, a power sourcing device, and a telecommunication module.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said provided plurality of power managed modules comprises a power sourcing device operable for use with a power ready patch panel.

26. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

inputting a total power available,

said allocating a power budget being responsive to said input total available power.

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

providing at least one module not receiving said transmitted allocated power budget; and

deducting the power requirements of said at least one module from said input total available power.

28. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a condition of said provided at least one power source;

transmitting at least one power budget scenario to said provided plurality of power managed modules; and

in the event of a change in said monitored condition, broadcasting a command to said plurality of power managed modules, said plurality of power managed modules adhering to said transmitted at least one power budget scenario responsive to said broadcast command.

29. A method according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

at least one of said provided plurality of power managed modules sensing a reduced voltage; and

responsive to sensed reduced voltage, reducing power drawn by said provided power managed module.

30. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a loop back of said transmitted allocated power budgets; and

in the event that at least one of said transmitted allocated power budgets is not sensed by said monitoring, retransmitting said not sensed power budget via said loop back.

31. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a condition of said provided at least one power source;

transmitting at least one power budget scenario to said provided plurality of power managed modules via first bus; and

in the event of a change in said monitored condition, broadcasting a command to said plurality of power managed modules via a second bus different than said first bus, said plurality of power managed modules adhering to said at least one power budget scenario responsive to said broadcast command.

32. A system for rack level power management, the system comprising:

at least one power source comprising a plurality of power supplies;

a management module; and

a plurality of power managed modules in communication with said management module and connected to draw power from said at least one power source, each of said plurality of power managed modules comprising a power manager and an operating circuit, said operating circuit being operable at a plurality of power drawing levels responsive to said power manager,

said management module being operative to allocate a power budget to each of said plurality of power managed modules and communicate said allocated power budgets to said power managers, and being further operative to communicate a plurality of power scenarios and associated power budgets to said power managed modules,

each of said power managers being operative to control said operating circuit of said power managed module to be operable at a power drawing level within said allocated budget, and

in response to a communication from said management module to activate a scenario to control said operating circuit of said power managed module to be operable at a power drawing level within said power budget associated with said activated scenario.