System and method for maximizing server utilization in a resource constrained environment

• US 20070050644A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Merkin, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mechanism for controlling the hardware resources on a blade server, and thereby limiting the power consumption of the blade server is disclosed. The enforceable hardware resources that are controlled include the base frequency of the central processing unit (CPU) as well as power to individual banks of physical memory, for example dual-inline memory modules (DIMMs). The hardware resources are tuned in dependence on actual server utilization such that applications running on the blade only have the allocated hardware resources available to them. Deactivated hardware resources are powered off and are so ‘hidden’ from the operating system when they are not required. In this manner, power consumption in the entire chassis can be managed such that all server blades can be powered on and operate at higher steady-state utilization. The utilization of the powered on resources in a blade center is also improved.

Claims

1. A method for allocating electrical power to a plurality of blade servers installed in a blade center chassis, further including a management module in said blade center chassis, said method comprising the steps of:

reading a total power capacity of said blade center chassis by querying all power supplies installed in said blade center chassis;

calculating a maximum power load dissipated by said plurality of blade servers by querying a power consumption value of each of said plurality of blade servers;

allocating an individual amount of power to each of said plurality of blade servers, wherein a total amount of individual power allocated remains less than said total power capacity of said blade center chassis;

booting an operating system on each of said plurality of blade servers;

monitoring utilization of power-consuming resources on each of said plurality of blade servers during operation of said operating system;

determining when said utilization of said power-consuming resources on each of said plurality of blade servers requires a change in said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers; and

as a function of said determining step, brokering said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said querying said power consumption value of each of said plurality of blade servers further comprises the steps of:

issuing a service request to a service processor on a blade server;

determining power consumption settings of said power-consuming resources on said blade server by communicating with a BIOS on said blade server;

calculating power consumption values based on said power consumption settings; and

communicating said power consumption values to said management module.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said brokering of said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers represents an increase in power allocated to said blade server, further comprising the steps of:

calculating an additional amount of power commensurate with a required increase in availability of said power-consuming resources on said blade server;

requesting from said management module an increase in the power allocated to said blade server;

confirming by said management module an individual allocation of power to said blade server; and

enforcing said individual allocation of power to said blade server confirmed by said management module, further comprising the steps of;

determining power consumption settings of power-consuming resources on said blade server;

issuing a request to a BIOS of said blade server to apply said power consumption settings; and

activating by said BIOS of said power-consuming resources, wherein said activating results in an increase in power consumption.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said brokering of said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers represents a decrease in power allocated to a blade server, further comprising the steps of:

enforcing a reduced amount of allocated power to said blade server, further comprising the steps of;

determining power consumption settings of power-consuming resources on said blade server;

issuing a request to a BIOS of said blade server to apply said power consumption settings; and

deactivating by said BIOS of said power-consuming resources,

wherein said deactivating results in a decrease in power consumption; and

notifying said management module of said reduced amount of allocated power to said blade server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring step is performed by a resource monitoring agent computer program product executed as an application in said operating system.

6. A blade center chassis apparatus comprising:

a plurality of blade servers populating a plurality of chassis slots;

a management module;

a power supply common to said plurality of chassis slots for powering said plurality of blade servers, wherein said power supply further comprises a plurality of power modules; and

circuitry built into said management module operable for;

reading a total power capacity of said blade center chassis by querying each of said plurality of power modules installed in said blade center chassis;

calculating a maximum power load dissipated by said plurality of blade servers by querying a power consumption value of each of said plurality of blade servers;

allocating an individual amount of power to each of said plurality of blade servers, wherein a total amount of individual power allocated remains less than said total power capacity of said blade center chassis; and

brokering said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said circuitry built into said management module operable for said querying a power consumption value of each of said plurality of blade servers further comprises circuitry operable for:

issuing a service request to a service processor on said blade server; and

receiving power consumption values from said service processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said circuitry built into said management module, operable for said brokering said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers, further comprises circuitry operable for:

receiving a request from a service processor on a blade server for an increase in the power allocated to said blade server;

determining when said increase in the power allocated to said blade server may be granted by transferring power from power allocated to a common pool to said blade server;

determining an individual increase in allocation of power to said blade server from the available amount of said power allocated to said common pool; and

confirming said individual increase in allocation of power to said blade server.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said circuitry built into said management module, operable for said brokering said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers, further comprises circuitry operable for:

receiving a notice from a service processor on a blade server that the power consumption of said blade server has been decreased, wherein said notice includes the amount that said power consumption of said blade server has been decreased; and

transferring an individual decrease in allocation of power from said blade server to the available amount of power allocated to a common pool, in relation to said amount that said power consumption of said blade server has been decreased.

10. A blade server device comprising a service processor for communications and resource management functions, wherein said service processor further comprises circuitry operable for:

determining power consumption settings of power-consuming resources on said blade server by communicating with a BIOS on said blade server;

calculating power consumption values based on said power consumption settings; and

communicating said power consumption values to a management module in a blade center chassis populated by said blade server.

11. The blade server device of claim 10, wherein said service processor further comprises circuitry operable for:

calculating an additional amount of power commensurate with a required increase in availability of said power-consuming resources on said blade server;

requesting from said management module an increase in the power allocated to saidblade server;

receiving confirmation by said management module of an individual allocation of power to said blade server; and

enforcing said individual allocation of power to said blade server confirmed by said management module, further comprising the steps of;

determining power consumption settings of power-consuming resources on said blade server;

issuing a request to a BIOS of said blade server to apply said power consumption settings; and

activating by said BIOS of said power-consuming resources, wherein said activating results in an increase in power consumption.

12. The blade server device of claim 10, wherein said service processor further comprises circuitry operable for:

enforcing a reduced amount of allocated power to said blade server, further comprising the steps of;

determining power consumption settings of power-consuming resources on said blade server;

issuing a request to a BIOS of said blade server to apply said power consumption settings; and

deactivating by said BIOS of said power-consuming resources,

wherein said deactivating results in a decrease in power consumption; and

notifying said management module of said reduced amount of allocated power to said blade server.

13. A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for monitoring hardware resources in a blade server comprising the programming steps of:

monitoring utilization of power-consuming resources on each of a plurality of blade servers during operation of an operating system booted on each of said plurality of blade servers; and

determining when said utilization of said power-consuming resources on each of said plurality of blade servers requires a change in an individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers.