Apparatus, architecture, and method for integrated modular server system providing dynamically power-managed and work-load managed network devices

• US 20070101173A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Inventors: Fung, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Network architecture, computer system and/or server, circuit, device, apparatus, method, and computer program and control mechanism for managing power consumption and workload in computer system and data and information servers. Further provides power and energy consumption and workload management and control systems and architectures for high-density and modular multi-server computer systems that maintain performance while conserving energy and method for power management and workload management. Dynamic server power management and optional dynamic workload management for multi-server environments is provided by aspects of the invention. Modular network devices and integrated server system, including modular servers, management units, switches and switching fabrics, modular power supplies and modular fans and a special backplane architecture are provided as well as dynamically reconfigurable multi-purpose modules and servers. Backplane architecture, structure, and method that has no active components and separate power supply lines and protection to provide high reliability in server environment.

Claims

1. An integrated server system unit, comprising:

a frame, housing or enclosure;

a plurality of network devices disposed within said frame, housing or enclosure;

said network devices including at least one network device operating as a computer node, at least one network device operating as a monitor node, and at least one network device operating as a switching node; and

said switching node being configured to selectively couple two or more of said plurality of network devices together for communication therebetween.

2. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said computer node is configurable as one of a plurality of types of network devices and dynamically and adaptably reconfigurable as another one of said plurality of types of network devices in response to activities detected within a network to which said computer node is then presently or will be connected.

3. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said computer node is configurable and dynamically reconfigurable as more than one of said plurality of types of network devices simultaneously.

4. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said management node is configured to control the configuration and reconfiguration of said computer node.

5. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of network devices is configured to be power managed to consume only so much electrical power required to satisfy a predetermined performance level.

6. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said management node is configured to control said power management.

7. An integrated server system unit comprising:

a frame, housing or enclosure;

a plurality of network devices disposed within said frame, housing or enclosure, wherein at least one of said network devices is configurable as one of a plurality of types of network devices and dynamically and adaptably reconfigurable as another one of said plurality of types of network devices in response to activities detected within a network to which said at least one network device is then presently or will be connected;

wherein one of said plurality of network devices is a switching node configured to selectively couple two or more of said plurality of network devices together for communication therebetween; and

further wherein at least one of said network devices is configured to be power managed to consume only so much electrical power required to satisfy a predetermined performance level.

8. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of network devices is adapted for plug-in connection to a corresponding receiving connector in said frame, housing or enclosure.

9. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein said at least one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device is a server module.

10. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein another of said plurality of network devices is configured to control the configuration and dynamic reconfiguration of said at least one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device.

11. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein said at least one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device is further configured to be power managed to consume only so much electrical power required to satisfy a predetermined performance level.

12. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein said at least one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device is the same type of network device as another one of said plurality of network devices such that said at least one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device and said another one of said plurality of network devices share the workload for that type of network device.

13. An integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 7 wherein at least said one configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network device is configurable and dynamically reconfigurable as more than one of said plurality of types of said network devices simultaneously.

14. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit comprising:

a frame, housing or enclosure;

a plurality of configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices disposed within said frame, housing or enclosure;

said configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices including at least one network device operating as a computer node, at least one of said network devices operating as a monitor node, and at least one network device operating as a switching node;

said switching node being configured to selectively couple two or more of said plurality of network devices together for communication therebetween; and

said at least one network device operating as a computer node, said at least one network device operating as a monitor node, and said at least one network device operating as a switching node being dynamically and adaptably reconfigurable at any time based on types of activities detected within a network to which said network device is then presently or will be connected so that said system has a number of computer node network devices sufficient to satisfy a current demand on the network for network devices of that type.

15. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein at least two of said computer node, said monitor node, and said switching node are provided by a common physical device.

16. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said dynamically adaptable integrated server system includes a plurality of computer nodes.

17. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said computer node comprises a server module.

18. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said monitor node comprises a management module.

19. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said switching node comprises a switching module.

20. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said computer node comprises a server module;

said monitor node comprises a management module; and

said switching node comprises a switch module.

21. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 20 wherein said computer node is power managed to adjust performance to a required level and to consume only so much electrical power or energy as to satisfy the required performance level.

22. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 20 wherein each of said computer node, said management node, and said switch node are power managed.

23. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 21 wherein said computer node is power managed by adjusting processor performance to at least one of (i) a predicted processor processing requirement and (ii) a measured processor processing requirement.

24. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 23 wherein said predicted processor processing requirement when used is a Quality of Service (QoS) based requirement, and said measured processor processing requirement when used comprises a substantially real-time measured processor processing requirement.

25. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 24 wherein said substantially real-time processor processing requirement comprises an idle thread execution detection and response thereto.

26. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 22 wherein said management node is power managed by adjusting processor operation within said management node to provide execution of instructions that permit said management node to sample system loading and adjust other nodes within said system frequently enough to provide a desired power management adjustment update frequency for each node being power managed.

27. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 26 wherein said processor operation is adjusted by adjusting a management node processor clock frequency and/or a management node processor core voltage.

28. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 26 wherein said computer node network devices may be configured or reconfigured as any or all of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, an application server, a file server, a router, and combinations thereof.

29. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit in accordance with claim 28 wherein said configuration or reconfiguration may be controlled by a monitor node or a management module, or by a self-reconfiguration procedure within said computer node network device.