Dynamic power management for I/O resource pools

• US 20070116049A1
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tripathi, Sunay, Johnson, Darrin, Fishel, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing a pool of I/O interfaces associated with one or more I/O devices are disclosed. The I/O bandwidth utilization of the I/O devices is ascertained and compared with an upper threshold and a lower threshold. When the I/O bandwidth utilization is greater than the upper threshold, the resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces are increased. When the I/O bandwidth utilization is less than the lower threshold, the resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces are decreased.

Claims

1. A method of managing a pool of resources associated with a plurality of interfaces of an I/O device, comprising:

ascertaining a demand on the I/O device;

determining a level of resources provided by the pool of resources;

when the demand on the I/O device is greater than the level of resources provided by the pool of resources, increasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources; and

when the demand on the I/O device is less than the level of resources provided by the pool of resources, decreasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the pool of resources includes a plurality of I/O interfaces.

3. The method as recited claim 2, wherein increasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises adding one or more I/O interfaces to the pool of resources and wherein decreasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises removing one or more I/O interfaces from the pool of resources.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein increasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises turning on one or more of the plurality of I/O interfaces and wherein decreasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises turning off one or more of the plurality of I/O interfaces.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein increasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises increasing a power level of one or more of the plurality of I/O interfaces and wherein decreasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources comprises decreasing a power level of one or more of the plurality of I/O interfaces.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a profile associated with each of the I/O interfaces.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein each profile indicates resources provided by the corresponding one of the I/O interfaces.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein each profile indicates at least one of a latency associated powering up the corresponding I/O interface and a set of power states supported by the corresponding 110 interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the pool of resources includes a plurality of I/O interfaces.

10. A method of managing a pool of I/O interfaces associated with one or more I/O devices, comprising:

ascertaining network bandwidth utilization of the I/O devices;

comparing the network bandwidth utilization with an upper threshold and a lower threshold;

when the network bandwidth utilization is greater than the upper threshold, increasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces; and

when the network bandwidth utilization is less than the lower threshold, decreasing the resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein ascertaining network bandwidth utilization comprises:

multiplying an average data transmission size by a number of data transmissions per second that are transmitted by the I/O devices and received by the I/O devices.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein increasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

turning on one or more of the I/O interfaces in the pool of network interface cards.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein decreasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

turning off one or more of the I/O interfaces in the pool of I/O interfaces.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein increasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

adding one or more I/O interfaces to the pool of I/O interfaces.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein decreasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

removing one or more I/O interfaces from the pool of I/O interfaces.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein increasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

increasing a power level of one or more of the I/O interfaces in the pool of I/O interfaces.

17. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein decreasing resources provided by the pool of I/O interfaces comprises:

decreasing a power level of one or more of the I/O interfaces in the pool of network I/O interfaces.

18. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining a profile associated with one or more of the I/O interfaces.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein each profile indicates resources provided by the corresponding one of the I/O interfaces.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein each profile indicates at least one of a latency associated powering up the corresponding I/O interface and a set of power states supported by the corresponding I/O interface.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the upper threshold and lower threshold are associated with one or more of the power states.

22. A method of performing dynamic power management for a plurality of communication paths between one or more initiators and one or more targets, each of the plurality of communication paths being associated with an interface of one of the initiators, comprising:

ascertaining a load associated with the plurality of communication paths;

comparing the load with an upper threshold and a lower threshold;

when the load is greater than the upper threshold, increasing power provided to the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths; and

when the load is less than the lower threshold, decreasing power provided to the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein increasing power provided to the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths comprises providing power to the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths and wherein decreasing power provided to the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths comprises removing power from the interface associated with at least one of the plurality of communication paths.

24. An apparatus for managing a pool of resources associated with a plurality of interfaces of an I/O device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, at least one of the processor and the memory being configured to;

ascertaining a demand on the I/O device;

determining a level of resources provided by the pool of resources;

when the demand on the I/O device is greater than the level of resources provided by the pool of resources, increasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources; and

when the demand on the network device is less than the level of resources provided by the pool of resources, decreasing the level of resources provided by the pool of resources.