System and method for blade information handling system power inventory

• US 20070245162A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lopez, Pedro, Khatri, Mukund, Reddy, Jaydev, Loffink, John, Lambert, Timothy, Brundridge, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power

Abstract

A blade information handling system server prevents excess power demand from blade information handling systems by inventorying the power consumption of each blade information handling system before startup. Another power consumption inventory performed after startup ensures an accurate power consumption inventory for making subsequent startup decision. The baseboard management controller performs the first power consumption inventory with the processing components of the blade information handling system in an off state. The power inventory is communicated to the chassis management controller to obtain authorization to startup based on the power available at the chassis. The second power inventory is performed with the processing components in an on state and forwarded to the chassis management controller for use in subsequent determinations of power available at the chassis.

Claims

1. A blade information handling system server comprising:

a chassis having a power supply associated with plural blade slots, each blade slot operable to accept a blade information handling system and apply power to the blade information handling system;

a chassis management controller interfaced with the power supply and the slots and operable to control the application of power at a slot;

one or more blade information handling systems disposed in the slots and interfaced with the chassis management controller, each blade information handling system having an associated baseboard management controller operable to manage startup to an on state and shut down to an off state of the associated blade information handling system; and

a power inventory module running on each baseboard management controller, the power inventory module operable to perform a first power inventory of the associated blade information handling system in the off state and a second power inventory in the on state.

2. The blade information handling server of claim 1 wherein the power inventory module is further operable to communicate the first power inventory to the chassis management controller to obtain permission to startup the associated blade information handling system to the on state.

3. The blade information handling system server of claim 2 wherein the power inventory module is further operable to communicate the second power inventory to the chassis management controller for use in power management of the chassis.

4. The blade information handling system server of claim 2 wherein the power inventory module is further operable to receive a refusal for the startup from the chassis management controller, to wait for a predetermined time and to re-communicate the first power inventory to the chassis management controller to obtain permission to startup after the predetermined time.

5. The blade information handling system server of claim 1 wherein the baseboard management controller is further operable to check for firmware corruption and, if firmware corruption is detected, to communicate a predetermined power inventory as the first power inventory.

6. The blade information handling system server of claim 1 wherein the first power inventory comprises the number of processors present in the blade information handling system multiplied by a preset value.

7. The blade information handling system server of claim 6 wherein the second power inventory comprises a determination based on the type and speed of the processors.

8. A method for information handling system power management through a chassis that provides power to plural information handling systems, the method comprising:

inventorying hardware components of an information handling system for power consumption while the hardware components are in an off state, the inventorying performed with a management processor associated with the information handling system;

communicating the inventoried power consumption to a chassis management controller;

comparing with the chassis management controller the inventoried power consumption, available power at the chassis and the inventoried power of information handling systems in an on state to authorize startup of the information handling system;

initiating startup of the information handling system with the management processor;

re-inventorying the hardware components for power consumption while the hardware components are in an on state; and

communicating the re-inventoried power consumption to the chassis management controller.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the chassis comprises a blade server chassis, the information handling system comprises a blade information handling system and the management processor comprises a baseboard management controller.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein inventorying comprises counting the number of processors loaded on the information handling system and wherein re-inventorying comprises analyzing the type and speed of the processors running on the information handling system.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein comparing with the chassis management controller further comprises:

determining that the chassis lacks power to authorize startup of the information handling system;

denying authorization for startup of the information handling system;

waiting a predetermined time; and

re-communicating the inventoried power consumption to the chassis management controller to authorize startup of the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

detecting a failure associated with the management processor; and

communicating a predetermined inventoried power consumption to the chassis management controller.

13. A system for information handling system power management through a chassis that provides power to plural information handling systems, the system comprising:

an inactive power estimator operable to inventory power consumption associated with processing components of an information handling system while the processing components are in an inactive state and to communicate the inventoried power consumption to a chassis management controller to obtain authorization to startup the processing components; and

an active power estimator operable to inventory power consumption associated with processing components with the processing components in an active state and to communicate the inventoried power consumption to a chassis management controller for use in managing chassis power.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a delay module interfaced with the inactive power estimator, the delay module operable to set a predetermined timeout if authorization to startup is denied and to re-communicate the inventoried power consumption to the chassis management controller after the timeout to obtain authorization to startup the processing components.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a firmware verification module interfaced with the inactive power estimator and operable to detect firmware corruption and request authorization to startup with a predetermined power inventory value.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the information handling system comprises a blade information handling system having a baseboard management controller, the inactive power estimator and active power estimator residing on the baseboard management controller.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the inactive power estimator inventoried power consumption comprises the number of CPUs on the information handling system multiplied by a predetermined value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the active power estimator inventoried power consumption comprises power consumption based on the type and speed of the CPUs.