Determining actual power consumption for system power performance states

• US 20080010521A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipley, Roger E., Basile, Barry S., Goodrum, Alan L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203

Abstract

A method determines actual power consumption for system power performance states (SPP-states) of a server. The method comprises initializing the server, performing a worst case workload test, measuring power consumption of the server at one or more SPP-states, and adjusting values in a lookup table to reflect the measured power consumption of the server.

Claims

1. A method for determining actual power consumption for system power performance states (SPP-states) of a server, the method comprising:

initializing the server;

performing a worst case workload test;

measuring power consumption of the server at one or more SPP-states; and

adjusting values in a lookup table to reflect the measured power consumption of the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SPP-state measurements are made for each possible SPP-state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forgoing the act of measuring at some of the one or more SPP-states and interpolating between SPP-state measurements to determine SPP-state measurement values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed each time the server is powered on and prior to loading an operating system (OS).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing an OS to be loaded once the act of adjusting is complete.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing code in a central processing unit (CPU) to activate the CPU'"'"'s arithmetic logic unit (ALU).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed as part of the server'"'"'s power on self test (POST).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each SPP-state comprises p-states and clock modulation.

9. A server comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a power measurement circuit coupled to the CPU;

a management processor coupled to the CPU via a bus, wherein the management processor determines SPP-states according to executable code, the code comprising a method that further comprises;

initializing the server;

performing a worst case workload test;

measuring power consumption of the server at one or more SPP-states; and

adjusting values in a lookup table to reflect the measured power consumption of the server.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the SPP-state measurements are made for each possible SPP-state.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the code further comprises forgoing making SPP-state measurements at some of the SPP-states and interpolating between SPP-state measurements to determine SPP-state measurement values.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the code is executed each time the server is powered on and prior to loading an operating system (OS).

13. The server of claim 9, further comprising allowing an OS to be loaded once the act of adjusting is complete.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the CPU further comprises an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and wherein the workload test activates the ALU for extended periods of time.

15. The server of claim 9, wherein the code is executed as part of the server'"'"'s power on self test (POST).

16. The server of claim 9, wherein each SPP-state comprises p-states and clock modulation.

17. A server comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a power measurement circuit coupled to the CPU;

a means for determining SPP-states of the server according to executable code, the code comprising a method that further comprises;

initializing the server;

performing a worst case workload test;

measuring power consumption of the server at one or more SPP-states; and

adjusting values in a lookup table to reflect the measured power consumption of the server.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the SPP-state measurements are made for each possible SPP-state.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the code further comprises forgoing making SPP-state measurements at some of the SPP-states and interpolating between SPP-state measurements to determine SPP-state measurement values.

20. The server of claim 17, wherein the CPU further comprises an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and wherein the workload test activates the ALU for extended periods of time.