Method and System for Associating Power Consumption with a Network Address

• US 20080244281A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lefurgy, Charles R., Felter, Wesley M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A system for associating power consumption with a network address. Network traffic is inspected to determine network addresses. The network addresses are assigned to one or more servers. A power output of a plurality of power outlets is measured to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets. The network addresses assigned to the one or more servers is associated with the power consumption of the one or more servers. A total power consumption is calculated for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption. Then, the total power consumption is recorded for the one or more servers in a table and a user is provided access to the table.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for associating power consumption with a network address, the computer implemented method comprising:

inspecting network traffic to determine network addresses, wherein the network addresses are assigned to one or more servers;

measuring a power output of a plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

associating the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

calculating a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

recording the total power consumption for the one or more servers in a table; and

providing a user access to the table.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

fetching data from one or more power network distribution units connected to a network to calculate the total power consumption for the one or more servers.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the table on a periodic basis.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the network addresses are a media access control address and an internet protocol address assigned to the one or more servers.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more power network distribution units inspect the network traffic for the media access control address and the internet protocol address on a plurality of network ports and measure the power output of the plurality of power outlets to determine the power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more power network distribution units include the plurality of power outlets and the plurality of network ports.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power outlets has an associated network port.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more power network distribution units include an internal network switch.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more power network distribution units is connected to an external network switch, and wherein the one or more power network distribution units connected to the external network switch act as a network pass-through, and wherein the one or more power network distribution units connected to the external network switch use a plurality of field programmable gate arrays to internally inspect the network traffic.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more power network distribution units are connected to a redundant power network distribution unit.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more power network distribution units include a plurality of power meters, and wherein the plurality of power meters are associated with the plurality of power outlets, and wherein each of the plurality of power outlets has an associated power meter to measure the power output of each of the plurality of power outlets.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more power network distribution units include a management microprocessor.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more power network distribution units use a simple external wiring scheme.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein a system management software performs the calculating, recording, displaying, fetching, and updating steps.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the system management software scans the network to find the one or more power network distribution units connected to the network.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the system management software utilizes a graphical user interface window to display the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers and a corresponding power consumption used by the one or more servers.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the user may query the system management software by using a particular network address to locate a particular server and view the corresponding power consumption used by that particular server in the graphical user interface window.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the user may query the system management software by using the particular network address in the graphical user interface window to locate each power network distribution unit and each power outlet used for the particular server.

19. A data processing system for associating power consumption with a network address, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to inspect network traffic to determine network addresses, wherein the network addresses are assigned to one or more servers;

measure a power output of a plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

associate the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

calculate a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

record the total power consumption of the one or more servers in a table; and

provide a user access to the table.

20. A computer program product for associating power consumption with a network address, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to inspect network traffic to determine network addresses, wherein the network addresses are assigned to one or more servers;

computer usable program code configured to measure a power output of a plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

computer usable program code configured to associate the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

computer usable program code configured to calculate a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

computer usable program code configured to record the total power consumption for the one or more servers in a table; and

computer usable program code configured to provide a user access to the table.