System and Method for Thresholding System Power Loss Notifications in a Data Processing System

• US 20080244283A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert Akira, Elliott, John Charles, Lucas, Gregg Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,602 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations

Abstract

A system and method for thresholding system power loss notifications in a data processing system are provided. Power loss detection modules are provided in a data processing system having one or more data processing devices, such as blades in an IBM BladeCenter® chassis. The power loss detection modules detect the type of infrastructure of the data processing system, a position of a corresponding data processing device within the data processing system, and a capability of the data processing system to provide power during a power loss scenario. The detection module detects various inputs identifying these types of data processing system and power system characteristics and provides logic for defining a set of behaviors during a power loss scenario, e.g., behaviors for sending system notifications of imminent power loss. The detection of the various inputs and the defining of a set of behaviors may be performed statically and/or dynamically.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a data processing system, causes the data processing system to:

determine a configuration of a data processing device within the data processing system;

determine a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device based on the determined configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system, in response to a power supply module of the data processing system asserting an Early Power Off Warning (EPOW) signal; and

assert a power loss notification signal, indicative of an imminent power loss to the data processing device, to logic of the data processing system based on the determined current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to assert the power loss notification signal to logic of the data processing system by:

calculating a Power Line Disturbance (PLD) filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration; and

asserting the power loss notification signal if the power supply module asserts the EPOW signal for longer than the PLD filter time.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to determine a configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system by:

determining a position of the data processing device within the data processing system relative to a plurality of power domains of the power distribution network of the data processing system.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to determine a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device by:

identifying one or more power supply modules, of a plurality of power domains, currently providing a valid power input to the data processing device based on the determined position of the data processing device.

5. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to calculate a PLD filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration by:

performing a lookup operation of a holdup capacitance time based on a determined number of power supply modules providing a valid power input to the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing system to calculate the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time by:

identifying a notification processing time for performing a power-down operation in the data processing device to ensure integrity of data being handled by the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time as a difference of the holdup capacitance time and the notification processing time.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the holdup capacitance time increases in one of a linear or non-linear manner relative to an increasing number of power supply modules providing valid power input to the data processing device.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the logic of the data processing system is one of process control logic in the data processing device, a management control module in the data processing device, or a management module of the data processing system, and wherein the logic of the data processing system controls a power-down operation of the data processing device to maintain integrity of data associated with the data processing device in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program further causes the data processing system to:

perform a power-down operation in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal, wherein the power-down operation operates to ensure data integrity of data associated with the data processing device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis and the data processing device is a blade storage subsystem, and wherein the power-down operation quiesces input/output operations of the blade storage subsystem.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis and the data processing device is a blade subsystem.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the blade subsystem is one of a blade storage subsystem, a processor blade, or a server blade.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program is executed in a power loss detection unit of the blade subsystem.

14. A data processing system, comprising:

at least one data processing device;

at least one power supply module coupled to the at least one data processing device; and

power loss detection logic coupled to at least one of the at least one data processing device or the at least one power supply module, wherein the power loss detection logic;

determines a configuration of a data processing device within the data processing system;

determines a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device based on the determined configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system, in response to a power supply module of the at least one power supply module asserting an Early Power Off Warning (EPOW) signal; and

asserts a power loss notification signal, indicative of an imminent power loss to the data processing device, to logic of the data processing system based on the determined current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the power loss detection logic asserts the power loss notification signal to logic of the data processing system by:

calculating a Power Line Disturbance (PLD) filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration; and

asserting the power loss notification signal if the power supply module asserts the EPOW signal for longer than the PLD filter time.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the power loss detection logic determines a configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system by:

determining a position of the data processing device within the data processing system relative to a plurality of power domains of the power distribution network of the data processing system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the power loss detection logic determines a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device by:

identifying one or more power supply modules, of a plurality of power domains, currently providing a valid power input to the data processing device based on the determined position of the data processing device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the power loss detection logic calculates a PLD filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration by:

performing a lookup operation of a holdup capacitance time based on a determined number of power supply modules providing a valid power input to the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the power loss detection logic calculates the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time by:

identifying a notification processing time for performing a power-down operation in the data processing device to ensure integrity of data being handled by the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time as a difference of the holdup capacitance time and the notification processing time.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the holdup capacitance time increases in one of a linear or non-linear manner relative to an increasing number of power supply modules providing valid power input to the data processing device.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the logic of the data processing system is one of process control logic in the data processing device, a management control module in the data processing device, or a management module of the data processing system, and wherein the logic of the data processing system controls a power-down operation of the data processing device to maintain integrity of data associated with the data processing device in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the power loss detection logic performs a power-down operation in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal, and wherein the power-down operation operates to ensure data integrity of data associated with the data processing device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis and the at least one data processing device is a blade storage subsystem, and wherein the power-down operation quiesces input/output operations of the blade storage subsystem.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis, the at least one data processing device is a blade subsystem that is one of a blade storage subsystem, a processor blade, or a server blade, and wherein the power loss detection logic is implemented in a power loss detection unit of the blade subsystem.

25. A method, in a data processing system, for controlling assertion of an imminent power loss notification signal notifying the data processing system of an imminent loss of power to a data processing device, comprising:

determining a configuration of a data processing device within the data processing system;

determining a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device based on the determined configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system, in response to a power supply module of the data processing system asserting an Early Power Off Warning (EPOW) signal; and

asserting a power loss notification signal, indicative of an imminent power loss to the data processing device, to logic of the data processing system based on the determined current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein asserting the power loss notification signal to logic of the data processing system comprises:

calculating a Power Line Disturbance (PLD) filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration; and

asserting the power loss notification signal if the power supply module asserts the EPOW signal for longer than the PLD filter time.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a configuration of the data processing device within the data processing system comprises:

determining a position of the data processing device within the data processing system relative to a plurality of power domains of the power distribution network of the data processing system.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining a current power distribution network configuration relative to the data processing device comprises:

identifying one or more power supply modules, of a plurality of power domains, currently providing a valid power input to the data processing device based on the determined position of the data processing device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein calculating a PLD filter time based on the determined configuration of the data processing device and the determined current power distribution network configuration comprises:

performing a lookup operation of a holdup capacitance time based on a determined number of power supply modules providing a valid power input to the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein calculating the PLD filter time based on the holdup capacitance time comprises:

identifying a notification processing time for performing a power-down operation in the data processing device to ensure integrity of data being handled by the data processing device; and

calculating the PLD filter time as a difference of the holdup capacitance time and the notification processing time.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the holdup capacitance time increases in one of a linear or non-linear manner relative to increasing number of power supply modules providing valid power input to the data processing device.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the logic of the data processing system is one of process control logic in the data processing device, a management control module in the data processing device, or a management module of the data processing system, and wherein the logic of the data processing system controls a power-down operation of the data processing device to maintain integrity of data associated with the data processing device in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

performing a power-down operation in response to assertion of the power loss notification signal, wherein the power-down operation operates to ensure data integrity of data associated with the data processing device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis and the data processing device is a blade storage subsystem, and wherein the power-down operation quiesces input/output operations of the blade storage subsystem.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the data processing system is a blade chassis, the data processing device is a blade subsystem that is one of a blade storage subsystem, a processor blade, or a server blade, and wherein the method is implemented in a power loss detection unit of the blade subsystem.