SYSTEM AND METHOD OF REPORTING AND MANAGING REAL-TIME AIRFLOW WITHIN AN INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20090099696A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Riegler, Robert, Artman, Paul T.
• Application Number:
  US11/872,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control

Abstract

A system and method of reporting and managing real-time air flow within an information handling system is disclosed. In one form, a method of managing airflow can include obtaining airflow data using a range of fan speeds of a first cooling fan within a first information handling system. The method can also include storing the airflow data within a memory accessible to a management controller. The method can further include accessing the airflow data to identify a first airflow output level, and altering an operating speed of the first cooling fan to output the first airflow output level.

Claims

1. A method of managing airflow comprising:

obtaining airflow data using a range of fan speeds of a first cooling fan within a first information handling system;

storing the airflow data within a memory accessible to a management controller;

accessing the airflow data to identify a first airflow output level; and

altering an operating speed of the first cooling fan to output the first airflow output level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the first airflow output level using the airflow data; and

outputting a first fan control signal to alter the operating speed of the first cooling fan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting the airflow data into a firmware table accessible by the management controller;

accessing the firmware table using the management controller; and

identifying the first airflow output level using the accessed airflow consumption table.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising

storing the airflow data within a look-up table of the firmware table;

accessing the look-up table to obtain the airflow data; and

outputting the first airflow output value identified within the look-up table to alter the operating speed of the first cooling fan.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an environmental operating condition of the information handling system;

detecting whether to alter the first airflow output value in response to the environmental operating condition;

identifying a second airflow output value using the environmental operating condition and the airflow data; and

outputting the second airflow output value to the first cooling fan to alter the fan speed of the first cooling fan to output the second airflow output value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first airflow consumption value in response to altering the operating speed of the first cooling fan;

determining whether the first airflow consumption value is sufficient to cool the first information handling system; and

increasing the operation of the first cooling fan using the airflow data if the first airflow consumption value is not sufficient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the airflow data using an Open Manage Server Administrator (OMSA) interface; and

calculating the first airflow output value using the data accessed using the OMSA interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of operating ranges of a plurality of cooling fans;

storing a plurality of airflow data of the plurality of fans;

using the plurality of airflow data to determine a data center cooling scheme;

identifying an available data center cooling capacity of the data center using the plurality of airflow data; and

modifying the data center cooling scheme in response to the available data center cooling capacity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first airflow consumption value in response to altering the operating speed of the first cooling fan;

altering operation of the first cooling fan to a second fan speed;

obtaining a second airflow consumption value in response to the second fan speed; and

storing the first airflow consumption value and the second airflow consumption value within the memory.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing the memory to identify a desired operating speed of the first cooling fan;

identifying whether to use the first airflow consumption value or the second airflow consumption value; and

altering the operating speed of the first cooling fan using the first airflow consumption value or the second airflow consumption value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing a lookup table within the memory to identify a first operating speed of the first cooling fan using the first airflow consumption value;

accessing the lookup table to identify a second operating speed of the first cooling fan using the second airflow consumption value;

altering the operating speed of the first cooling fan using the first operating speed or the second operating speed.

16. The airflow management system of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the site management interface can be used to determine the effects of modifying a site configuration; and

wherein the operation of the plurality of cooling fans can be modified in response to the modification of the site configuration.

12. An airflow management system comprising:

a first cooling fan operable to output an airflow to cool an information handling system, wherein the first cooling fan includes a range of operating speeds operable to output a plurality of airflow output levels;

a management controller operably coupled to the first cooling fan and operable to alter operation of the first cooling fan to output the plurality of airflow output levels in response to an airflow consumption of the first information handling system; and

a memory coupled to the management controller and configured to store the a plurality of references to the plurality of operating speeds of the first cooling fan, the plurality of references configured to be accessed by the management controller to determine at least one of the plurality of the airflow output levels.

13. The airflow management system of claim 12, wherein the management controller is configured to accesses the plurality of references using a firmware interface.

14. The airflow management system of claim 13, further comprising:

wherein the management controller is further configured to receive an input identifying an environmental operating condition of the information handling system;

wherein the management controller is further operable to calculate an operating speed of the first cooling fan using the environmental operating condition and the airflow capacity of the first cooling fan; and

wherein the first cooling fan is responsive the management controller to output the airflow output using the calculated operating speed.

15. The airflow management system of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the memory is further configured to be updated to store additional references to a plurality of fans operably associated with a data center;

an site management interface operable to access the additional references to determine an airflow capacity; and

wherein the site management interface is operable to enable altering operation of the plurality of fans to produce an airflow output level.

17. An information handling system comprising:

a first cooling fan configured to operate across a first range of operating speeds;

a second cooling fan configured to operate across a second range of operating speeds;

a memory configured to access a plurality of references identifying the first range of operating speeds and the second range of operating speeds; and

a management controller configured to;

detect an airflow consumption demand;

identify an airflow output level to satisfy the airflow consumption demand;

identify a first operating speed of the first cooling fan using the airflow output level;

identify a second operating speed of the second cooling fan using the airflow output level;

initiate altering operation of the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan in response to the airflow output level.

18. The information handling system of claim 17, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

receive an environmental operating condition input;

identify a modified airflow output level using the environmental operating condition and the plurality of references within the memory; and

initiate altering operation of the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan in response to the modified airflow output level.

19. The information handling system of claim 18, further comprising:

monitor the airflow consumption demand;

detect a decrease in the airflow consumption demand;

identify a lower airflow output level;

identify a first operating speed of the first cooling fan using the lower airflow output level;

identify a second operating speed of the second cooling fan using the lower airflow output level; and

initiate altering operation of the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan in response to the lower airflow output level.

20. The information handling system of claim 18, further comprising:

monitor the airflow consumption demand;

detect an increase in the airflow consumption demand;

identify a higher airflow output level;

identify a first operating speed of the first cooling fan using the higher airflow output level;

identify a second operating speed of the second cooling fan using the higher airflow output level; and

initiate altering operation of the first cooling fan and the second cooling fan in response to the higher airflow output level.