Power Saving Method for Computer System

• US 20090228724A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyahira, Tomohiro, Chinen, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections

Abstract

A server system, method, and program product are provided for setting a power level of a central processing unit (CPU) included in the server computer system—the CPU being operable at a plurality of levels of power, and the server providing a service that follows a predetermined protocol identified by a port number to a client computer via a computer network. The method includes the steps of monitoring connection establishment or close of communication with the client computer and a port number for the established or closed communication, determining a power level to be set as the power level of the CPU in accordance with the port number, and setting the determined power level as the power level of the CPU.

Claims

1. A server computer system including a central processing unit (CPU) operable at a plurality of levels of power, the server computer system providing a service that follows a predetermined protocol identified by a port number to a client computer via a computer network, the server computer system comprising:

a communication monitoring unit for monitoring a status of communication with the client computer and retaining a communication status data table that contains a connection ID and a port number for the communication;

a power level determining unit for determining a power level to be set as a power level of the CPU on the basis of data in the communication status data table; and

a power level setting unit for setting the power level of the CPU to the determined power level.

2. The server computer system according to claim 1, wherein the power level determining unit includes at least one table that stores a port number and a value previously determined based on a load of a service identified by the port number on the CPU.

3. The server computer system according to claim 2, wherein the power level determining unit includes:

a controller for reading the value from the at least one table and recording the value in the communication status data table; and

a power level determination logic for determining the power level using the value read from the at least one table.

4. The server computer system according to claim 2, wherein the value represents a power level associated with a port number.

5. The server computer system according to claim 2, wherein the value is a weighting factor for at least one traffic volume selected from the group consisting of the number of packets per a predetermined time period, the number of simultaneous connections per a predetermined time period, and the number of times connection is established per a predetermined time period.

6. The server computer system according to claim 5, wherein the communication monitoring unit includes a counter for counting the at least one traffic volume.

7. A method for setting a power level of a central processing unit (CPU) included in a server computer system, the CPU being operable at a plurality of levels of power, the server computer system providing a service that follows a predetermined protocol identified by a port number to a client computer via a computer network, the method comprising:

a monitoring step of monitoring connection establishment of or connection close of communication with the client computer and a port number for the established or closed communication;

a determining step of determining a power level to be set as the power level of the CPU in accordance with the port number; and

a setting step of setting the power level of the CPU to the determined power level.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the monitoring step includes a step of, in response to connection establishment or connection close, recording a communication ID number and a port number in a communication status data table or deleting the communication ID number and the port number from the communication status data table.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining step includes a step of reading a value from a first table that stores a port number and a value previously determined based on a load on the CPU of a service identified by the port number, and recording the value in the communication status data table.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the value represents a power level of the CPU, and

when connection establishment is detected in the monitoring step, the determining step includes:

a step of comparing the read value for power level (P₁₁) with a present power level (P₁₀); and

a step of, when P₁₁ is higher than P₁₀, determining that the power level to be set is P₁₁ and, otherwise, determining that the power level to be set is P₁₀.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the value represents a power level of the CPU, and

when connection close is detected in the monitoring step, the determining step includes:

a step of determining a maximum power level (P_1M) in the communication status data table; and

a step of comparing the maximum power level (P_1M) with the present power level (P₁₀) and, when P_1M is lower than P₁₀, determining that the power level to be set is P_1M and, otherwise, determining that the power level to be set is P₁₀.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the monitoring step includes a step of measuring, for each port number, at least one traffic volume selected from the group consisting of a number of packets per a predetermined time period, a number of simultaneous connections per a predetermined time period, and a number of times connection is established per a predetermined time period and recording the port number and the traffic volume in the communication status data table, and

the determining step includes a step of reading, a value from a first table that stores a port number and the value previously determined based on a load of a service identified by the port number on the CPU.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the monitoring step includes a step of measuring the at least one traffic volume and recording the at least one traffic volume in the communication status data table, and

the determining step repeats, at predetermined time intervals, the steps of:

(i) calculating a total volume of weighted traffic from the following expression;

$\underset{i=1\sim <br><br>n}{\sum <br><br>}<br><br>T_i<br><br>W_i$

where i is a port number, T_i is a total traffic volume for the port number i, W_i is a weighting factor for the port number i, and n is a maximum value of the port number in the communication status data table;

(ii) reading a power level (P₂₁) previously associated with the obtained total volume of weighted traffic from a second table; and

(iii) comparing the read power level (P₂₁) with a present power level (P₂₀), determining that the power level to be set is P₂₁ when P₂₁ is not the same as P₂₀, and determining that the power level to be set is P₂₀ when P₂₁ is the same as P₂₀.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, before the monitoring step, a step of generating the second table, the step of generating the second table including the steps of:

(i) setting the power level of the CPU at a highest level;

(ii) recording the total volume of weighted traffic in a predetermined period of time from when the server computer system first establishes connection with the client computer as a maximum volume of weighted traffic; and

(iii) classifying the maximum volume of weighted traffic into a predetermined number of stages and associating each of the stages with a power level.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of updating the second table by, in response to the total volume of weighted traffic exceeding the maximum volume of weighted traffic, recording the total volume of weighted traffic as a new maximum volume of weighted traffic, classifying the new maximum volume of weighted traffic into the predetermined number of stages, and associating each of the stages with a power level.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer executable program code for setting a power level of a central processing unit (CPU) included in a server computer system, the CPU being operable at a plurality of levels of power, the server computer system providing a service that follows a predetermined protocol identified by a port number to a client computer via a computer network, the method comprising:

a monitoring step of monitoring connection establishment of or connection close of communication with the client computer and a port number for the established or closed communication;

a determining step of determining a power level to be set as the power level of the CPU in accordance with the port number; and

a setting step of setting the power level of the CPU to the determined power level.