SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS

• US 20090231152A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Tung, Teresa S., Inestroza, Fausto A., Guevarra, Nikki Ann G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A system is described for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a baseline power consumption value for a plurality of operating states of a technology component. The interface may communicate with a device of a user. The processor may monitor the technology component to determine a current power consumption value and a current operating state of the technology component. The processor may determine the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state. The processor may determine whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value. The processor may provide an alert to a device of the user if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a technology component to determine a current power consumption value and a current operating state of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, a baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value; and

providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining, by the processor, the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component further comprises applying a descriptor of the current operating state of the technology component to a baseline power consumption model to retrieve the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the baseline power consumption model of the technology component comprises the baseline power consumption value associated with a descriptor of each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the technology component.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of operating states comprises at least one of an online state, an offline state, or a startup state.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold comprises an acceptable variance in the baseline power consumption value of the technology component for the operating state.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an email, a short messaging service message, a recorded voice message, or an instant message.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, by the processor, a graphical interface to the device of the user, wherein the graphical interface includes a visual indication alerting the user to the technology component if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the technology component comprises of at least one of a server, a power delivery unit, or a cooling unit.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the baseline power consumption value comprises a power consumption value of a most energy efficient technology component capable of replacing the technology component.

10. A computer-implemented method for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a technology component to determine a current power consumption value, a current operating state, and a current utilization value of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, a baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state and the current utilization value of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value; and

providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying the current utilization value and the current operating state to a baseline power consumption model to retrieve the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current utilization value and the current operating state of the technology component.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the baseline power consumption model of the technology component comprises the baseline power consumption value associated with each operating state of a plurality of operating states and each utilization value of a plurality of utilization values of the technology component.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the threshold comprises an acceptable variance in the baseline power consumption value of the technology component for the operating state and the utilization value.

14. A computer-implemented method for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor, a baseline power consumption model for a technology component, the baseline power consumption model including a plurality of operating state descriptors describing a plurality of operating states and a plurality of baseline power consumption values, wherein each operating state descriptor is associated with a baseline power consumption value;

monitoring, by the processor, a current operating state and a current power consumption value of the technology component;

applying, by the processor, a descriptor of the current operating state to the baseline power consumption model to retrieve the baseline power consumption value associated with the descriptor of the current operating state;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value; and

providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user if the current power consumption of the technology component is not within threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining, by the processor, the threshold of the baseline power consumption value, wherein the threshold describes an acceptable variance in the baseline power consumption value of the technology component for the operating state.

16. A computer-implemented method for monitoring the behavior of a technology component, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the processor, a technology component to determine a current operating state of the technology component and a current parameter value of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, a baseline parameter value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component;

determining, by the processor, whether the current parameter value of the technology component is within a threshold of the baseline parameter value; and

providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user if the current parameter value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline parameter value.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein determining, by the processor, the baseline parameter value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component further comprises retrieving, by the processor, the baseline parameter value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component from a behavior model of the technology component.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the behavior model comprises the baseline parameter value associated with each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the technology component.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the current parameter value comprises at least one of a temperature value, a power consumption value, or a utilization value.

20. A system for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component, the system comprising:

a memory to store a baseline power consumption value for each operating state in a plurality of operating states of a technology component;

an interface operatively connected to the memory and operative to communicate with a device of a user; and

a processor operatively connected to the memory and the interface, the processor operative to monitor the technology component to determine a current power consumption value and a current operating state of the technology component, determine the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state of the technology component, determine whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value and provide an alert to a device of a user via the interface if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is further operative to apply a descriptor of the current operating state of the technology component to a baseline power consumption model to retrieve the baseline power consumption value for the current operating state of the technology component.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the baseline power consumption model of the technology component comprises the baseline power consumption value associated with a descriptor of each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the technology component.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the plurality of operating states comprises at least one of an online state, an offline state, or a startup state.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the threshold comprises an acceptable variance in the baseline power consumption value of the technology component for the operating state.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an email, a short messaging service message, a recorded voice message, or an instant message.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is further operative to provide a graphical interface to the device of the user via the interface, wherein the graphical interface includes a visual indication of the technology component if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein the technology component comprises of a server, a power delivery unit, or a cooling unit.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the baseline power consumption value comprises a power consumption value of at least one of a most energy efficient technology component capable of replacing the technology component or a historical technology component which was recently replaced.