Preemptive Thermal Control by Processor Throttling in a Modular Computing System

• US 20090265044A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McBeth, Ryan B., Vega, Madeline, Paruthi, Meghna, Farrugia, John, Cakici, Sertac
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• 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: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A modular computing housing includes a housing structure having a plurality of component slots that each can receive one of a plurality of components, where at least one of the components includes a processor having an operating frequency. A cooling system provides airflow through each of said component slots. A thermal control system can be communicably connected to each of the component slots and each of the received component processors. When the thermal control system receives configuration data from each of the component slots, retrieves throttle data corresponding to the configuration data and directs at least one received component processors to reduce its operating frequency in accordance with the throttle data.

Claims

1. A modular computer housing system comprising:

a housing having a plurality of component slots, wherein each of said plurality of component slots can receive one of a plurality of components, wherein said components include processors having adjustable operating frequencies; and

a thermal control system communicably coupled to each of said component slots and each of said received component processors;

wherein said thermal control system receives configuration data from each of said plurality of component slots, retrieves throttle data corresponding to said configuration data and directs at least one received component processor to reduce its operating frequency in accordance with said throttle data.

2. The modular computer housing system of claim 1, and further comprising a cooling system to provide airflow through said plurality of component slots.

3. The modular computer housing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of component slots can receive an airflow restriction filler and said configuration data includes airflow restriction filler identification data.

4. The modular computer housing system of claim 1, wherein said thermal control system retrieves said throttle data from a look-up table.

5. The modular computer housing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of component slots can be empty and said configuration data includes empty component slot identification data.

6. A thermal control process in a modular computing housing including a plurality of component bays, said process comprising:

determining the configuration status of component slots in a housing;

determining processor throttle data based on said configuration status; and

changing an operating frequencies of processors in the component slots based on said processor throttle data.

7. The thermal control process of claim 6, wherein said determining configuration status includes identifying components slots having components installed therein, component slots having airflow restriction fillers installed therein, and empty slots.

8. The thermal control process of claim 6, and further comprising forcing air about components installed in said component slots.

9. The thermal control process of claim 6, wherein determining processor throttle data comprises retrieving said processor throttle data from a look-up table.

10. A program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

program code stored within the computer readable storage medium configured for performing a process including;

determining the configuration status of component slots in a housing;

determining processor throttle data based on said configuration status; and

changing operating frequencies of processors in the component slots based on said processor throttle data.

11. The program product of claim 10, wherein said configuration status is generated by identifying components slots having components installed therein, component slots having airflow restriction fillers installed therein, and empty slots.

12. The program product of claim 10, wherein determining processor throttle data comprises retrieving said processor throttle data from a look-up table.

13. A thermal control system for a modular computing system, comprising:

a configuration sensor to collect configuration data of said modular computing system;

data storage including a configuration data structure, wherein the data storage outputs processor throttle data from the configuration data structure corresponding to a configuration detected by the configuration sensor; and

a processor throttle module that, responsive to the processor throttle data, controls operating frequencies of component processors in said modular computing system in accordance with said processor throttle data.

14. The thermal control system of claim 13, wherein said modular computer enclosure houses components including said at least one component processor.

15. The thermal control system of claim 13, wherein said configuration data indicates which components are present and a location of present component in the modular computing housing.

16. The thermal control system of claim 13, wherein said configuration data structure comprises a configuration look-up table.

17. The thermal control system of claim 13, wherein said configuration data identifies at least one empty component slot in the modular computing system.