USER IMPOSED POWER CONSTRAINTS ON WEB SERVER BASED ON USER PREFERENCES

• US 20090327775A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

Web application users are able to specify power constraints for remote web servers. These may be based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation desires. They enable the user to exercise control over the amount of energy that the web server expends in serving the needs of the user. The invention may employ such features as vertical scaling using power capacity on demand (CUoD) type functionality. The method includes providing a user-interactive interface to enable the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests. The user then instructs the web site provider to reduce power consumption in response to the user'"'"'s request. The user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user'"'"'s needs, such as instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web requests, or specifying a acceptable delay or fulfilling the user'"'"'s web requests.

Claims

1. A user based system for specifying power restriction for the quantum of energy used by a remote web site to serve the user, said restriction based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation profiles of the user, said system including:

a user-interactive interface;

a capability to enable the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests, and

a control to enable the web site to reduce power of processing transactions for the user in response to the user'"'"'s request.

2. The user based system according to claim 1 wherein the user interface is selected from among a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, keyword entry by the user, or speech entry of the user.

3. The user based system according to claim 1 further having a feature of enabling the users'"'"' power reduction request to be presented to the web server as an HTTP header.

4. The user based system with respect to claim 1 including a facility on the server to store the users'"'"' power reduction requests.

5. The user based system with respect to claim 1 including a web request delay for power conservation.

6. A user-implemented method for specifying effecting power restriction for the quantum of energy used by a remote web service provider to serve the user, said restriction based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation profiles of the user, said method including:

providing a user-interactive interface;

enabling the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests, and

instructing the web site provider to reduce power in response to the user'"'"'s request.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user'"'"'s needs, selected from at least one of the following:

a) instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web requests;

b) authorizing the web service provider to handle specified user requests at a lower priority;

c) instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web requests without utilizing additional nodes and CPUs;

d) specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling web requests; and

e) selecting from among annotations on a web site for energy conservation.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the user may issue instructions to the web service provider to reduce energy consumption when implementing the users requests, said instructions selected from among the following:

a button interface that communicates with the web service provider;

a sliding scale to enable the user to specify performance requirements;

a default setting;

as an HTTP header;

at least one metadata tag; and

at least one policy table to be traded among web users specifying settings for different energy users and power profiles.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the user interface is selected from among a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, keyword entry by the user, or speech entry of the user.

10. The user based method according to claim 6 further enabling the users'"'"' power reduction request to be presented to the web service provider as an HTTP header.

11. The user based method with respect to claim 6 including providing a facility on the web site provider to store the users'"'"' power reduction requests.

12. The user based method with respect to claim 6 including a web request delay for power conservation.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions, when implemented on a computer, for imposing power utilization constraints on a remote web server, said constraints based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation profiles of a web, and for communicating these said instructions to the web server.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13 wherein the instructions are communicated from the user to the web server through an interface selected from among a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, keyword entry by the user, or speech entry of the user.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13 including instructions to enable the users'"'"' power reduction request to be presented to the web server as an HTTP header.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13 including instructions for the web server to store the users'"'"' power reduction requests.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13 including instructions to the web sever to delay the timing for power conservation.

18. A computer product including a medium on which a computer program is recorded, said computer program including:

a user-interactive interface;

a capability to enable the user to indicate to a web server a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests, and

a control to enable the web server to reduce power in response to the user'"'"'s request.

19. The computer product according to claim 18 wherein the user interface is selected from among a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, keyword entry by the user, or speech entry of the user.

20. The computer product according to claim 18 further having a feature of enabling the users'"'"' power reduction request to be presented to the web server as an HTTP header.

21. The computer product with respect to claim 18 including a facility on the web server to store the users'"'"' power reduction requests.

22. A method for deploying a computer implemented program on behalf of a web user comprising the steps of:

presenting an input interface for user to interact with a web server;

interacting with the interface on behalf of the user; and

reading the interface input.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the user interface is selected from among a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, keyword entry by the user, or speech entry of the user.

24. The method according to claim 23 further having a feature of enabling the users'"'"' power reduction request to be presented to the web server as an HTTP header.

25. The method with respect to claim 23 including a facility on the web server to store the users'"'"' power reduction requests.