METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO PERFORM A COMPUTER TASK IN A REDUCED POWER CONSUMPTION STATE

• US 20100083260A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kuang, Ming, Chen, Jack, Wang, Jing W., Zhao, Yebin Andy, Zimmer, Vincent J., Rothman, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

Methods and systems to perform a computer task in a reduced power consumption state, including to virtualize physical resources with respect to an operating environment and service environment, to exit the operating environment and enter the service environment, to place a first set of one or more of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and to perform a task in the service environment utilizing a processor and a second set of one or more of the physical resources. A physical resource may be assigned to an operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment, and re-assigned to the service environment to be utilized by the service environment while other physical resources are placed in a reduced power consumption state.

Claims

1. A method, including:

virtualizing physical resources of a computer system with respect to an operating environment and a service environment;

exiting the operating environment and entering the service environment;

switching a first set of at least one the physical resources from an active state to a reduced power consumption state upon the exiting of the operating environment;

maintaining a processor and a second set of at least one of the physical resources in an active state in the service environment;

performing a service environment task in the service environment, including utilizing the processor and the second set of at least one physical resource while the first set of at least one physical resource is in the reduced power consumption state; and

exiting the service environment upon completion of the service environment task.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the service environment task in the reduced power consumption state in response to a request from the operating environment.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the service environment task in the reduced power consumption state in response to a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when one or more of a service task is in progress and a service task is scheduled.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the service environment task at the lower power consumption state in response to a schedule.

5. The method of claim 4, further including:

scheduling the service environment task at the lower power consumption state in response to instructions received through a network interface device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

assigning a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment; and

re-assigning the first physical resource to the service environment prior to performing the service task in the lower power consumption state.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

assigning a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment;

assigning a second one of the physical resources to the service environment upon an initialization of the service environment;

processing access requests to the first physical resource in the operating environment;

processing access requests to the second physical resource in the service environment; and

re-assigning the first physical resource to the service environment prior to performing the service task in the lower power consumption state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the service environment task includes:

transferring information between a network interface device and a storage device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the placing a first set of at least one the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state includes:

placing one or more processors in the reduced power consumption state.

11. A system, comprising:

a computer instruction processor;

a plurality of physical resources;

a communications infrastructure coupled between the processor and the plurality of physical resources;

a computer program product including a computer readable medium having computer program logic stored therein, the computer program logic including;

virtual machine management logic to cause the processor to virtualize physical resources of the computer system with respect to an operating environment and a service environment,

power management logic to cause the processor to place a first set of one or more of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state, and

service task logic to cause the processor to perform a service task in the service environment with respect to a second set of one or more of the physical resources when the power management logic is invoked.

9. The method of claim 18, wherein the transferring of information includes one or more of uploading information from the storage device to a network and a downloading information from the network to the storage device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to a request from the operating environment to perform the service task in a reduced power consumption state.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when one or more of a service task is in progress and a service task is scheduled.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to a schedule.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to receive an instruction through a network interface device and to cause the computer processor to schedule a time to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to the instruction.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon an initialization of the operating environment; and

logic to cause the processor to re-assign the first physical resource to the service environment when the power management logic and the service task logic are invoked.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual machine management logic includes:

logic to cause the processor to assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon initialization of the operating environment and assign a second one of the physical resources to the service environment upon initialization of the service environment;

logic to cause the processor to switch between the operating environment and the service environment and to process access requests to the first physical resource in the operating environment and to process access requests to the second physical resource in the service environment; and

logic to cause the processor to re-assign the first physical resource to the service environment when the power management logic and the service task logic are invoked.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the service task logic includes:

logic to cause the processor to transfer information between a network interface device and a storage device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the service task logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to perform one or more of an upload from the storage device to a network and a download from the network to the storage device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management logic includes logic to cause one or more other processors to enter a reduced power consumption state.

21. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having computer program logic stored therein, the computer program logic including:

virtual machine management logic to cause a processor to virtualize physical resources of a computer system with respect to an operating environment and a service environment;

power management logic to cause the processor to place a first set of one or more of the physical resources in a reduced power consumption state; and

service task logic to cause the processor to perform a service task in the service environment with respect to a second set of one or more of the physical resources when the power management logic is invoked.

22. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management and the service task logic in response to a request from the operating environment to perform the service task in a reduced power consumption state.

23. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to a request from the operating environment to place the computer system in a reduced power consumption state when one or more of a service task is in progress and a service task is scheduled.

24. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to a schedule.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to receive an instruction through a network interface device and to cause the computer processor to schedule a time to invoke the power management logic and the service task logic in response to the instruction.

26. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the computer program logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon initialization of the operating environment; and

logic to cause the processor to re-assign the first physical resource to the service environment when the power management logic and the service task logic are invoked.

27. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the virtual machine management logic includes:

logic to cause the processor to assign a first one of the physical resources to the operating environment upon initialization of the operating environment and to assign a second one of the physical resources to the service environment upon initialization of the service environment;

logic to cause the processor to switch between the operating environment and the service environment and to process access requests to the first physical resource in the operating environment and to process access requests to the second physical resource in the service environment; and

logic to cause the processor to re-assign the first physical resource to the service environment when the power management logic and the service task logic are invoked.

28. The computer program logic of claim 21, wherein the service task logic includes:

logic to cause the processor to transfer information between a network interface device and a storage device.

29. The computer program logic of claim 28, wherein the service task logic further includes:

logic to cause the processor to perform one or more of an upload from the storage device to a network and a download from the network to the storage device.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the power management logic includes logic to cause one or more other processors to enter a reduced power consumption state.