Single Shared Power Domain Dynamic Load Based Power Loss Detection and Notification

• US 20100088533A1
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elliott, John C., Kubo, Robert A., Lucas, Gregg S., Benhase, Linda V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

The advanced management module services in a data processing system are configured to determine the system load and provide an input to the early power off warning detection logic that evaluates the power system state to detect a condition when power resources are insufficient to maintain the write caching storage system power within defined acceptable limits. The early power off warning detection logic generates a notification based on the system load and the available power supply resources to maintain maximum availability and reliability characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

identify a power configuration for the data processing system;

determine a load condition for the identified power configuration;

provide the load condition to an early power off warning detection module;

determine, by the early power off warning detection module, whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for a write caching storage system; and

responsive to the load condition and power configuration leading to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system, send an early power off warning notification to the write caching storage system.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is configured to receive power from a plurality of power supply units and wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving a power supply good state from each of the plurality of power supply units, wherein a given power supply good state indicates whether its respective power supply unit is present and providing an acceptable amount of power.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of power supply units is configured to provide an early power off warning signal responsive to a potential power failure event and wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving an early power off warning signal from each of the plurality of power supply units.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining the load condition for the identified power configuration based on the power supply good states of the plurality of power supply units and the early power off warning signals from the plurality of power supply units.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining a maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein determining whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system comprises:

identifying an actual shared load of the data processing system;

comparing the actual shared load of the data processing system to the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration; and

responsive to the actual shared load exceeding the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration, determining that the load condition and the power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein determining the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration comprises looking the load condition up in a table.

8. A method, in a data processing system, for single shared power domain dynamic load based power loss detection and notification, the method comprising:

identifying a power configuration for the data processing system;

determining a load condition for the identified power configuration;

providing the load condition to an early power off warning detection module;

determining, by the early power off warning detection module, whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for a write caching storage system; and

responsive to the load condition and power configuration leading to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system, sending an early power off warning notification to the write caching storage system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data processing system is configured to receive power from a plurality of power supply units and wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving a power supply good state from each of the plurality of power supply units, wherein a given power supply good state indicates whether its respective power supply unit is present and providing an acceptable amount of power.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of power supply units is configured to provide an early power off warning signal responsive to a potential power failure event and wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving an early power off warning signal from each of the plurality of power supply units.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining the load condition for the identified power configuration based on the power supply good states of the plurality of power supply units and the early power off warning signals from the plurality of power supply units.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining a maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system comprises:

identifying an actual shared load of the data processing system;

comparing the actual shared load of the data processing system to the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration; and

responsive to the actual shared load exceeding the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration, determining that the load condition and the power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration comprises looking the load condition up in a table.

15. A data processing system, comprising:

a plurality of power supply units;

a management module;

an early power off warning detection module; and

a write caching storage system,

wherein the management module is configured to identify a power configuration for the data processing system, determine a load condition for the identified power configuration, and provide the load condition to the early power off warning detection module, and

wherein the early power off warning module is configured to determine whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for a write caching storage system and responsive to the load condition and power configuration leading to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system, send an early power off warning notification to the write caching storage system.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving a power supply good state from each of the plurality of power supply units, wherein a given power supply good state indicates whether its respective power supply unit is present and providing an acceptable amount of power.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of power supply units is configured to provide an early power off warning signal responsive to a potential power failure event and wherein identifying the power configuration for the data processing system comprises:

receiving an early power off warning signal from each of the plurality of power supply units.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining the load condition for the identified power configuration based on the power supply good states of the plurality of power supply units and the early power off warning signals from the plurality of power supply units.

19. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein determining the load condition for the identified power configuration comprises:

determining a maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein determining whether the load condition and power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system comprises:

identifying an actual shared load of the data processing system;

comparing the actual shared load of the data processing system to the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration; and

responsive to the actual shared load exceeding the maximum acceptable load for the identified power configuration, determining that the load condition and the power configuration lead to an unreliable power system configuration for the write caching storage system.