INTEGRATING A DATA CENTER THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUAL FAN CONTROLLERS FOR CONTROLLING A THERMAL ENVIRONMENT IN A DATA CENTER ROOM

• US 20130158713A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HOLLINGER, MICHAEL C., GEISSLER, ANDREW
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A thermal control system for a data center room, for controlling an ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, receives multiple ambient temperature votes from multiple fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among multiple fans each positioned within a separate system from among multiple systems within the data center room. The thermal control system sets the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the multiple ambient temperature votes, such that the thermal control system and fan controllers operate as independent systems, but are integrated for selecting an ambient temperature that minimizes the power required for controlling a thermal environment in the data center room.

Claims

1. A method for managing a thermal environment in a data center room, comprising:

receiving, by a thermal control system for a data center room for controlling an ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, a plurality of ambient temperature votes from a plurality of fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among plurality of fans each positioned within a separate system from among a plurality of systems within the data center room; and

setting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the thermal control system for the data center room for controlling the ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, the plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among plurality of fans each positioned within the separate system from among the plurality of systems within the data center room, further comprises:

receiving the plurality of ambient temperature votes by the thermal control system comprising a computer room air conditioning unit further comprising a fan interrogator for receiving communications of the plurality of ambient temperature votes from each of the plurality of fan controllers.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the thermal control system for the data center room for controlling the ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, the plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among plurality of fans each positioned within the separate system from among the plurality of systems within the data center room, further comprises:

receiving, by the thermal control system, the plurality of ambient temperature votes, wherein each separate fan controller from among the plurality of fan controllers receives at least one separate component temperature of at least one temperature measured proximate to at least one separate component within a separate system from among the plurality of systems and receives the ambient temperature currently measured, wherein each separate fan controller applies at least one local optimization rule to calculate a desired ambient temperature and fan speed relationship to optimize power usage for cooling by the separate fan controller, wherein each separate fan controller outputs a control signal for the calculated fan speed to control a separate fan from among the plurality of fans to control airflow locally within a particular system and outputs the desired ambient temperature in a separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the thermal control system for the data center room for controlling the ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, the plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among plurality of fans each positioned within the separate system from among the plurality of systems within the data center room, further comprises:

receiving, by the thermal control system, each separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes comprising an identifier for a particular system from among the plurality of systems, a desired ambient temperature, and at least one maximum temperature from among a maximum ambient temperature and a maximum component temperature; and

applying at least one selection rule, by the thermal control system, to select the lowest ambient temperature from among each separate ambient temperature in each of the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

collecting, by the thermal control system, the plurality of ambient temperature votes during a collection period;

responsive to reaching the end of a collection period, determining whether any systems from among the plurality of systems previously reporting are not reporting during the collection period; and

responsive to detecting at least one particular system not reporting during the collection period, marking a status of the at least one particular system not reporting in a fan vote record of a previous ambient temperature vote for the at least one particular system to indicate the at least one particular system is not reporting and identifying at least one desired ambient temperature vote for the at least particular system from a maximum temperature identified in the fan vote record, such that the at least one particular system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes, further comprises:

identifying a separate thermal area from among a plurality of thermal areas associated with each of the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

identifying a separate area lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes for each thermal area; and

setting a separate area ambient temperature set point to each separate area lowest ambient temperature for each thermal area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes, further comprises:

calculating the lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes by performing at least one of calculating a median temperature of the plurality of ambient temperature votes and removing at least one outlier temperature from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes and calculating a median temperature of the remaining ambient temperature votes, wherein the lowest ambient temperature is set to the median temperature.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

integrating the thermal control system with the plurality of fan controllers to optimize use of power for maintaining a thermal environment within the data center room, while maintaining the thermal control system and each of the plurality of fan controllers each as independent systems by establishing a communication channel between each of the plurality of fan controllers and the thermal control system, by setting a fan speed by each of the plurality of fan controllers based in part on a current ambient temperature measurement in the data center room and not within any of the plurality of systems or from the exhaust from any of the plurality of systems, and by setting the ambient temperature set point based on the plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the ambient temperature in the data center room from at least one sensor positioned outside of the plurality of systems within the data center room and not positioned to measure the exhaust air from the plurality of systems; and

adjusting the cooling output by the thermal control unit to adjust the ambient temperature to match the ambient temperature set point.

10. A system for managing a thermal environment in a data center room, comprising:

a data center room comprising a plurality of systems each housing at least one fan from among a plurality of fans each positioned in the plurality of systems for controlling local temperatures within a separate system from among the plurality of systems, wherein each fan is controlled by at least one fan controller from among a plurality of fan controllers positioned within the plurality of systems;

a thermal control system for controlling an ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point;

the thermal control system operative to receive a plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers; and

the thermal control system, operative to set the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the thermal control system comprising a computer room air conditioning unit;

the thermal control system comprising a fan interrogator operative to receive communications of the plurality of ambient temperature votes from each of the plurality of fan controllers.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

each separate fan controller from among the plurality of fan controllers operative to receive at least one separate component temperature of at least one temperature measured proximate to at least one separate component within a separate system from among the plurality of systems

each separate fan controller operative to receive the ambient temperature;

each separate fan controller operative to apply at least one local optimization rule to calculate a desired ambient temperature and fan speed relationship to optimize power usage for cooling by the separate fan controller;

each separate fan controller operative to output a control signal for the calculated fan speed to control a separate fan from among the plurality of fans; and

each separate fan controller operative to output the desired ambient temperature in a separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the thermal control system operative to receive each separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes comprising an identifier for a particular system from among the plurality of systems, a desired ambient temperature, and at least one maximum temperature from among a maximum ambient temperature and a maximum component temperature; and

the thermal control system operative to apply at least one selection rule, by the thermal control system, to select the lowest ambient temperature from among each separate ambient temperature in each of the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

the thermal control system operative to collect the plurality of ambient temperature votes during a collection period;

the thermal control system, responsive to reaching the end of a collection period, operative to determine whether any systems from among the plurality of systems previously reporting are not reporting during the collection period; and

the thermal control system, responsive to detecting at least one particular system not reporting during the collection period, operative to mark a status of the at least one particular system not reporting in a fan vote record of a previous ambient temperature vote for the at least one particular system to indicate the at least one particular system is not reporting and identify at least one desired ambient temperature vote for the at least particular system from a maximum temperature identified in the fan vote record, such that the at least one particular system.

15. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the thermal control system operative to identify a separate thermal area from among a plurality of thermal areas associated with each of the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

the thermal control system operative to identify a separate area lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes for each thermal area; and

the thermal control system operative to set a separate area ambient temperature set point to each separate area lowest ambient temperature for each thermal area.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the thermal control system operative to calculate the lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes by performing at least one of calculating a median temperature of the plurality of ambient temperature votes and removing at least one outlier temperature from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes and calculating a median temperature of the remaining ambient temperature votes, wherein the lowest ambient temperature is set to the median temperature.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

the thermal control system operative to measure the ambient temperature in the data center room from at least one sensor positioned outside of the plurality of systems within the data center room and not positioned to measure the exhaust air from the plurality of systems; and

the thermal control system operative to adjust the cooling output by the thermal control unit to adjust the ambient temperature to match the ambient temperature set point.

18. A computer program product for managing a thermal environment in a data center room, said computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising computer executable instructions which cause a computer to:

receive, by a thermal control system for a data center room for controlling an ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, a plurality of ambient temperature votes from a plurality of fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among plurality of fans each positioned for controlling local temperatures within a separate system from among a plurality of systems within the data center room; and

set, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising computer executable instructions which cause a computer to:

receive, by the thermal control system, the plurality of ambient temperature votes comprising a computer room air conditioning unit further comprising a fan interrogator for receiving communications of the plurality of ambient temperature votes from each of the plurality of fan controllers.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising computer executable instructions which cause a computer to:

receive, by the thermal control system, the plurality of ambient temperature votes, wherein each separate fan controller from among the plurality of fan controllers receives at least one separate component temperature of at least one temperature measured proximate to at least one separate component within a separate system from among the plurality of systems and receives the ambient temperature, wherein each separate fan controller applies at least one local optimization rule to calculate a desired ambient temperature and fan speed relationship to optimize power usage for cooling by the separate fan controller, wherein each separate fan controller outputs a control signal for the calculated fan speed to control a separate fan from among the plurality of fans and outputs the desired ambient temperature in a separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes.