Adaptive shutdown system and method for an information handling system

• US 6,304,981 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Wenli, Spears, Cameron
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/174,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 714/24, 714/22, 714/55, 714/706, 714/721, 714/731, 714/815, 713/324
• US Class Current: 714/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering

Abstract

A system for effecting a shutdown of a networked information handling system automatically determines the time interval required for the information handling system to reach a safe shutdown by continually calculating the time interval necessary to store all volatile information to non-volatile locations and shut down the system. In order to calculate the time interval, heuristics may be determined for various operating systems, applications, application environments, etc. Integration of the system of the present invention may be determined by a particular condition, configuration, and/or environment at any given period of time, and may, for example, be incorporated in environments such as a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) environment or a fault tolerant CPU (Central Processor Unit) shutdown environment.

Claims

1. A method for effecting a shutdown of an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored in non-volatile memory;

while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time interval, placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining step comprises using a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

wherein the minimum time interval is calculated by summing the products of one or more variables each representing the number of a type of system resource and a time constant corresponding to that variable.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of resetting the information handling system.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least one workstation forming the information handling system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least two workstations forming the information handling system wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the effecting step further comprises shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state.

6. A method for effecting a shutdown of an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored in non-volatile memory;

while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time interval, placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining step comprises using a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

wherein the minimum time interval is determined from the equation;

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of resetting the information handling system.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least one workstation forming the information handling system.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least two workstations forming the information handling system wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the effecting step further comprises shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state wherein all volatile information stored on that workstation is saved to a nonvolatile location.

11. A computer readable medium whose contents cause an information handling system to execute method steps for effecting a shutdown of the information handling system, the method steps comprising:

detecting a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to non-volatile memory;

while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time interval, placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining step comprises using a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is calculated by summing the products of one or more variables each representing the number of a type of system resource and a time constant corresponding to that variable.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, whose contents further cause the information handling system to perform the step of resetting the information handling system.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least one workstation forming the information handling system.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least two workstations forming the information handling system wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the effecting step further comprises shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state wherein all volatile information stored on that workstation is saved to a nonvolatile location.

16. A computer readable medium whose contents cause an information handling system to execute method steps for effecting a shutdown of the information handling system, the method steps comprising:

detecting a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to non-volatile memory;

while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time internal, placing the information handling system in the safe state; and

effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining step comprises using, a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is determined from the equation;

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, whose contents further cause the information handling system to perform the step of resetting the information handling system.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least one workstation forming the information handling system.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the effecting step comprises shutting down a server and at least two workstations forming the information handling system wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the effecting step further comprises shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state wherein all volatile information stored on that workstation is saved to a nonvolatile location.

21. An information handling system, comprising:

means for detecting an event requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

means for determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored in non-volatile memory;

means for placing the information handling system in the safe state while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time interval; and

means for effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining means comprises means for using a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is calculated by summing the products of one or more variables each representing the number of a type of system resource and a time constant corresponding to that variable.

22. The information handling system according to claim 21, further comprising means for resetting the information handling system.

23. The information handling system according to claim 21, comprising a server and a workstation forming the information handling system.

24. The information handling system according to claim 21, comprising a server and at least two workstations wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

25. The information handling system according to claim 24, wherein the shutdown effecting means comprises means for shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state wherein all volatile information utilized by the workstation is saved to a nonvolatile location.

26. An information handling system, comprising:

means for detecting an event requiring the information handling system to be shut down;

means for determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored in non-volatile memory;

means for placing the information handling system in the safe state while delaying shutdown of the information handling system for the determined time interval; and

means for effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the determining means comprises means for using a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is determined from the equation;

27. The information handling system according to claim 26, further comprising means for resetting the information handling system.

28. The information handling system according to claim 26, comprising a server and a workstation forming the information handling system.

29. The information handling system according to claim 26, comprising a server and at least two workstations wherein the workstations are powered by a common power supply.

30. The information handling system according to claim 29, wherein the shutdown effecting means comprises means for shutting down each of the at least two workstations independently when that workstation is placed in a safe state wherein all volatile information utilized by the workstation is saved to a nonvolatile location.

31. An information handling system, comprising:

a workstation configured to allow a user to access the information handling system; and

a server interconnected to the workstation configured to detect a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down, determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location, and effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the server is configured to determine a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is calculated by summing the products of one or more variables each representing the number of a type of system resource and a time constant corresponding to that variable.

32. The information handling system of claim 31, wherein the server resets the information handling system.

33. The information handling system of claim 31, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the server.

34. The information handling system of claim 31, wherein the server effects a shutdown of the workstation by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the workstation.

35. The information handling system of claim 33, wherein the server effects a shutdown ofthe information handling system by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the server.

36. The information handling system of claim 35, wherein the power supply also provides electrical power to the workstation.

37. An information handling system, comprising:

a workstation configured to allow a user to access the information handling system; and

a server interconnected to the workstation configured to detect a condition requiring the information handling system to be shut down, determining a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location, and effecting a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the server is configured to determine a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is determined from the equation;

38. The information handling system of claim 37, wherein the server resets the information handling system.

39. The information handling system of claim 37, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the server.

40. The information handling system of claim 37, wherein the server effects a shutdown of the workstation by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the workstation.

41. The information handling system of claim 39, wherein the server effects a shutdown of the information handling system by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the server.

42. The information handling system of claim 41, wherein the power supply also provides electrical power to the workstation.

43. An information handling system, comprising:

a processing system;

non-volatile memory interconnected with the processing system, and

a hardware management system interconnected with the processing system and memory, said hardware management system configured to detect an event requiring the information handling system to be shut down, determine a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored to non-volatile memory, and effect a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the hardware management system is configured to determine a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is calculated by summing the products of one or more variables each representing the number of a type of system resource and a time constant corresponding to that variable.

44. The information handling system of claim 43, wherein the hardware management system resets the information handling system.

45. The information handling system of claim 43, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the information handling system.

46. The information handling system of claim 43, wherein the hardware management system effects shutdown of the information handling system by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power thereto.

47. An information handling system, comprising:

a processing system;

non-volatile memory interconnected with the processing system, and

a hardware management system interconnected with the processing system and memory, said hardware management system configured to detect an event requiring the information handling system to be shut down, determine a minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in a safe state wherein all information stored in volatile memory is stored to non-volatile memory, and effect a shutdown of the information handling system after the determined time interval has elapsed;

wherein the hardware management system is configured to determine a heuristic for calculating the minimum time interval required for placing the information handling system in the safe state wherein all volatile information is saved to a non-volatile location; and

wherein the minimum time interval is determined from the equation;

48. The information handling system of claim 47, wherein the hardware management system resets the information handling system.

49. The information handling system of claim 47, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the information handling system.

50. The information handling system of claim 47, wherein the hardware management system effects shutdown of the information handling system by causing the power supply to interrupt the supply of electrical power thereto.