Cluster power management technique

• US 6,587,950 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Woodruff, Robert J., Shah, Rajesh R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US09/461,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A cluster operating in accordance with an integrating operating system independent power management with operating system directed power management includes a group of hosts connected together by a cluster interconnection fabric. A cluster administrator is connected to the group of hosts via the fabric and the cluster administrator includes a cluster power manager. A group of input/output units are connected to the group of hosts and the cluster interconnection fabric. Each of the hosts includes a controller element and an operating system power manager and input/output controller device driver stack. The cluster administrator transmits a request to the controller element of one of the hosts via the fabric and receives a reply therefrom and transmits a command. The controller element transmits the command to the operating system power manager and the input/output controller device driver stack of its host and transmits a command completion acknowledgment to the cluster power manager. The technique allows a cluster administrator to power manager fabric attached hosts and input/output controllers regardless of which host currently owns the controller.

Claims

1. A method of power management for a cluster comprising a plurality of hosts connected to a plurality of I/O (input/output) units via a cluster interconnection fabric, the method comprising:

transmitting an OS (operating system) independent power management request from a cluster power manager to an OS power manager within one of the hosts via a control element in the host and the fabric;

transmitting a reply to the request from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric;

transmitting a command to the control element from the cluster power manager via the fabric;

transmitting the command from the control element to the OS power manager and an I/O controller device driver stack in the host; and

transmitting a command completion acknowledgment from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the controller element communicating with the OS power manager and I/O controller device driver stack prior to transmitting a reply to the request from the controller element to the cluster power manager via the fabric.

3. A cluster apparatus comprising:

a plurality of hosts connected together by a cluster interconnection fabric;

a cluster administrator connected to said plurality of hosts via said fabric, said cluster administrator comprising a cluster power manager;

a plurality of I/O (input/output) units connected to said plurality of hosts and said cluster interconnection fabric;

each of said hosts comprising a control element and an OS power manager and an I/O controller device driver stack;

wherein said cluster administrator transmits a request to said control element of one of said hosts via said fabric and receives a reply therefrom via said fabric and transmits a command and wherein said control element transmits said command to said OS power manager and said I/O controller device driver stack of its host and transmits a command completion acknowledgment to said cluster power manager via said fabric.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said control element communicates with said OS power manager and said I/O controller of its host prior to transmitting said reply to said cluster power manager.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a fabric management unit disposed between said cluster power manager and said fabric for interfacing said cluster power manager with said fabric.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said controller element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a fabric management unit disposed between said cluster power manager and said fabric for interfacing said cluster power manager with said fabric.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said control element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said control element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

10. A method of power management for a cluster comprising a plurality of hosts connected to a plurality of I/O (input/output) units via a cluster interconnection fabric, the method comprising:

transmitting a query request from an OS (operating system) power manager in one of the hosts to an I/O (input/output) controller device driver stack and to a control element in said one host;

forwarding said query request from said control element to a cluster power manager via said fabric;

transmitting response to said control element from said cluster power manager via said fabric;

forwarding said response to said OS power manager from said control element;

transmitting command to said control element from said OS power manager via said I/O controller device driver stack; and

transmitting command to cluster power manager from the control element via said fabric.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting another query request to one of either an administrator or another cluster power manager from said cluster power manager prior to transmitting said response to said control element from said cluster power manager via said fabric.

12. A cluster apparatus comprising:

a plurality of hosts connected together by a cluster interconnection fabric;

a cluster administrator connected to said plurality of hosts via said fabric, said cluster administrator comprising a cluster power manager;

a plurality of I/O (input/output) units connected to said plurality of hosts and said cluster interconnection fabric;

each of said hosts comprising a control element and an OS power manager and an I/O controller device driver stack;

wherein one of said OS power managers transmits a query request to an I/O (input/output) controller device driver stack and to a control element in one of said hosts and wherein said control element forwards said query request to a cluster power Manager via said fabric which in turn transmits a response to said control element via said fabric and wherein said control element forwards said response to said OS power manager which in turn transmits a command to said control element via said I/O controller device driver stack and wherein said control element transmits a command to said cluster power manager via said fabric.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said cluster power manager transmits another query request to one of either an administrator or another cluster power manager prior to transmitting said response to said control element.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a fabric management unit disposed between said cluster power manager and said fabric for interfacing said cluster power manager with said fabric.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said control element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a fabric management unit disposed between said cluster power manager and said fabric for interfacing said cluster power manager with said fabric.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said control element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a cluster interface adapter control unit disposed between said control element and said fabric for interfacing said control element with said fabric.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for power managing a cluster comprising a plurality of hosts connected to a plurality of I/O (input/output) units via a cluster interconnection fabric, said computer program product comprising;

a computer readable program code means for causing a transmission of an O/S (operating system) independent power management request from a cluster power manager to an O/S power manager within one of the hosts via a control element in the host and the fabric;

a computer readable program code means for causing a transmission of a reply to the request from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric;

a computer readable coding means for causing a transmission of a command to the controller element from the cluster power manager via the fabric;

a computer readable program code means for causing a transmission of the command from the control element to the O/S power manager and an I/O controller device stack in the host; and

a computer readable program for causing a transmission of a command completion acknowledgment from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric.

20. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, causing a computer to:

receive an OS (operating system) independent power management request from a cluster power manager to an OS power manager within a host via a control element in the host and a cluster interconnection fabric;

transmit a reply to the request from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric;

receive a command from the cluster power manager to the control element via the fabric;

transmit the command from the control element to the OS power manager and an I/O controller device driver stack in the host; and

transmit a command completion acknowledgment from the control element to the cluster power manager via the fabric.