Intelligent power management for a rack of servers

• US 7,043,647 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Andrew, Hansen, Peter A., Cartes, Andrew C., Autor, Jeffrey S., Barton, Gordon M., Sanders, Michael, Jones, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/966,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713322-324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

The invention is directed to a system and related method of allocating power in a rack mounted computer system where the individual servers are powered from a central power supply system. The structure includes a series of serial communication pathways coupling the servers and the individual power supplies in the power supply system. A series of chassis communication modules communicates with servers in its respective chassis, and relays messages to and from a power supply communication module, which is responsible for granting or denying permission for individual servers to allocate power. The disclosed system also envisions intelligent de-allocation of power, for example in the event of a failure of individual components of the central power supply system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting permission by a server in a rack mounted server system to allocate power from a central power supply;

polling individual power supplies in the central power supply to determine remaining power capacity of each individual power supply, and there from determining a capability of the central power supply;

analyzing power requirements of the server requesting allocation against the capability of the central power supply; and

powering the server if power is available from the central power supply to maintain fully redundant capability from the central power supply.

2. The method of allocating power as defined in claim 1 wherein requesting permission further comprises:

sending a request by the server to the central power supply across a primary communication pathway; and

responding by the central power supply across the communication pathway.

3. The method of allocating power as defined in claim 2 wherein sending the request and responding across a communication pathway further comprises sending the request and responding across a serial communication pathway.

4. The method of a locating power as defined in claim 3 wherein sending the request and responding across a serial communication pathway further comprises sending the request and responding across an RS-485 serial communication pathway.

5. The method of allocating power as defined in claim 2 wherein requesting permission further comprises:

sending the request by the server across a first communication pathway to a chassis communication module;

relaying the request by the chassis communication module to a power supply communication module across the primary communication pathway; and

responding by the power supply communication module with a response being one of permission granted and permission denied to allocate power.

24. The method of allocating power in a rack mounted server system as defined in claim 1 wherein requesting permission by the server to allocate power further from the central power supply further comprises:

sending a request to allocate power; and

sending a number representing an amount of power requested.

25. The method of allocating power in a rack mounted server system as defined in claim 24 further comprising:

querying a read only memory device within the server to obtain the number representing an amount of power requested; and

sending the number representing an amount of power requested to the central power supply across a primary communication pathway.

6. A power management system comprising:

a chassis communication module;

a power supply communication module;

a first communication pathway coupling the chassis communication module and the power supply communication module;

a second communication pathway configured to couple the chassis communication module to a plurality of servers;

a third communication pathway coupling a power supply system to the power supply communication module;

wherein a server of the plurality of servers sends a request for permission to allocate power from the power supply system across the second communication pathway to the chassis communication module;

wherein the chassis communication module relays the request for permission to the power supply communication module across the first communication pathway; and

wherein the power supply communication module polls the power supply system across the third communication pathway, receives results of that polling across the third communication pathway, and sends a response to the server across the first communication pathway, the response being one of permission granted or permission denied.

7. The power management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the chassis communication module further comprises:

a random access memory array (RAM);

a read only memory (ROM);

a microcontroller controller coupled to the RAM and ROM, the microcontroller executes programs stored on the ROM;

said microcontroller coupled to both the first and second communication pathways;

wherein the microcontroller receives the request for permission from the server across the second communication pathway and transit its that request for permission across the first communication pathway to the power supply communication module; and

wherein the microcontroller further receives the response across the first communication pathway from the power supply communication module and directs that response across the second communication pathway to the server.

8. The power management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the power supply communication module further comprises:

a random access memory array (RAM);

a read only memory (ROM);

a microcontroller controller coupled to the RAM and ROM, the microcontroller executes programs stored on the ROM;

said microcontroller coupled to both the first and third communication pathways;

wherein the microcontroller receives the request for permission across the first communication pathway, and in response to the received request for permission, polls the power supply system across the second communication pathway; and

wherein the microcontroller further receives results of the polling from the power supply system across the third communication pathway, and transmits the response to the server across the first communication pathway.

9. The power management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the first communication pathway further comprises a serial communication pathway.

10. The power management system as defined in claim 9 wherein the serial communication pathway further comprises an Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) RS-485 serial communication pathway.

11. The power management system as defined in claim 6 where the second communication pathway further comprises a serial communication pathway.

12. The power management system as defined in claim 11 wherein the second communication pathway further comprises an I²C bus.

13. The power management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the third communication pathway further comprises a serial communication pathway.

14. The power management system as defined in claim 13 wherein the third communication pathway further comprises an I²C bus.

26. The power management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the server is further configured to send a number representing an amount of power needed along with the request for permission.

27. The power management system as defined in claim 26 further comprising:

a read only memory device mounted in the server, the read only memory device storing the number representing an amount of power needed; and

wherein the server obtains the number representing an amount of power needed by accessing the read only memory device.

28. The power management system as defined in claim 27 wherein the read only memory device further comprises an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

15. A rack mounted computer system comprising:

a chassis housing a plurality of computers, the chassis mounted in the rack mounted system;

a central power supply system mounted in the rack mounted computer system, the central power supply system coupled to and supplying power to the plurality of computers, said central power supply system comprising a plurality of individual power supplies;

a chassis communication module coupled to the plurality of computers by way of a first communication pathway;

a power supply communication module coupled to the chassis communication module by way of a second communication pathway, and the power supply communication module coupled to each individual power supply by way of a third communication pathway;

wherein the plurality of computers request permission to draw power from the central power supply system by sending that request to the chassis communication module;

wherein the chassis communication module forwards each request for permission to draw power to the power supply communication module; and

wherein the power supply communication module generates a response to the request for permission to draw power by polling each individual power supply across the third communication pathway to determine remaining power capacity, the power supply communication module sending the response across the second communication pathway.

16. The rack mounted computer system as defined in claim 15 wherein the first communication pathway further comprises a serial communication pathway.

17. The rack mounted computer system as defined in claim 15 wherein the second and third communication pathways further comprise serial communication pathways.

18. The rack mounted computer system as defined in claim 17 wherein each of the second and third serial communication pathways further comprise an I²C bus.

19. A rack mounted computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers mounted in the rack mounted computer system;

a central power supply system mounted in the rack mounted computer system, the central power supply system coupled to and supplying power to the plurality of computers;

a first communication pathway coupled between the plurality of computers and the central power supply system;

a power supply communication module coupled to the plurality of computers across the first communication pathway, the power supply communication module also coupled to the central power supply system across a second communication pathway;

said central power supply further comprises;

a plurality of individual power supplies, each individual power supply having a health and status monitoring device associated therewith, each health and status monitoring device monitors an operating condition of its associated individual power supply; and

wherein each of said health and status monitoring devices communicates the operating condition of it associated individual power supply to the power supply communication module across the second communication pathway;

wherein the power supply communication module requests a non-critical computer of the plurality of computers to shut down when a health and status monitoring devices indicates a change in the operating condition of its associated individual power supply.

20. The rack mounted computer system as defined in claim 19 wherein the power supply communication module requests the non-critical computer of the plurality of computers to shut down when a first health and status monitoring device for a first individual power supply indicates a failure of the first individual power supply.

21. A rack mounted computer system comprising:

a plurality of computer means

a means for housing the plurality of computer means, the means for housing in the rack mounted system;

a central means for supplying power to the plurality of computer means, the central means for supplying mounted in the rack mounted computer system, the central means for supplying comprising a plurality of individual means for supplying power;

a first means for facilitating message transfer coupled to the plurality of computer means;

a means for computer communication coupled to the first means for facilitating;

a means for communicating with a power supply that transfers messages to the central means for supplying, the means for communication coupled to the means for computer communication though a second means for facilitating message transfer and coupled to each individual means for supplying power by way of the a third means for facilitating message transfer;

wherein each of the plurality of computer means requests permission to draw power from the central means for supplying by sending those requests to the means for computer communication across the first means for facilitating;

wherein the means for computer communication forwards each request for permission to draw power across the second means for facilitating to the means for communicating with a power supply; and

wherein the means for communicating with a power supply generates a response to the request for permission to draw power by polling each individual means for supplying power across the third means for facilitating to determine remaining power capacity, the means for communicating with a power supply sending the response across the second means for facilitating.

22. A rack mounted computer system comprising:

a plurality of computer means mounted in the rack mounted computer system;

a central means for supplying power to the plurality of computer means, the central means for supplying mounted in the rack mounted computer system;

a first means for facilitating message transfer between the plurality of computer means and the central means for supplying;

a means for communicating with a power supply facilitating message transfer from the plurality of computers to the means for supplying power, the means for communicating coupled to the plurality of computer means across the first means for facilitating, the means for communicating also coupled to the central means for supplying power across a second means for facilitating;

said central means for supplying power further comprises;

a plurality of individual power supply means, each individual power supply means having a means for monitoring an operating condition of each individual power supply means and

wherein each of said means for monitoring communicates the operating condition of its associated individual power supply means to the means for communicating across the second communication means;

wherein the means for communicating requests a non-critical computer means of the plurality of computer means to shut down when a means for monitoring indicates a change in the operating condition of its associated individual power supply means.

23. The rack mounted computer system as defined in claim 22 wherein the means for communicating requests the non-critical computer of the plurality of computers to shut down when a means for monitoring for a first individual power supply indicates a failure of the first individual power supply.