Cooling system control with clustered management services

• US 7,287,708 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lucas, Gregg S, Kubo, Robert A, Bomhoff, Matthew D, Cagno, Brian J
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc
• Application Number:
  US10/988,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 621/86, 622/592, 361/688, 361/690, 361/692, 361/694, 361/695
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control

Abstract

A data processing unit including a first active cooling device configured to respond to a first control signal and a second active cooling device configured to respond to a second control signal. The control signals may be any type of control signal suitable to control the operation of the first and second active cooling devices. The data processing unit also includes a first control function selectively capable of providing the first control signal and/or the second control signal, and a second control function selectively capable of providing the first control signal and/or the second control signal. Logic associated with the first and second control functions is included to determine which of the control functions will provide which control signal at a specific time. Logic and/or switching or isolation apparatus is also included to prevent both the first and second control functions from attempting to provide one of the control signals simultaneously.

Claims

1. A data processing unit comprising:

a first active cooling device configured to respond to a first control signal;

a second active cooling device configured to respond to a second control signal;

a first control function selectively capable of providing the first control signal and the second control signal;

a second control function selectively capable of providing the first control signal and the second control signal;

wherein the first and second control functions are in communication with each other;

means for determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the first control signal at a specific time;

means for determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the second control signal at a specific time; and

means for preventing the first and second control functions from providing one of the first and second control signals simultaneously.

2. The data processing unit of claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining if one of the first and the second control functions has been electively withdrawn from the data processing unit; and

means for transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the withdrawn control function prior to the withdrawal.

3. The data processing unit of claim 2 further comprising:

means for determining if the withdrawn control function has been returned to the data processing unit; and

means for restoring to the previously withdrawn control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the withdrawal.

4. The data processing unit of claim 1 further comprising:

means for detecting if one of the first and the second control functions has failed; and

means for transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the failed control function prior to the failure.

5. The data processing unit of claim 4 further comprising:

means for determining if the failed control function has been repaired; and

means for restoring to the previously failed control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the failure.

6. The data processing unit of claim 1 further comprising first and second status tables associated with the first and second control functions respectively, the status tables having indicators associated therewith, the indicators being capable of indicating which control function is responsible for providing each of the first and second control signals.

7. The data processing unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a first power supply operatively associated with the first active cooling device; and

a second power supply operatively associated with the second active cooling device.

8. The data processing unit of claim 7 further comprising:

a first power control module associated with the first power supply; and

a second power control module associated with the second power supply, wherein the first and second power control modules receive the first and second control signals respectively and condition the first and second control signals for transmission to the first and second active cooling devices.

9. The data processing unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a first sensor operatively associated with the first active cooling device, the first sensor being configured to provide a first feedback signal regarding the first active cooling device to the first and second control functions; and

a second sensor operatively associated with the second active cooling device, the second sensor being configured to provide a second feedback signal regarding the second active cooling device to the first and second control functions.

10. A method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit comprising:

providing a first control signal from one of a first control function and a second control function to a first active cooling device;

providing a second control signal from one of the first control function and the second control function to a second active cooling device;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the first control signal at a specific time;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the second control signal at a specific time; and

preventing the first and second control functions from providing one of the first and second control signals simultaneously.

11. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 10 further comprising:

determining if one of the first and the second control functions has been electively withdrawn from the data processing unit; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the withdrawn control function prior to the withdrawal.

12. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 11 further comprising:

determining if the withdrawn control function has been returned to the data processing unit; and

restoring to the previously withdrawn control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the withdrawal.

13. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting if one of the first and the second control functions has failed; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the failed control function prior to the failure.

14. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 13 further comprising:

determining if the failed control function has been repaired; and

restoring to the previously failed control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the failure.

15. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 10 further comprising associating first and second status tables with the first and second control functions respectively, the status tables having indicators associated therewith, the indicators being capable of indicating which control function is responsible for providing each of the first and second control signals.

16. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 10 further comprising:

operatively associating a first power supply with the first active cooling device; and

operatively associating a second power supply with the second active cooling device.

17. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 16 further comprising:

conditioning the first control signal with a first power control module associated with the first power supply; and

conditioning the second control signal with a second power control module associated with the second power supply.

18. The method of controlling the environment within a data processing unit of claim 10 further comprising:

providing feedback to the first and second control functions from a first sensor operatively associated with the first active cooling device; and

providing feedback to the first and second control functions from a second sensor operatively associated with the second active cooling device.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible computer readable medium for use in programming a data processing unit to control the environment within the data processing unit the article of manufacture comprising instructions for:

providing a first control signal from one of a first control function and a second control function to a first active cooling device;

providing a second control signal from one of the first control function and the second control function to a second active cooling device;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the first control signal at a specific time;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the second control signal at a specific time; and

preventing the first and second control functions from providing one of the first and second control signals simultaneously.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for:

determining if one of the first and the second control functions has been electively withdrawn from the data processing unit; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the withdrawn control function prior to the withdrawal.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 further comprising instructions for:

determining if the withdrawn control function has been returned to the data processing unit; and

restoring to the previously withdrawn control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the withdrawal.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for:

detecting if one of the first and the second control functions has failed; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by the failed control function prior to the failure.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 further comprising instructions for:

determining if the failed control function has been repaired; and

restoring to the previously failed control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the failure.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for associating first and second status tables with the first and second control functions respectively, the status tables having indicators associated therewith, the indicators being capable of indicating which control function is responsible for providing each of the first and second control signals.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for:

operatively associating a first power supply with the first active cooling device; and

operatively associating a second power supply with the second active cooling device.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25 further comprising instructions for:

conditioning the first control signal with a first power control module associated with the first power supply; and

conditioning the second control signal with a second power control module associated with the second power supply.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for:

reacting to feedback from a first sensor operatively associated with the first active cooling device; and

reacting to feedback from a second sensor operatively associated with the second active cooling device.

28. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable code into a computing system for controlling the environment within a data processing unit, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

providing a first control signal from one of a first control function and a second control function to a first active cooling device;

providing a second control signal from one of the first control function and the second control function to a second active cooling device;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the first control signal at a specific time;

determining which of the first and second control functions will provide the second control signal at a specific time; and

preventing the first and second control functions from providing one of the first and second control signals simultaneously.

29. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 28 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

determining if one of the first and the second control functions has been electively withdrawn from the data processing unit; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the withdrawal.

30. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 29 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

determining if the withdrawn control function has been returned to the data processing unit; and

restoring to the previously withdrawn control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the withdrawal.

31. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 28 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

detecting if one of the first and the second control functions has failed; and

transferring to the remaining control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the failure.

32. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 31 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

determining if the failed control function has been repaired; and

restoring to the previously failed control function responsibility for providing any control signal provided by it prior to the failure.

33. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 28 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of associating first and second status tables with the first and second control functions respectively, the status tables having indicators associated therewith, the indicators being capable of indicating which control function is responsible for providing each of the first and second control signals.

34. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 28 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

operatively associating a first power supply with the first active cooling device; and

operatively associating a second power supply with the second active cooling device.

35. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 34 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

conditioning the first control signal with a first power control module associated with the first power supply; and

conditioning the second control signal with a second power control module associated with the second power supply.

36. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 28 wherein the code in combination with the computing system is further capable of performing the following:

reacting to feedback from a first sensor operatively associated with the first active cooling device; and

reacting to feedback from a second sensor operatively associated with the second active cooling device.