Power management server and method for managing power consumption

• US 7,421,599 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bahali, Sumanta K., Bailey, Warren D., Foster, Jimmy G. Sr., Sellman, Gregory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/148,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/340, 709/208, 709/223, 700/295
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections

Abstract

A power management server and method for managing power consumption is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a power management server data processing system is provided, where the power management server data processing system comprises a power management communication port to communicatively couple the power management server data processing system to a power-managed server data processing system and a system management processor coupled to the power management communication port. In the described embodiment, the system management processor comprises power management logic configured to receive power management data from the power-managed server data processing system, to generate a power management command utilizing the power management data, and to transmit the power management command to the power-managed server data processing system utilizing the power management communication port. Moreover, the power management data of the described embodiment comprises power management capability data.

Claims

1. A method of managing power consumption of a plurality of server data processing systems, wherein said plurality of server data processing systems comprises a power management server data processing system and a power-managed server data processing system, said method comprising:

receiving power management data from said power-managed server data processing system at said power management server data processing system via a power management communication port;

determining an effective power consumption level of said non-power-managed server data processing system;

generating a power management command utilizing said power management data at said power management server data processing system and said effective power consumption level of said non-power-managed server data processing system; and

transmitting said power management command from said power management server data processing system to said power-managed server data processing system utilizing said power management communication port, wherein said power management data comprises power management capability data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing data specifying a static power management priority level associated with said power-managed server data processing system to be stored within a storage element of said power management server data processing system, wherein said power management data comprises data specifying a dynamic power management priority level associated with said power-managed server data processing system; and

generating said power management command utilizing said static power management priority level and said dynamic power management priority level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said power-managed server data processing system includes a first power-managed server data processing system, wherein said method further includes

detecting a decoupling of said power management server data processing system from a second power-managed server data processing system of said plurality of server data processing systems;

determining an effective power consumption level of said second power-managed in response to said detecting; and

generating said power management command utilizing said effective power consumption level.