System and method for activity or event based dynamic energy conserving server reconfiguration

• US 7,512,822 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Inventors: Fung, Henry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US11/364,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-324
• US Class Current: 713/323
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Network architecture, computer system and/or server, circuit, device, apparatus, method, and computer program and control mechanism for managing power consumption and workload in computer system and data and information servers. Further provides power and energy consumption and workload management and control systems and architectures for high-density and modular multi-server computer systems that maintain performance while conserving energy and method for power management and workload management. Dynamic server power management and optional dynamic workload management for multi-server environments is provided by aspects of the invention. Modular network devices and integrated server system, including modular servers, management units, switches and switching fabrics, modular power supplies and modular fans and a special backplane architecture are provided as well as dynamically reconfigurable multi-purpose modules and servers. Backplane architecture, structure, and method that has no active components and separate power supply lines and protection to provide high reliability in server environment.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a frame or enclosure for mounting a plurality of devices;

a backplane having a plurality of connectors disposed within said frame or enclosure; and

a plurality of devices, each including a device electrical connector, matingly coupled to said backplane electrical connectors, said plurality of devices including a plurality of network devices wherein each network device includes at least one processor and an activity monitor identifying a level of activity indicator for said at least one processor, each of said plurality of network devices being operable in a plurality of modes wherein each mode has a respective maximum level of performance and a respective maximum power consumption rate; and

a power manager;

(i) coupled to each of said plurality of network devices and receiving said level of activity information from each of said plurality of network devices;

(ii) analyzing said plurality of received level of activity information;

(iii) determining an operating mode for each of said network devices selected from said plurality of modes based on said analyzed activity information and predetermined policies; and

(iv) generating commands to each of said plurality of network devices directing each of said network devices to operate in said determined operating mode.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of network devices comprises a device selected from the set of network devices consisting of a server device, a computer node device, a monitor node device, a management module, a server module, and combinations thereof.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of network devices includes a processor and a memory integral with or coupled to said processor.

4. A system as in claim 3, further comprising a network switch or network switching device.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein said plurality of devices further comprises a device selected from the set of devices consisting of a power supply, a fan or fan module, and combinations thereof.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of network devices comprises at least one server computer having at least one processor and a local power manager.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said local power manager is integral with said server computer.

8. A system as in claim 6, wherein said local power manager is separate from said server computer.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of modes includes a first mode having a first maximum performance level and a first power consumption rate, and (ii) a third mode having a third maximum performance level lower than said first maximum performance level and a third power consumption rate lower than said first power consumption rate;

and said

power manager is configured to determine an operating mode for each of said plurality of network devices selected from said first mode and third mode based on said analyzed activity information and predetermined policies.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein:

said plurality of modes further includes a second mode having a second maximum performance level intermediate between said first maximum performance level and said third maximum performance level and a second power consumption rate intermediate between said first power consumption rate and said third power consumption rate; and

said power manager is further configured to determine an operating mode for each of said plurality of network devices selected from said first mode, said second mode, and said third mode based on said analyzed activity information and said predetermined policies.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a switching module, and said power manager receives activity indicators for said switching module and controls an operating mode of said switching module in response thereto.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of network devices comprises a server module that is power managed by adjusting processor performance to one or more of a predicted processor processing requirement and a measured processor processing requirement.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said predicted processor processing requirement is a Quality of Service (QoS) based requirement, and said measured processor processing requirement comprises a substantially real-time measured processor processing requirement.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said substantially real-time processor processing requirement comprises an idle thread execution detection and response thereto.

15. A system as in claim 1, wherein power (or energy) is conserved by controlling at least one of said plurality of network devices based on a control procedure algorithm to enter a first level of power (energy) saving by adjusting the performance of the processor within said at least one of said plurality of network devices to substantially match the computer processor loading demand.

16. A system as in claim 1, wherein power (or energy) is conserved by controlling said plurality of network devices in aggregate based on a control procedure algorithm and said policy to enter selected levels of power (energy) saving by adjusting the performance of the processors within said plurality of network devices to substantially match the aggregate computer processor loading demands.

17. A system as in claim 1, wherein said power manager includes a control procedure algorithm implemented as software to implement a power on demand control procedure.

18. A system as in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of network devices is configurable as a particular type of network device.

19. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of network devices is configured as a network device selected from the set consisting of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, and a router.

20. A system as in claim 1, wherein at least selected ones of said plurality of network devices are configurable as a combination type of network device, and wherein one of said plurality of network devices is configured as a computer node selected from the set consisting of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, a router, and combinations thereof.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein said network device configured as a computer node is reconfigurable at any time based on types of activities detected within the network to which the network device is or may be connected.

22. A system as in claim 1, wherein the activity monitor for at least one of said network devices comprises a network activity monitor that detects the types of activities present on a network to which said activity monitor is coupled.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein said types of activities present on a network to which said activity monitor is coupled that are monitored by said activity monitor include volume of web pages served, volume of streaming media served, volume of files served, volume of applications served, volume of cached data served, amount of network traffic routed, and combinations thereof.

24. A system as in claim 21, wherein said reconfiguration of said network device is initiated by any of said plurality of network devices including the network device being reconfigured.

25. A system in claim 1, wherein a selected one of said plurality of network devices is designated as a master comprises said power manager.

26. A system as in claim 25, wherein any of said plurality of network devices may be designated as the master.

27. A system as in claim 26, wherein a particular one of said plurality of network devices is designated as a master on the basis of its position within a chassis.

28. A system as in claim 26, wherein a particular one of said plurality of network devices is designated as a master on the basis of the order of power-up or boot completion.

29. A system as in claim 21, wherein reconfiguration of said network device configured as a computer node comprises altering the software and/or firmware instructing said computer.

30. A system as in claim 21, wherein reconfiguration of said network device configured as a computer node comprises altering the data organization of a data storage device integral with or coupled to said computer.

31. A system as in claim 30, wherein said data storage device comprises a hard disc drive based RAID storage away and altering said data organization comprises altering rad configuration of said data to provide better performance for the type of data being served.

32. A system as in claim 21, wherein said reconfiguration of network device configured as a computer node is initiated by a management module network device.

33. A system as in claim 1, wherein a number of said plurality of network devices of the same type are grouped together and treated as a single network device.

34. A system as in claim 33, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is managed and controlled as a single network device.

35. A system as in claim 33, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is power managed as a single network device.

36. A system as in claim 33, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is monitored as a single network device.

37. A system as in claim 33, wherein said plurality of network devices are electrically coupled via a backplane bus and the logical grouping of the plurality of network devices into a single logical network device is performed under control of software.

38. A system as in claim 37, wherein said software executes within a processor and memory associated within each of said plurality of network devices.

39. A system as in claim 33, wherein said group of network devices comprises a server group.

40. A system as in claim 33, wherein said plurality of network devices each comprise a computer server module.

41. A system as in claim 40, wherein each computer server module is configured as a computer server module selected from the group consisting of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, a router, and combinations thereof.

42. A system as in claim 37, wherein the activity associated with each computer within a grouped logical network device may be monitored individually.

43. A system as in claim 37, wherein the network activity associated with all or any subset of physical network device within a grouped logical network device may be monitored as a composite or in aggregate.

44. A system as in claim 33, wherein grouping is accomplished by aggregating all of the activity in each of said plurality of network devices and directing each of said plurality of network devices in said logical group to operate at the same operating mode.

45. A system as in claim 10, wherein over a period of time said system will have sufficient over capacity that some of said network devices will be directed to operate in said third mode, said policy taking into account the amount each of said network devices have historically spent operating in at least one of said first, second, or third mode and selecting a network device to operate in said third mode based on historical data.

46. A system as in claim 45, wherein said network device selected to operate in said third mode is a network device that has the smallest cumulative duration operating in said third mode amongst the plurality of network devices.

47. A system as in claim 45, wherein said network device selected to operate in said third mode is randomly selected from amongst the plurality of network devices.

48. A system as in claim 45, wherein said network device selected to operate in said third mode is rotated sequentially amongst the plurality of network devices.

49. A system as in claim 10, wherein said activity monitor comprises an activity monitor that monitors an activity selected from the set of activities consisting of:

a program application layer activity, a network layer activity, a physical layer activity, and combinations thereof.

50. A system as in claim 49, wherein at the physical level the number of processor idle threads executed within a predetermined period of time are measured to determine processor loading and the processor performance is adjusted to by altering the operating mode to substantially match the level of processor loading.

51. A system as in claim 50, wherein the substantial matching of processor performance to processor loading is performed with a predetermined amount of additional processor performance beyond that needed to match the processor loading.

52. A system as in claim 51, wherein said predetermined amount of additional processor performance is between about one-percent and about five-percent additional performance.

53. A system as in claim 10, wherein:

said first mode operation is characterized by operating said processor at a first processor clock frequency and a first processor core voltage, said second mode operation is characterized by operating said processor at a second processor clock frequency and a second processor core voltage, and said third mode operation is characterized by operating said processor at a third processor clock frequency and a third processor core voltage;

said second mode of operation being further characterized in that said second processor clock frequency and said second processor core voltage in combination consuming less power than said first processor clock frequency and said first processor core voltage in combination, and said third processor clock frequency and said third processor core voltage in combination consuming less power than said second processor clock frequency and said second processor core voltage in combination.

54. A system as in claim 53, wherein performance of a group of said network devices forming a single logical device are power managed by reducing the performance and power consumption of each constituent network device in predetermined equal increments or predetermined unequal increments.

55. A system as in claim 54, wherein said unequal increments include placing one or more of said plurality of network devices in said third mode operating mode.

56. A system as in claim 54, wherein said unequal increments include placing one or more of said plurality of network devices in said second mode operating mode.

57. A system as in claim 54, wherein said unequal increments include placing one or more of said plurality of network devices in a powered-off fourth mode.

58. A system as in claim 54, wherein a composite performance of a logical network device is achieved by placing some physical network devices in said second mode and by placing others in a different mode.

59. A system as in claim 49, wherein said activity monitor comprises a network layer activity monitor monitoring TCP/IP protocol data packets;

and processor performance is incrementally lowered by said power manager until data packets start dropping indicating that the processor performance is at the limit of adequacy and then increasing the processor performance by a specified increment to act as a safety margin to provide reliable communication of the packets.

60. A system as in claim 59, wherein the specified increment is a one-percent to five percent increment.

61. A system as in claim 59, wherein the specified increment is a 0.1 percent to 10 percent increment.

62. A system as in claim 1, wherein said activity monitor comprises an activity monitor that monitors an activity selected from the set of activities consisting of:

a program application layer activity, a network layer activity, a physical layer activity, and combinations thereof.

63. A system as in claim 62, wherein said application layer activity monitor comprises monitoring use of a port address within said plurality of network devices, said monitoring including counting or measuring a number of times a specific port address is being requested within a predetermined period of time, and in response to that counting or measurement, placing a sufficient amount of device performance to meet the performance requirement for each application requesting the port address.

64. A system as in claim 63, wherein said sufficient amount of network performance is provided by operating selected network device in a first predetermined performance having a predetermined power consumption and a second group of other selected physical network devices at a reduced second performance level having a power consumption lower than that of said first selected group.

65. A system as in claim 64, wherein said first predetermined performance is a maximum performance and said second predetermined performance is a second level power saving mode.

66. A system as in claim 64, wherein said first predetermined performance is a maximum performance and said second predetermined performance is a third level power saving mode.

67. A system as in claim 63, wherein said measurement is determined via a SNMP agent.

68. A system as in claim 1, wherein said power manager applies different policies for different application types including using different rules to determine and predict system performance requirements.

69. A system as in claim 68 wherein said different application types comprise different server types.

70. A system as in claim 68, wherein said different rules comprise different measurement procedures.

71. A system as in claim 68, wherein said system performance requirements comprise processor performance requirements.

72. A system as in claim 68, wherein said system performance requirements comprise server loading performance requirements.

73. A system as in claim 68, wherein said application type comprises a network application.

74. A system as in claim 73, wherein said network application comprises a network file server (NFS) application.

75. The system in claim 74, wherein at least one of said plurality of network devices comprises a network server, and a processor within said at least one of said plurality of network devices operates at a processor clock frequency just sufficient to maintain maximum rated communication over a predetermined network connection.

76. The system in claim 75, wherein said a predetermined network connection comprises a 100 Mbps ethernet connection.

77. A system as in claim 75, wherein said processor clock frequency is less than about 300 MHz.

78. A system as in claim 73, wherein said processor clock frequency is less than about 300 MHz.

79. A system as in claim 1, wherein said activity indicator comprises a network quality of service (QoS) indicator.

80. A system as in claim 10, wherein power is conserved by controlling each of said plurality of network devices to enter one of said second mode or said third mode using one or more of a quality of service based predictive processor performance reduction and an activity based measured performance requirement.

81. A system as in claim 80, wherein said activity based measured performance comprises an idle thread execution based activity measure.

82. A system as in claim 79, wherein a number of said plurality of network devices are organized as a single logical network device, and network device loading and QoS are measured for logical network device.

83. A system as in claim 82, wherein within said single logical network device, at least some network devices making up the logical network device enter the third mode while other of said physical network devices operate in one or more of said first and second modes.

84. A system as in claim 79, wherein at least one of said network devices can enter a third mode directly or indirectly from either said first mode or the second mode.

85. A system as in claim 10, wherein when there is a requirement that one network device be placed in a lower power consumption mode, the network device selected for such lower power consumption is selected according to predetermined rules such that different network devices are placed in lower power consumption mode each time such selection is required.

86. A system as in claim 85, wherein said predetermined rules provide for random selection of one of the network devices.

87. A system as in claim 85, wherein said predetermined rules provide for cycling through the network devices according to some predetermined ordering.

88. A system as in claim 87, wherein said predetermined rules provide for cycling through the network devices according to some predetermined ordering in which network devices having the lowest time in service are preferentially selected for continued operation and network devices having the longest time in service are selected for reduced power operation.

89. A system as in claim 88, wherein said reduced power operation includes being powered off.

90. A system as in claim 88, wherein said reduced power operation includes being placed in a suspend mode.

91. A system as in claim 10, wherein a network device placed in mode 3 is in a suspend state and may be woken up and placed in the first mode or the second mode by any one of a plurality of events including by a wake on LAN signal event.

92. A system as in claim 10, wherein the transition from one power consumption mode to another power consumption mode is based on a procedure implemented in software.

93. A system as in claim 10, wherein the transition from one power consumption mode to another power consumption mode is based on a procedure implemented in hardware and software.

94. A system as in claim 10, wherein when there is need to operate fewer than all the network devices, the particular network device or logical group of network devices that is (are) turned off or placed in a reduced power consumption mode is cycled so that over time all of the network devices experience similar operating time histories.

95. A system as in claim 94, wherein the network devices include a non-volatile memory for storing operational history.

96. A system as in claim 95, wherein said operational history includes a total operating time indicator.

97. A system as in claim 95, wherein said operational history includes a time in service indicator.

98. A system as in claim 95, wherein said operational history includes indicators for operational time at each operational mode.

99. A system as in claim 10, wherein at least some of said network devices include a mass storage device including a rotatable storage device.

100. A system as in claim 99, wherein said rotatable mass storage device comprises a rotatable magnetic hard disk drive.

101. A system as in claim 99, wherein said rotatable mass storage device comprises a rotatable optical disk drive.

102. A system as in claim 99, wherein said rotatable mass storage device comprises a rotatable magneto-optical disk drive.

103. A system as in claim 99, wherein said rotatable mass storage device is power managed by controlling the rotation of a motor rotating said rotatable device, wherein said disc drive is not rotated when a computer associated with said drive is in a mode 3 operating condition.

104. A system as in claim 10, wherein said network devices are configured as network server devices and a network load versus allocated network device performance profile is provided for each different type of network server device, and the performance level set for operation of said network device is established by reference to the profile.

105. A system as in claim 104, wherein the profile is implemented as an analytical expression executed in software or firmware.

106. A system as in claim 104, wherein the profile is implemented as a piecewise linear expression executed in software or firmware.

107. A system as in claim 104, wherein the profile is implemented as a look-up-table stored in a memory.

108. A system as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said network devices comprises a network server device and said activity monitoring for said network server device comprises a monitoring of either said network device load or the network device quality of service (QoS);

and wherein said monitoring is performed by said activity monitor or by a separate management computer, or both.

109. A system as in claim 1, wherein said system includes at least one temperature sensor within an enclosure holding said plurality of network devices for monitoring and reporting the temperature proximate the sensor to a computer configured to monitor said temperature.

110. A system as in claim 1, wherein said system includes a plurality of temperature sensors within said enclosure reporting to one or more network devices.

111. A system as in claim 110, wherein said plurality of temperature sensors are spatially distributed to provide temperature monitoring of different network devices within said enclosure.

112. A system as in claim 110, wherein said plurality of temperature sensors are spatially distributed to provide temperature monitoring of different network devices and power supplies within said enclosure.

113. A system as in claim 109, wherein when the temperature sensed by a temperature sensor is within a predetermined magnitude relationship of a first predetermined value at least one network device is transitioned to a lower power consumption state.

114. A system as in claim 113, wherein when the temperature sensed by a temperature sensor is within a predetermined magnitude relationship of a second predetermined value at least one network is transitioned to a powered off state.

115. A system as in claim 109, wherein the operational mode of at least one network device is reduced to a lower power consuming and heat dissipating state in response to a temperature sensor reporting a temperature greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

116. A system as in claim 113, wherein after said power consumption operating mode has been lowered permitting said at least one network device to be operated at a higher power consuming state when the temperature sensed is below a predetermined temperature value, said lower temperature value being selected to provide hysteresis and prevent oscillation between higher power state and lower powered state.

117. A system as in claim 113 wherein the lower power consumption state is achieved by lowering the clock frequency of the processor, the clock frequency of a bus coupling a processor to other components, or the operating voltage of the processor or other components.

118. A system as in claim 113, wherein the particular network device that is transitioned to a lower power consumption state is selected based on predetermined rules.

119. A system as in claim 118, wherein said predetermined rules include a quality of service (QoS) indicator.

120. A system as in claim 119, wherein additional network devices are sent to lower energy consuming modes if the temperature remains above a predetermined temperature value.

121. A system as in claim 1, wherein power consumption within said system is reduced by adjusting the number and motor speed of cooling fans responsible for cooling at least one of said network devices.

122. A system as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of cooling fans are provided and operate under control of said power manager that controls each fan to provide cooling at the rate and location desired to maintain said network devices within a predetermined temperature range.

123. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of network devices are disposed within a common enclosure and said system further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of cooling devices are also disposed within said enclosure, said plurality of temperature sensors communicating a temperature signal to a temperature control means and said control means adjusting the on/off status and operational parameters of the cooling units to extract heat according to predetermined rules.

124. A system as in claim 123, wherein said power manager comprises said temperature control means.

125. A system as in claim 123, wherein one of said network devices within said enclosure comprises said temperature control means.

126. A system as in claim 1, wherein said system further includes a plurality of power supplies and said power supplies are controlled to maintain a required power output level and operate said power supplies at a preferred efficiency.

127. A system as in claim 126, wherein only selected ones of said plurality of power supplies are operated.

128. A system as in claim 126, wherein multiple ones of said power supplies are operated but each is operated at less than rated power output capacity.

129. A system as in claim 1, wherein the temperature of said system is moderated by motor driven cooling fans and wherein a rotational speed of said motor drive cooling is adjusted to maintain a predetermined temperature range proximate a temperature sensor.

130. A system as in claim 1, wherein the rotational speed of a motor drive cooling is adjusted to maintain a predetermined temperature range within an enclosure.

131. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

said power manager is a global power manager and each of said plurality of network devices includes a local power manager configured for determining an operating mode for said respective network device selected from a subplurality of said plurality of modes based on processor internal activity information;

each said local power manager configured to transition said respective network device between said modes in said subplurality of modes, and said global power manager configured to transition each of said network devices between said modes in said plurality of modes.

132. A system as in claim 1, wherein said power manager is a global power manager and each network device includes a local power manager configured to determine an operating mode for itself selected from said plurality of modes based on processor internal activity information, said local power manager and said global power manager each configured to transition each respective network device between modes in said plurality of modes.

133. A power-conservative multi-node network device, comprising:

an enclosure having a power supply and a back-plane buss;

a plurality of hot-pluggable node devices in the form of printed circuit (PC) cards adapted for connection with said back-plane buss, each said node device being configured to perform a first task; and

each said node device being reconfigurable in substantially real-time to perform a second task different than said first task to adapt to changing conditions on the network.

134. The network device in claim 133, wherein said plurality of hot-pluggable node devices comprise up to sixteen node devices.

135. The network device in claim 133, wherein each of said node devices includes power saving control features.