Apparatus and method for modular dynamically power managed power supply and cooling system for computer systems, server applications, and other electronic devices

• US 7,533,283 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Inventors: Fung, Henry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US11/364,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-324
• US Class Current: 713/322
• 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 electrical apparatus comprising:

a plurality of computers each having a processor drawing electrical power in the form of an alternating or direct electrical voltage, current, or a combination of an electrical voltage and an electrical current, each of said computers utilizing said electrical power and generating heat as a result of said utilization, each of said computers configured to be operable in a plurality of modes of operation wherein each mode has a respective maximum power consumption rate;

at least one temperature sensor disposed proximate at least one of said plurality of computers for monitoring and reporting the temperature proximate the sensor to a temperature monitor; and

a power manager coupled to each of said computers, said power manager receiving said reported temperature and controlling the temperature at the temperature sensor by controlling the mode of operation for each of said plurality of computers based on said temperature and predetermined policies, thereby controlling the heat generated by operation of said plurality of computers.

2. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein said processor of each of said computers receives an operating voltage and a processor clock signal.

3. The apparatus in claim 2, wherein at least one of said computers is configured as a server.

4. The apparatus in claim 3, wherein said power manager comprises a power management circuit.

5. The apparatus in claim 3, wherein said server comprises a server module and said power manager comprises a management module.

6. The apparatus in claim 2, wherein each mode of operation is characterized by operating said processor at a respective operating voltage and processor clock signal frequency and further wherein said power manager controls the electrical power drawn and the heat generated by said computers by controlling either the frequency of said processor clock signal, or said operating voltage, or a combination of said processor clock frequency and said processor operating voltage.

7. The apparatus in claim 6, wherein said power manager reduces the electrical power drawn by said computers by monitoring said at least one temperature sensor and controlling an output signal generated at least in part by said temperature sensor to be within a predetermined range.

8. The apparatus in claim 7, wherein said predetermined range includes a predetermined maximum.

9. The apparatus in claim 2, wherein at least some of said plurality of computers are configured as network devices including said processor receiving said operating voltage and said processor clock signal, and each mode of operation is characterized by operating said processor at a respective operating voltage and processor clock signal frequency and further wherein said power manager controls the electrical power drawn and the heat generated by said network devices by controlling either the frequency of said processor clock signal, or said operating voltage, or a combination of said processor clock frequency and said processor operating voltage.

10. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein at least some of said network devices comprise circuits 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.

11. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein at least some of said network devices comprise server computers that further include at least one hard disk drive for storing data or other content to be served and a network communication circuit for communicating with an external client over a communication link.

12. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein at least some of said network devices comprise server modules and said power manager comprises at least one management module.

13. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein said configured network device comprises a management node type network device.

14. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein said system includes a plurality of temperature sensors reporting one or more network devices;

said power manager controlling the mode of operation of each of said network devices based on said report temperatures and predetermined policies.

15. The apparatus in claim 14, wherein said plurality of temperature sensors are spatially distributed to provide temperature monitoring of different ones of said network devices.

16. The apparatus in claim 14 further including a plurality of power supplies configured to provide power to at least one of said plurality of network devices, and wherein said plurality of temperature sensors are spatially distributed to provide temperature monitoring of different network devices and said power supplies.

17. The apparatus in claim 9, 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 mode of operation having a lower power consumption rate thereby generating less heat.

18. The apparatus in claim 17, wherein when the temperature sensed by a temperature sensor is within a predetermined magnitude relationship of a second predetermined value at least one network device is transitioned to a powered off state.

19. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the mode of operation of at least one network device is reduced to a mode of operation having a lower power consumption rate in response to a temperature sensor reporting a temperature greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

20. The apparatus in claim 19, wherein after said mode of operation has been lowered permitting said 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.

21. The apparatus in claim 9, 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 mode of operation having a lower power consumption rate.

22. The apparatus in claim 21, wherein said mode of operation having a lower power consumption rate 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.

23. The apparatus in claim 21, wherein additional networked devices are sent to lower energy consuming modes if the temperature remains above a predetermined temperature value.

24. The apparatus in claim 6, wherein said controlling of either the frequency of said processor clock signal, or said operating voltage, or a combination of said processor clock frequency and said processor operating voltage, is controlled by a computer program executing instructions to implement a control procedure at least in part in at least one of said processors of said computers that transition one or more of said processors between different operating modes having different electrical power consumptions and different heat generation;

said procedure including;

while operating in a first selected operating mode exhibiting that first selected mode'"'"'s characteristic power consumption range, (i) monitoring said plurality of computers to detect the occurrence or non-occurrence of a first event; and

(ii) transitioning one or more of said computers from said first selected operating mode to a second selected operating mode exhibiting that second selected operating mode'"'"'s power consumption range.

25. The apparatus in claim 24, wherein said procedure further including:

while operating in said second selected operating mode exhibiting that second selected mode'"'"'s characteristic power consumption range, (i) monitoring said plurality of computers to detect the occurrence or non-occurrence of a second event; and

(ii) transitioning at least one of said computers from said second selected operating mode to a third selected operating mode exhibiting that third selected operating mode'"'"'s power consumption range.

26. The apparatus in claim 25, wherein said first selected operating mode and said second selected operating mode comprises different operating modes, and said second selected operating mode and said third selected operating mode comprise different operating modes, each of said first, second, and third operating modes being selected from the set of modes consisting of:

(i) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated processing unit clock frequency and at substantially maximum rated processing unit core voltage, and a logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency;

(ii) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at less than maximum rated processing unit clock frequency and at less than or equal to a maximum rated processing unit core voltage, and said logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency; and

(iii) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at a substantially zero frequency processing unit clock frequency (clock stopped) and at less than or equal to a maximum rated processing unit core voltage sufficient to maintain processor unit state, and said logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency.

27. The apparatus in claim 26, wherein said set further consists of a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is powered off by removing a processing unit clock frequency (processing unit clock stopped) and a processing unit core voltage.

28. The apparatus in claim 1 further comprising an activity monitor associated with said processor of at least one of said computers and electrically connected to said power manager, said activity monitor configured to monitor the activity of said processor and to identify and report a level of activity for said processor to said power manager, said power manager being further configured to direct said processor to operate in one of said plurality of predetermined operating modes based on said activity information.

29. The apparatus in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors wherein each of said plurality of computers includes one of said plurality of temperature sensors coupled with said processor thereof for monitoring and reporting the temperature proximate said respective temperature sensor, said power manager receiving the reported temperatures from said temperature sensors and controlling the mode of operation for each of said plurality of computers based on said reported temperatures and predetermined policies.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

said power manager is a global power manager and each of said computers further includes a local power manager coupled to the temperature sensor corresponding to said respective computer;

said local power manager determining the mode of operation for said processor of said respective computer selected from a subplurality of said plurality of modes based on the temperature received from said corresponding temperature sensor;

each said local power manager is configured to transition said respective computer between modes of operation in said subplurality of modes, and said global power manager configured to transition each of said computers between said modes in said plurality of modes.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said power manager is a global power manager, and each of said computers includes a local power manager coupled to said temperature sensor corresponding to said respective computer, each said local power managers determining an operating mode for said respective computer selected from said plurality of modes based on the temperature received from said corresponding temperature sensor, said local power manager and said global power manager each configured to transition said computer between modes in said plurality of modes.

32. In an electrical apparatus of the type having a plurality of computers each having a processor receiving an operating voltage and a processor clock signal and each drawing electrical power in the form of an alternating or direct electrical voltage, current, or a combination of an electrical voltage and an electrical current, said plurality of computers utilizing said electrical power and generating heat as a result of said utilization, each of said computers being configured to be operable in a plurality of modes of operation wherein each mode has a respective maximum power consumption rate;

and at least one temperature sensor proximate at least one of said computers for monitoring and reporting the temperature proximate the sensor to a temperature monitor;

a method for controlling the temperature at the temperature sensor comprising;

providing a power manager;

communicating said reported temperature to said power manager and said power manager receiving said reported temperature; and

controlling the temperature at the temperature sensor by controlling the mode of operation for each of said plurality of computers based on said temperature and predetermined policies, and thereby the heat generated by operation of said plurality of computers.

33. The method in claim 32, wherein each mode of operation is characterized by operating said processor at a respective operating voltage and processor clock frequency and said power manager controls the electrical power drawn and the heat generated by said computers by controlling either the frequency of said processor clock signal, or said operating voltage, or a combination of said processor clock frequency and said processor operating voltage.

34. The method in claim 33, wherein said controlling of either the frequency of said processor clock signal, or said operating voltage, or a combination of said processor clock frequency and said processor operating voltage, is controlled by said power manager which is operative to execute instructions to implement a control procedure at least in part in at least one of said processors of said computers that transition one or more of said processors between different operating modes having different electrical power consumptions and different heat generation;

said procedure including;

while operating in a first selected operating mode exhibiting that first selected mode'"'"'s characteristic power consumption range, (i) monitoring said plurality of computers to detect the occurrence or non-occurrence of a first event; and

(ii) transitioning at least one of said computers from said first selected operating mode to a second selected operating mode exhibiting that second selected operating mode'"'"'s power consumption range.

35. The method in claim 34, wherein said procedure further including:

while operating in said second selected operating mode exhibiting that second selected mode'"'"'s characteristic power consumption range, (i) monitoring said plurality of computers to detect the occurrence or non-occurrence of a second event; and

(ii) transitioning at least one of said computers from said second selected operating mode to a third selected operating mode exhibiting that third selected operating mode'"'"'s power consumption range.

36. The method in claim 35, wherein said first selected operating mode and said second selected operating mode comprises different operating modes, and said second selected operating mode and said third selected operating mode comprise different operating modes, each of said first, second, and third operating modes being selected from the set of modes consisting of:

(i) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated processing unit clock frequency and at substantially maximum rated processing unit core voltage, and a logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency;

(ii) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at less than maximum rated processing unit clock frequency and at less than or equal to a maximum rated processing unit core voltage, and said logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency; and

(iii) a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is operated at a substantially zero frequency processing unit clock frequency (clock stopped) and at less than or equal to a maximum rated processing unit core voltage sufficient to maintain processor unit state, and said logic circuit of said computer is operated at substantially maximum rated logic circuit clock frequency.

37. The method in claim 36, wherein said set further consists of a mode in which said processing unit of said computer is powered off by removing a processing unit clock frequency (processing unit clock stopped) and a processing unit core voltage.

38. The method in claim 32 wherein said method further comprises:

providing an activity monitor associated with said processor of at least one of said computers and electrically connected to said power manager;

monitoring the activity of said processor and to identify and report a level of activity for said processor to said power manager;

directing, by said power manager, said processor to operate in one of a plurality of said predetermined operating modes based on said activity information.

39. The method in claim 32 wherein said providing a power manager step includes providing a global power manager, and said controlling step includes the substep of determining, for each computer, whether to transition each respective computer from one mode of operation to another of said plurality of modes of operation locally by a local power manager coupled to said particular computer, or by said global power manager, said method further comprising:

for those computers being transitioned by said global power manager, generating commands from said global power manager to each respective computer directing each to operate in said respective determined operating modes;

for each of those computers being transitioned locally by said respective local power manager, generating commands from said local power manager to said corresponding computer directing said electrical circuit to operate in said determined operating mode.