Apparatus and methods for managing power in an information handling system

• US 7,831,843 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brumley, Alan, Brundridge, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/535,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340, 307/29, 307/140
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of controlling power supplies in an information handling system, comprising measuring a power consumption of each of a plurality of electrical devices in the information handling system and adjusting a number of operating power supplies based at least in part on the measured power consumption of each of the plurality of electrical devices.

Claims

1. A method of controlling power supplies in an information handling system (IHS), comprising:

receiving a power request from a first electrical device in the IHS, the IHS having a number of operating power supplies;

determining if there is sufficient power to satisfy the power request;

determining an excess power supplied to the IHS, wherein the excess power is the difference between an amount of power allocated to a plurality of electrical devices in the IHS compared to an amount of power consumed by the plurality of electrical devices by calculating an average power consumption of each device over a time period and multiplying the average power consumption by a service factor; and

providing power to the first electrical device using only the number of operating power supplies if the excess power can satisfy the power request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising increasing the number of operating power supplies if the excess power cannot satisfy the power request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting each of the electrical devices to grant an excess power back to an IHS power budget.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical devices comprises a plurality of network server blades.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising reducing a central processing unit clock rate on at least one of the plurality of network server blades to avoid an over-current condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein data related to a load and an efficiency of the number of operating power supplies is stored in a memory, wherein the memory is chosen from the group consisting of a memory in the operating power supplies and a memory in a chassis management controller coupled to the IHS.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the service factor comprises a range of 1.1 to 1.3.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein data related to a load and an efficiency of the number of operating power supplies is stored in a memory, wherein the memory is chosen from the group consisting of a memory in the power supplies and a memory in the chassis management controller coupled to the IHS.

8. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a plurality of electrical devices;

a number of operating power supplies electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical devices;

a chassis management controller coupled to the plurality of electrical devices and the number of operating power supplies, whereupon receiving a power request from a requesting device, the chassis management controller is configured to;

determine if there is sufficient power to satisfy the power request;

determine an excess power supplied to the plurality of electrical devices,

wherein the excess power is the difference between an amount of power allocated to the plurality of electrical devices compared to an amount of power consumed by the plurality of electrical devices multiplied by a service factor; and

direct only the number of operating power supplies to provide power to the requesting device if the excess power can satisfy the power request.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the chassis management controller is further configured to power on at least one additional power supply if the excess power cannot satisfy the power request.

10. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein each of the number of operating power supplies has a power supply controller comprising a processor coupled to a memory having a set of instructions stored therein for at least partially controlling the operation of the power supply.

12. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the chassis management controller adjusts the number of operating power supplies such that each of the operating power supplies are loaded to maximize operating efficiency for each power supply.

13. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrical devices comprise a plurality of modules.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of modules comprise server blades.