Environmental monitoring in data facilities

• US 7,894,944 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Jie, Priyantha, Nissanka Bodhi, Zhao, Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman; Sean P
• Application Number:
  US11/841,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2, 700/3, 700 9- 12, 700 14- 17, 700/19, 700/22, 700 28- 31, 700/49, 700/50, 700275-278, 700/291, 700/295, 700/299, 700/300, 702/132, 702182-184, 702/188, 709223-226, 361/688, 715/700, 715738-740, 715/771, 715/772, 715/961, 715/965
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use

Abstract

Processes and techniques for environmental monitoring in a data facility are described. A network of environmental sensors is arranged to monitor a variety of environmental conditions of the facility. The sensors can be queried to generate data describing specific environmental conditions, and the data can be processed to generate an environmental image of all or part of the data facility. The environmental image can optionally be viewed by data facility personnel and can be used to manipulate one or more environmental conditions of the data facility.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving environmental data from a sensor network comprising a master sensor and a plurality of slave sensors via a sensor basestation, the sensor network configured to monitor one or more environmental conditions associated with a data facility,

wherein after the sensor basestation submits a query to the master sensor, the master sensor submits a data packet to the sensor basestation for the plurality of slave sensors;

tracking the environmental data in the form of a sensor data table arranged in particular patterns, the sensor data table comprising a sensor identifier, a sensor type, a sensor location, a sensor value and a sample time at which the sensor value was collected;

processing the environmental data to produce an environmental image of at least part of the data facility;

making the environmental image available for viewing; and

communicating automatic environmental adjustments to a plurality of equipment in the data facility based on predefined environmental limits and the environmental image.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a wireless sensor.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of slave sensors comprises at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a power usage sensor, and an air flow sensor.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor network further comprises a sensor server to process the environmental data.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the environmental image comprises at least one of a temperature profile, a humidity profile, a power usage profile, or an air flow profile.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying the environmental image on a sensor interface.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising manipulating one or more of the environmental conditions based on the environmental image.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert based on at least one of the environmental conditions; and

manipulating one or more of the environmental conditions based on the alert.

9. A system, comprising:

a sensor network comprising a basestation, a master sensor and a plurality of slave sensors, wherein each of the master sensor and the plurality of slave sensors are configured to monitor one or more environmental conditions of a data facility, wherein the sensor basestation is configured to submit a query to the master sensor and the master sensor is configured to submit a data packet to the sensor basestation for the plurality of slave sensors;

a sensor server to receive environmental data from the sensor network and to process the environmental data to produce an environmental image of the data facility, the sensor server further configured to track the environmental data in the form of a sensor data table arranged in particular patterns, the sensor data table comprising a sensor identifier, a sensor type, a sensor location, a sensor value and a sample time at which the sensor value was collected;

a sensor interface to display the environmental image to a user; and

an environmental control module configured to communicate automatic environmental adjustments to a plurality of equipment in the data facility based on predefined environmental limits and the environmental image.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of slave sensors comprises a wireless sensor.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the environmental image comprises a real-time view of environmental conditions.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the sensor interface is configured to receive user input, and based on the user input, manipulate one or more of the environmental conditions.

13. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the sensor interface comprises a web page.

14. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the sensor server is configured to generate an alert based on the environmental data.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensor server is configured to manipulate one or more of the environmental conditions based on the alert.

16. One or more computer-readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving environmental data from a sensor network comprising a master sensor and a plurality of slave sensors via a sensor basestation, the sensor network configured to monitor one or more environmental conditions associated with a data facility,

wherein after the sensor basestation submits a query to the master sensor, the master sensor submits a data packet to the sensor basestation for the plurality of slave sensors;

tracking the environmental data in the form of a sensor data table arranged in particular patterns, the sensor data table comprising a sensor identifier, a sensor type, a sensor location, a sensor value and a sample time at which the sensor value was collected;

processing the environmental data to produce an environmental image of at least part of the data facility;

making the environmental image available for viewing; and

communicating automatic environmental adjustments to a plurality of equipment in the data facility based on predefined environmental limits and the environmental image.