User imposed power constraints on web server based on user preferences

• US 8,140,873 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, NITIN C
• Application Number:
  US12/147,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

Web application users are able to specify power constraints for remote web servers. These may be based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation desires. They enable the user to exercise control over the amount of energy that the web server expends in serving the needs of the user. The invention may employ such features as vertical scaling using power capacity on demand (CUoD) type functionality. The method includes providing a user-interactive interface to enable the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests. The user then instructs the web site provider to reduce power consumption in response to the user'"'"'s request. The user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user'"'"'s needs, such as instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web requests, or specifying a acceptable delay or fulfilling the user'"'"'s web requests.

Claims

1. A method for specifying effecting power restriction for a quantum of energy used by a remote web service provider to serve a user, said power restriction based on an individual performance need and an energy-conservation profile of the user, said method comprising:

providing a user-interactive interface;

enabling a user to indicate a preference for power restriction with respect to web requests by the user; and

instructing a web service provider to reduce power in response to a web request by the user;

wherein the user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user'"'"'s needs, selected from at least one of the following;

instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web requests;

authorizing the web service provider to handle specified user requests at a lower priority;

instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web requests without utilizing additional nodes and;

central processing units;

specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling web requests; and

selecting from among annotations on a web site for energy conservation.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the user issues instructions to the web service provider to reduce energy consumption when implementing the user'"'"'s web requests by at least one of:

using a button interface that communicates an instruction to the web service provider;

using a sliding scale that specifies a performance requirements instruction;

using a default setting;

using an HTTP header instruction;

using at least one metadata tag instruction; and

using at least one policy table instruction that is traded among web users specifying settings for different energy users and power profiles.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a graphical interface on a web browser, a graphical user interface on a computer of the user, a keyword entry by the user, or a speech entry of the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user further specifies the reduction in overall power consumption for the user'"'"'s needs by presenting the user'"'"'s power reduction request to the web service provider as an HTTP header.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a facility on the web service provider to store the user'"'"'s power reduction requests.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user further specifies a web request delay for power conservation.

7. A method for specifying a power restriction for a quantum of energy used by a remote web service provider to serve a user, said method comprising:

enabling via a programmable device a user to indicate to a web service provider via a user-interactive interface a preference for power restriction with respect to serving a web request by the user; and

instructing the web service provider to reduce power in response to serving the user'"'"'s web request as a function of the indicated preference for power restriction by at least one of;

instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web request;

authorizing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request at a lower priority than a priority of another request;

instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request without utilizing additional nodes and central processing units; and

specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of instructing the web service provider to reduce power in serving the user'"'"'s web request as the function of the indicated preference for power restriction further comprises:

specifying a method for energy conservation in response to the user selecting a mark-up language annotation within a web page of the web service provider visited by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the user-interactive interface to the user on the web page visited by the user; and

storing the indicated preference for power restriction as a site-specific cookie with respect to the visited web site that persists during future visits to the site by the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the specified acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request is a delay until a point in time at which a new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicated preference for power restriction specifies that the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request stays at an optimal level until the point in time at which the new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider, wherein the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request degrades to a green performance level that is less than the optimal level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the optimal level performance level is at a clock speed that is faster than a clock speed of the green performance level.

13. A method for providing a service specifying a power restriction for a quantum of energy used by a remote web service provider to serve a user, said method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure that;

enables a user to indicate to a web service provider via a user-interactive interface a preference for power restriction with respect to a web request by the user; and

instructs the web service provider to reduce power in response to the web request by the user as a function of the indicated preference for power restriction by at least one of;

instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web request;

authorizing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request at a lower priority than a priority of another request;

instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request without utilizing additional nodes and central processing units; and

specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the computer infrastructure instructs the web service provider to reduce power in serving the user'"'"'s web request as the function of the indicated preference for power restriction by specifying a method for energy conservation in response to the user selecting a mark-up language annotation within a web page of the web service provider visited by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure further:

presents the user-interactive interface to the user on the web page visited by the user; and

stores the indicated preference for power restriction as a site-specific cookie with respect to the visited web site that persists during future visits to the site by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the indicated preference for power restriction specifies that the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request stays at an optimal level until a point in time at which the new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider, wherein the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request degrades to a green performance level that is less than the optimal level.

17. A system, comprising:

a processing unit, a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage device;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory;

enables a user to indicate to a web service provider via a user-interactive interface a preference for power restriction with respect to a web request by the user; and

instructs the web service provider to reduce power in response to the web request by the user as a function of the indicated preference for power restriction by at least one of;

instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web request;

authorizing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request at a lower priority than a priority of another request;

instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request without utilizing additional nodes and central processing units; and

specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory, further instructs the web service provider to reduce power in serving the user'"'"'s web request as the function of the indicated preference for power restriction by specifying a method for energy conservation in response to the user selecting a mark-up language annotation within a web page of the web service provider visited by the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indicated preference for power restriction specifies that the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request stays at an optimal level until a point in time at which the new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider, wherein the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request degrades to a green performance level that is less than the optimal level.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the optimal level performance level is at a clock speed that is faster than a clock speed of the green performance level.

21. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer-readable tangible storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to;

enable a user to indicate to a web service provider via a user-interactive interface a preference for power restriction with respect to a web request by the user; and

instruct the web service provider to reduce power in response to the web request by the user as a function of the indicated preference for power restriction by at least one of;

instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user'"'"'s web request;

authorizing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request at a lower priority than a priority of another request;

instructing the web service provider to handle the user'"'"'s web request without utilizing additional nodes and central processing units; and

specifying an acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the computer processor to instruct the web service provider to reduce power in serving the user'"'"'s web request as the function of the indicated preference for power restriction by specifying a method for energy conservation in response to the user selecting a mark-up language annotation within a web page of the web service provider visited by the user.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the computer processor to:

present the user-interactive interface to the user on the web page visited by the user; and

store the indicated preference for power restriction as a site-specific cookie with respect to the visited web site that persists during future visits to the site by the user.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the specified acceptable delay for fulfilling the user'"'"'s web request is a delay until a point in time at which a new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the indicated preference for power restriction specifies that the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request stays at an optimal level until the point in time at which the new processor or grid node is brought online by the web service provider, wherein the web service provider performance in serving the user'"'"'s web request degrades to a green performance level that is less than the optimal level.