Computing component and environment mobility

• US 8,171,325 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brillhart, David C., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US12/327,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/340, 709/223, 718/102, 718/104
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4893 taking into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods, services, devices, and programmable code are provided for moving computing processes without loss of service. Powered components supporting a computing infrastructure executing computing processes are monitored for thermal characteristics, each associated with at least one of the deployed components. A thermal characteristic rule set comprising a threshold is applied to the monitored characteristics, and in response to an association with a monitored characteristic correlating with the threshold, a computing process is moved from one powered component to another having a monitored thermal characteristics not correlated with the threshold, the moving in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved process.

Claims

1. A method for moving computing processes without loss of service, comprising:

monitoring via a processing unit thermal characteristics for each of a plurality of servers deployed in a computing infrastructure, wherein each of a plurality of the thermal characteristics are associated with one each of the deployed plurality of servers;

comparing the monitored thermal characteristics to a temperature threshold;

moving a computing application executing on the first server to a different second server of the plurality of servers in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved computing application, wherein the moving is a function of applying a mobility rule set comprising a predefined timing function and is in response to an association of the first server with a first of the monitored thermal characteristics that exceeds the compared temperature threshold, and also in response to an association of the second server with a second of the monitored thermal characteristics that does not exceed the compared temperature threshold;

preventing the processing unit from moving an additional computing application running on the first server to another of the servers until after a specified time period has elapsed, wherein the specified time period is sufficient to effect thermal changes in the first server in response to the moving of the first executing computing application;

taking a new temperature measurement of the first monitored thermal characteristic subsequent to the elapse of the specified time period; and

verifying that the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic no longer exceeds the temperature threshold;

or

if the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic exceeds the temperature threshold, moving one each of at least one additional computing application executing on the first server to another different server of the plurality of servers after each respective elapse of the specified time period, until a new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic does not exceed the temperature threshold; and

wherein the moved computing applications are logical partition server environments appearing to the end user as individual physical servers, and wherein the logical partition server environments each comprise a computing operating system and a plurality of running applications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second server in response to determining that the second server is not currently powered on and is in a location distal-most relative to other operating ones of the plurality of servers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the second server is more proximate to an air conditioning duct than the another available server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that performance of the second server is less sensitive to heat relative to a performance of the another available server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the another available server is located more proximate than the second server to other operating, heat-generating servers of the plurality of servers.

6. A method for providing a service for moving computing processes without loss of service, the method comprising:

providing a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage device, wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory;

monitors thermal characteristics for each of a plurality of servers deployed in a computing infrastructure, wherein each of a plurality of the thermal characteristics are associated with one each of the deployed plurality of servers;

compares the monitored thermal characteristics to a temperature threshold;

moves a computing application executing on the first server to a different second server of the plurality of servers in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved computing application, wherein the moving is a function of applying a mobility rule set comprising a predefined timing function and is in response to an association of the first server with a first of the monitored thermal characteristics that exceeds the compared temperature threshold, and also in response to an association of the second server with a second of the monitored thermal characteristics that does not exceed the compared temperature threshold;

prevents movement of an additional computing application running on the first server to another of the servers until after a specified time period has elapsed, wherein the specified time period is sufficient to effect thermal changes in the first server in response to the moving of the first executing computing application;

takes a new temperature measurement of the first monitored thermal characteristic subsequent to the elapse of the specified time period; and

verifies that the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic no longer exceeds the temperature threshold;

or

if the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic exceeds the temperature threshold, moves one each of at least one additional computing application executing on the first server to another different server of the plurality of servers after each respective elapse of the specified time period, until a new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic does not exceed the temperature threshold; and

wherein the moved computing applications are logical partition server environments appearing to the end user as individual physical servers, and wherein the logical partition server environments each comprise a computing operating system and a plurality of running applications.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server in response to determining that the second server is not currently powered on and is in a location distal-most relative to other operating ones of the plurality of servers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the second server is more proximate to an air conditioning duct than the another available server.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that performance of the second server is less sensitive to heat relative to a performance of the another available server.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the another available server is located more proximate than the second server to other operating, heat-generating servers of the plurality of servers.

11. A system, comprising:

a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage device;

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

monitors thermal characteristics for each of a plurality of servers deployed in a computing infrastructure, wherein each of a plurality of the thermal characteristics are associated with one each of the deployed plurality of servers;

compares the monitored thermal characteristics to a temperature threshold;

moves a computing application executing on the first server to a different second server of the plurality of servers in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved computing application, wherein the moving is a function of applying a mobility rule set comprising a predefined timing function and is in response to an association of the first server with a first of the monitored thermal characteristics that exceeds the compared temperature threshold, and also in response to an association of the second server with a second of the monitored thermal characteristics that does not exceed the compared temperature threshold;

prevents movement of an additional computing application running on the first server to another of the servers until after a specified time period has elapsed, wherein the specified time period is sufficient to effect thermal changes in the first server in response to the moving of the first executing computing application;

takes a new temperature measurement of the first monitored thermal characteristic subsequent to the elapse of the specified time period; and

verifies that the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic no longer exceeds the temperature threshold;

or

if the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic exceeds the temperature threshold, moves one each of at least one additional computing application executing on the first server to another different server of the plurality of servers after each respective elapse of the specified time period, until a new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic does not exceed the temperature threshold; and

wherein the moved computing applications are logical partition server environments appearing to the end user as individual physical servers, and wherein the logical partition server environments each comprise a computing operating system and a plurality of running applications.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server in response to determining that the second server is not currently powered on and is in a location distal-most relative to other operating ones of the plurality of servers.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the second server is more proximate to an air conditioning duct than the another available server.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that performance of the second server is less sensitive to heat relative to a performance of the another available server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further selects the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the another available server is located more proximate than the second server to other operating, heat-generating servers of the plurality of servers.

16. 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 processing unit, cause the computer processing unit to;

monitor thermal characteristics for each of a plurality of servers deployed in a computing infrastructure, wherein each of a plurality of the thermal characteristics are associated with one each of the deployed plurality of servers;

compare the monitored thermal characteristics to a temperature threshold;

move a computing application executing on the first server to a different second server of the plurality of servers in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved computing application, wherein the moving is a function of applying a mobility rule set comprising a predefined timing function and is in response to an association of the first server with a first of the monitored thermal characteristics that exceeds the compared temperature threshold, and also in response to an association of the second server with a second of the monitored thermal characteristics that does not exceed the compared temperature threshold;

prevent movement of an additional computing application running on the first server to another of the servers until after a specified time period has elapsed, wherein the specified time period is sufficient to effect thermal changes in the first server in response to the moving of the first executing computing application;

take a new temperature measurement of the first monitored thermal characteristic subsequent to the elapse of the specified time period; and

verify that the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic no longer exceeds the temperature threshold;

or

if the new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic exceeds the temperature threshold, move one each of at least one additional computing application executing on the first server to another different server of the plurality of servers after each respective elapse of the specified time period, until a new temperature measurement of the first thermal characteristic does not exceed the temperature threshold; and

wherein the moved computing applications are logical partition server environments appearing to the end user as individual physical servers, and wherein the logical partition server environments each comprise a computing operating system and a plurality of running applications.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the second server in response to determining that the second server is not currently powered on and is in a location distal-most relative to other operating ones of the plurality of servers.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the second server is more proximate to an air conditioning duct than the another available server.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that performance of the second server is less sensitive to heat relative to a performance of the another available server.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to select the second server over another of the different servers that is available for running the moved computing application in response to determining that the another available server is located more proximate than the second server to other operating, heat-generating servers of the plurality of servers.