Computing load management method and system

• US 8,201,000 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory Jensen, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Haugh, Julianne Frances, Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SPITTLE, MATTHEW D
• Application Number:
  US12/391,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 700295-297, 307/34, 307/35, 307/39, 307/129
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A load management method and system. The method includes detecting and monitoring by a computing system, a frequency signal associated with an input voltage signal used for powering computing apparatuses at a specified location. The computing system compares the frequency signal to a predetermined frequency value. The computing system determines that the frequency signal comprises a first value that is not equal to the predetermined frequency value. The computing system calculates a difference value between the first value and the predetermined frequency value. The computing system compares the difference value to a second value and analyzes a power demand profile. The computing system enables a load adjustment modification process associated with the plurality of power consumption devices based on the difference value and the power demand profile. The computing system generates and stores a report associated with the load adjustment modification process.

Claims

1. A modification method comprising:

detecting, by a computing system, a frequency signal associated with an input voltage signal used for powering a plurality of computing apparatuses at a specified location, wherein said computing system comprises a memory device, and wherein said memory device comprises a power demand profile describing limitations associated with operating said each computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses;

monitoring, by said computing system, said frequency signal;

first comparing, by said computing system, said frequency signal to a predetermined frequency value;

determining, by said computing system based on said first comparing, that said frequency signal comprises a first value that is not equal to said predetermined frequency value;

calculating, by said computing system, a difference value between said first value and said predetermined frequency value;

second comparing, by said computing system, said difference value to a second value;

analyzing, by said computing system, said power demand profile;

enabling, by said computing system based on said analyzing and results of said second comparing, a load adjustment modification process associated with said plurality of computing apparatuses at said specified location, wherein said enabling is executed after a specified time delayed period, wherein said results of said second comparing indicates that said first value exceeds said predetermined frequency value by more than said second value, and wherein said load adjustment modification process comprises;

determining, by said computing system, a desired load increase value associated with reducing said first value by a specified amount;

increasing, by said computing system based on said desired load increase value, a first current power usage of a first enabled computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses; and

third comparing, by said computing system, a first current load value on said input voltage signal to said desired load increase value;

generating, by said computing system a report associated with said load adjustment modification process; and

storing, by said computing system in said memory device, said report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said increasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises enabling at least one additional hardware device/operation in said first enabled computing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said increasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises enabling at least one additional software operation in said first enabled computing apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said increasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises enabling a software operation in said first enabled computing apparatus, wherein said software operation is scheduled to be executed during a future time period as compared to a current time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

determining, by said computing system based on results of said third comparing, that said first current load value is less than said desired load increase value; and

increasing, by said computing system, a second current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

fourth comparing, by said computing system, a second current load value on said input voltage signal to said desired load increase value;

determining, by said computing system based on results of said fourth comparing, that said second current load value is greater than said desired load increase value; and

decreasing, by said computing system, said second current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

determining, by said computing system based on results of said third comparing, that said first current load value is less than said desired load increase value; and

increasing, by said computing system, a second current power usage of a second enabled computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer storage medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 1 upon being executed by a processor of said computing system.

9. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the method of claim 1.

10. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a computer readable code configured to be executed by the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A modification method comprising:

detecting, by a computing system, a frequency signal associated with an input voltage signal used for powering a plurality of computing apparatuses at a specified location, wherein said computing system comprises a memory device, and wherein said memory device comprises a power demand profile describing limitations associated with operating said each computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses;

monitoring, by said computing system, said frequency signal;

first comparing, by said computing system, said frequency signal to a predetermined frequency value;

determining, by said computing system based on said first comparing, that said frequency signal comprises a first value that is not equal to said predetermined frequency value;

calculating, by said computing system, a difference value between said first value and said predetermined frequency value;

second comparing, by said computing system, said difference value to a second value;

analyzing, by said computing system, said power demand profile;

enabling, by said computing system based on said analyzing and results of said second comparing, a load adjustment modification process associated with said plurality of computing apparatuses at said specified location, wherein said enabling is executed after a specified time delayed period, wherein said results of said second comparing indicates that said first value is less than said predetermined frequency value by more than said second value, and wherein said load adjustment modification process comprises;

determining, by said computing system, a desired load decrease value associated with increasing said first value by a specified amount;

decreasing, by said computing system based on said desired load decrease value, a first current power usage of first enabled computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses; and

third comparing, by said computing system, a first current load value on said input voltage signal to said desired load decrease value;

generating, by said computing system a report associated with said load adjustment modification process; and

storing, by said computing system in said memory device, said report.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said decreasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises disabling at least one hardware device/operation in said first enabled computing apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said decreasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises disabling at least one additional software operation in said first enabled computing apparatus.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said decreasing said first current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus comprises disabling a software operation in said first enabled computing apparatus, wherein said software operation is scheduled to be executed during a future time period as compared to a current time period.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

determining, by said computing system based on results of said third comparing, that said first current load value is greater than said desired load decrease value; and

decreasing, by said computing system, a second current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

fourth comparing, by said computing system, a second current load value on said input voltage signal to said desired load decrease value;

determining, by said computing system based on results of said fourth comparing, that said second current load value is less than said desired load decrease value; and

increasing, by said computing system, said second current power usage of said first enabled computing apparatus.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said load adjustment modification process further comprises:

determining, by said computing system based on results of said third comparing, that said first current load value is greater than said desired load decrease value; and

decreasing, by said computing system, a second current power usage of a second enabled computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses.

18. A modification method comprising:

detecting, by a computing system, a frequency signal associated with an input voltage signal used for powering a plurality of computing apparatuses at a specified location, wherein said computing system comprises a memory device, and wherein said memory device comprises a power demand profile describing limitations associated with operating said each computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses;

monitoring, by said computing system, said frequency signal;

first comparing, by said computing system, said frequency signal to a predetermined frequency value;

determining, by said computing system based on said first comparing, that said frequency signal comprises a first value that is not equal to said predetermined frequency value;

calculating, by said computing system, a difference value between said first value and said predetermined frequency value;

second comparing, by said computing system, said difference value to a second value;

analyzing, by said computing system, said power demand profile;

enabling, by said computing system based on said analyzing and results of said second comparing, a load adjustment modification process associated with said plurality of computing apparatuses at said specified location, wherein said enabling is executed after a specified time delayed period, wherein said results of said second comparing indicates that said first value is less than said predetermined frequency value by more than said second value, and wherein said load adjustment modification process comprises;

enabling, by said computing system, a power storage device internal to a first computing apparatus of said plurality of computing apparatuses, wherein said internal power storage device increases power flow to said first computing apparatus such that said first computing apparatus is able to execute additional hardware/software operations;

generating, by said computing system a report associated with said load adjustment modification process; and

storing, by said computing system in said memory device, said report.