Managing dependencies among objects of a system for energy conservation

• US 8,214,671 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Doran, James R., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Samantha
• Application Number:
  US12/208,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/323, 713/324, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Under the present solution, dependencies and relationships of objects are stored and are updatable by consumers and optionally manufacturers through a local UI or web interface. These dependencies and relationships are stored in a “collection profile” which describes the capabilities of objects. When a request to reduce energy is received the system can query the collection profile to determine the downstream effect of reducing energy to a single object. The collection profile will identify which other objects rely on that object and would also need to have energy reduced. Being able to identify these linkages and effects of changes across the system will be critical for good energy management.

Claims

1. A method for managing linkages among objects of a system, comprising:

identifying a set of objects in the system;

creating linkages among the set of objects based on known dependencies and relationships between the objects;

storing said linkages in a collection profile, the collection profile comprising descriptions of the capabilities of said linked objects;

receiving an energy conservation request;

querying the collection profile to determine the downstream effect of reducing energy to a single object; and

managing energy to the set of objects based on associated energy policies and the linkages, the managing comprising controlling energy to at least one of the set of objects and to at least one other of the set of objects, said other set of objects is identified based on results of said collection profile query.

2. The method of claim 1, the set of objects comprising a plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 1, the linkages being created via a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, the set of objects being identified manually.

5. The method of claim 1, the set of objects being identified via auto-discovery by the system.

6. The method of claim 4, the set of objects being auto-identified based upon a query of at least one profile corresponding to the set of objects.

7. The system of claim 4, the set of objects being auto-identified based upon a query of at least one profile corresponding to the set of objects.

8. A system for managing linkages among objects of a system, comprising:

a module for identifying a set of objects in the system;

a module for creating linkages among the set of objects based on known dependencies and relationships between the objects;

a module for storing said linkages in a collection profile, the collection profile comprising descriptions of the capabilities of said linked objects;

a module for receiving an energy conservation request; and

a module for querying the collection profile, the module for querying being configured to determine the downstream effect of reducing energy to a single object; and

a module for managing energy to the set of objects based on associated energy policies and the linkages, the module for managing being configured to control energy to at least one of the set of objects and to at least one other of the set of objects, said other set of objects is identified based on results of said collection profile query.

9. The system of claim 8, the set of objects comprising a plurality of devices.

10. The system of claim 8, the linkages being created via a graphical user interface.

11. The system of claim 8, the set of objects being identified manually.

12. The system of claim 8, the set of objects being identified via auto-discovery by the system.

13. A computer readable storage device containing a program product for managing linkages among objects of a system, the computer readable storage device comprising program code for causing a computer system to:

identify a set of objects in the system;

create linkages among the set of objects based on known dependencies and relationships between the objects;

store said linkages in a collection profile, the collection profile comprising descriptions of the capabilities of said linked objects;

receive an energy conservation request;

query the collection profile to determine the downstream effect of reducing energy to a single object; and

manage energy to the set of objects based on associated energy policies and the linkages, the managing comprising controlling energy to at least one of the set of objects and to at least one other of the set of objects, said other set of objects is identified based on results of said collection profile query.

14. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 13, the set of objects comprising a plurality of devices.

15. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 13, the linkages being created via a graphical user interface.

16. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 13, the set of objects being identified manually.

17. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 13, the set of objects being identified via auto-discovery by the system.

18. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 17, the set of objects being auto-identified based upon a query of at least one profile corresponding to the set of objects.

19. A method for deploying a system for managing linkages among objects of a system, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

identify a set of objects in the system;

create linkages among the set of objects based on known dependencies and relationships between the objects;

store said linkages in a collection profile, the collection profile comprising descriptions of the capabilities of said linked objects;

receive an energy conservation request;

query the collection profile to determine the downstream effect of reducing energy to a single object; and

manage energy to the set of objects based on associated energy policies and the linkages, the managing comprising controlling energy to at least one of the set of objects and to at least one other of the set of objects, said other set of objects is identified based on results of said collection profile query.