System and method for predicting cooling performance of arrangements of equipment in a data center

• US 8,249,825 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: VanGilder, James W., Zhang, Xuanhang
• Primary Examiner(s): Schechter, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, LYNNE D
• Application Number:
  US12/437,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20100286956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 702/130, 702/182, 703/2, 361/688
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/08 Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A system and method for evaluating equipment in an improper cluster in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider. In one aspect, the method includes receiving data regarding each of the plurality of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider, the data including a layout of the improper cluster of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider, storing the received data, identifying at least one gap in the layout, determining cooling performance of at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on characteristics of the at least one gap, and displaying the layout of the data center, wherein the layout includes an indication of the cooling performance of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating equipment in an improper cluster in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, data regarding each of the plurality of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider, the data including a layout of the improper cluster of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider;

storing the received data;

identifying at least one gap in the layout;

determining a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks;

determining a corrector value based on characteristics of the at least one gap;

applying the corrector value to the performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks;

determining, by the computer system, cooling performance of at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the corrector value and the characteristics of the at least one gap; and

displaying the layout of the data center, wherein the layout includes an indication of the cooling performance of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the performance metric includes determining a capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising determining the capture index for each of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on characteristics of the at least one gap.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining capture index includes determining airflow through the at least one gap.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining airflow includes determining airflow out of an aisle of the improper cluster through the at least one gap, and determining airflow into the aisle through the at least one gap.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the performance metric includes determining a value for capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks with each gap in the layout modeled as a blank panel.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising applying the corrector value to the value for capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising positioning the equipment in the data center in accordance with the layout.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising positioning the equipment in the data center in accordance with the layout.

10. A system for evaluating equipment in an improper cluster in a data center, the equipment including a plurality of equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider, the system comprising:

an interface; and

a controller configured to;

receive data regarding each of the plurality of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider, the data including a layout of the improper cluster of equipment racks and the at least one cooling provider;

store the received data in the system;

identify at least one gap in the layout;

determine a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks;

determine a corrector value based on characteristics of the at least one gap;

apply the corrector value to the performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks; and

determine cooling performance of at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the corrector value and the characteristics of the at least one gap.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to display the layout of the data center, wherein the layout includes an indication of the cooling performance of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to determine the performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks by determining a capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the capture index for each of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on characteristics of the at least one gap.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine airflow through the at least one gap.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine airflow out of an aisle of the improper cluster through the at least one gap, and determine airflow into the aisle through the at least one gap.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine the performance metric by determining a value for capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks with each gap in the layout modeled as a blank panel.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to apply the corrector value to the value for capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions including instructions that will cause a processor to:

receive data regarding a layout of an improper cluster of equipment racks and at least one cooling provider;

store the received data;

identify at least one gap in the layout;

determine a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks;

determine a corrector value based on characteristics of the at least one gap;

apply the corrector value to the performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks; and

determine cooling performance of at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the corrector value and the characteristics of the at least one gap.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the sequences of instruction further include instructions that will cause the processor to:

display the layout of the data center on a display associated with the processor, wherein the layout includes an indication of the cooling performance of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the sequences of instruction further include instructions that will cause the processor to determine the performance metric by determining a capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.