System for monitoring the energy efficiency of technology components

• US 8,521,476 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Tung, Teresa S., Guevarra, Nikki Ann G., Inestroza, Fausto A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BETSCH, REGIS J
• Application Number:
  US12/416,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20090231152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 713/300
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A system is described for monitoring the energy efficiency of a technology component. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a baseline power consumption value for a plurality of operating states of a technology component. The interface may communicate with a device of a user. The processor may monitor the technology component to determine a current power consumption value and a current operating state of the technology component. The processor may determine the baseline power consumption value corresponding to the current operating state. The processor may determine whether the current power consumption value is within a threshold of the baseline power consumption value. The processor may provide an alert to a device of the user if the current power consumption value of the technology component is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring energy efficiency of a configuration of servers, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a technology configuration of a data center comprising a plurality of servers to determine current power consumption values and current operating states of the plurality of servers;

retrieving, by the processor, baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states of the plurality of servers by applying descriptors of the current operating states of the plurality of servers to baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption values are within thresholds of the baseline power consumption values; and

triggering and providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user when the current power consumption value of any of the plurality of servers is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value, wherein providing the alert comprises;

alerting the user to replace an out of threshold server in the technology configuration;

retrieving, by the processor, from a database of energy efficient servers a description of a replacement server to replace the out of threshold server in the technology configuration, the replacement server being capable of better energy efficiency than the out of threshold server; and

providing the description of the replacement server to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the thresholds comprise acceptable variances in the baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states of the plurality of servers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an email, a short messaging service message, a recorded voice message, or an instant message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, by the processor, a graphical interface to the device of the user, wherein the graphical interface includes a visual indication alerting the user to the out of threshold server when the current power consumption value of the out of threshold server is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the technology configuration of the data center further comprises data storage components, printers, laptops, desktops, telecommunications equipment, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the baseline power consumption values comprises a power consumption value of a most energy efficient server capable of replacing the out of threshold server.

17. The method of claim 1, where the baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers comprise the baseline power consumption values associated with a descriptor of each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the plurality of servers, where the baseline power consumption values vary for each operating state, and where the plurality of operating states comprises an online state, an offline state and a startup state.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of a recommended technology configuration that includes the replacement server, wherein the carbon output of the recommended technology configuration is determined based on a baseline power consumption of the replacement server; and

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server, wherein the carbon output of the technology configuration is determined based on the baseline power consumption of the out of threshold server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing to the user a forecast of future energy savings and cost savings achievable by implementing the recommended technology configuration compared to the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the technology configuration further comprises laptops, monitors, desktops, printers, thin clients, or network devices, or combinations thereof, in a workplace.

7. A computer-implemented method for monitoring energy efficiency of a plurality of servers, the method comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a technology configuration of a data center having a plurality of servers to determine current power consumption values, current operating states, and current utilization values of the plurality of servers;

retrieving, by the processor, baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states and the current utilization values of the plurality of servers by applying descriptors of the current utilization values and the current operating states to baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption values are within thresholds of the baseline power consumption values;

triggering and providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user when the current power consumption value of any of the plurality of servers is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value, wherein providing the alert comprises;

alerting the user to replace an out of threshold server in the technology configuration;

retrieving, by the processor, from a database of energy efficient servers a description of a replacement server to replace the out of threshold server in the technology configuration, the replacement server being capable of better energy efficiency than the out of threshold information server; and

providing the description of the replacement server to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the thresholds comprise acceptable variances in the baseline power consumption values of the plurality of servers for the operating states and the utilization values.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, where the current utilization values identify a percentage of resources currently used by the plurality of servers, where the baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers comprise the baseline power consumption values associated with descriptors of each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the plurality of servers, where the baseline power consumption values vary for each operating state, and where the plurality of operating states comprises an online state, an offline state, and a startup state.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of a recommended technology configuration that includes the replacement server, wherein the carbon output of the recommended technology configuration is determined based on a baseline power consumption of the replacement server; and

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server, wherein the carbon output of the technology configuration is determined based on the baseline power consumption of the out of threshold server.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing to the user a forecast of future energy savings and cost savings achievable by implementing the recommended technology configuration compared to the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server.

30. The system of claim 7 wherein the technology configuration further comprises data storage components, laptops, monitors, desktops, printers, thin clients, or network devices, or combinations thereof, in a workplace.

9. A computer-implemented method for monitoring energy efficiency of a plurality of servers, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor, baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers, the baseline power consumption models including a plurality of operating state descriptors describing a plurality of operating states and a plurality of baseline power consumption values, where each operating state descriptor is associated with a baseline power consumption value;

monitoring, by the processor, current operating states and current power consumption values of the plurality of servers;

applying, by the processor, descriptors of the current operating states to the baseline power consumption models to retrieve the baseline power consumption value associated with the descriptor of the current operating state;

determining, by the processor, whether the current power consumption values are within thresholds of the baseline power consumption values; and

triggering and providing, by the processor, an alert to a device of a user when the current power consumption value of any of the plurality of servers is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value, wherein providing the alert comprises;

alerting the user to replace an out of threshold server in the technology configuration;

retrieving, by the processor, from a database of energy efficient servers a description of a replacement server to replace the out of threshold server in the configuration, the replacement technology component being capable of better energy efficiency than the out of threshold server; and

providing the description of the replacement server to the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining, by the processor, the thresholds of the baseline power consumption values, wherein the thresholds describe acceptable variances in the baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states of the plurality of servers.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, where the baseline power consumption values vary for each operating state, and where the plurality of operating states comprises an online state, an offline state, and a startup state.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of a recommended technology configuration that includes the replacement server, wherein the carbon output of the recommended technology configuration is determined based on a baseline power consumption of the replacement server; and

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server, wherein the carbon output of the technology configuration is determined based on the baseline power consumption of the out of threshold server.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing to the user a forecast of future energy savings and cost savings achievable by implementing the recommended technology configuration compared to the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server.

31. The system of claim 9 wherein the technology configuration further comprises data storage components, laptops, monitors, desktops, printers, thin clients, or network devices, or combinations thereof, in a workplace.

11. A system for monitoring energy efficiency of a technology configuration of a data center comprising a plurality of servers, the system comprising:

a memory to store baseline power consumption values for each operating state in a plurality of operating states of the plurality of servers;

an interface operatively connected to the memory and operative to communicate with a device of a user; and

a processor operatively connected to the memory and the interface, the processor operative to;

monitor the technology configuration to determine current power consumption values and current operating states of the plurality of servers;

retrieve the baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states of the plurality of servers by applying descriptors of the current operating states of the plurality of servers to baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers;

determine whether the current power consumption values are within thresholds of the baseline power consumption values; and

trigger and provide an alert to a device of a user when the current power consumption value of any of the plurality of servers is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value, wherein providing the alert comprises;

alerting the user to replace an out of threshold server in the technology configuration;

retrieving, by the processor, from a database of energy efficient servers a description of a replacement server to replace the out of threshold server in the configuration, the replacement server being capable of better energy efficiency than the out of threshold server; and

providing the description of the replacement server to the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the thresholds comprise acceptable variances in the baseline power consumption values corresponding to the current operating states of the plurality of servers.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an email, a short messaging service message, a recorded voice message, or an instant message.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further operative to provide a graphical interface to the device of the user via the interface, wherein the graphical interface includes a visual indication of the out of threshold server when the current power consumption value of the out of threshold server is not within the threshold of the baseline power consumption value.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the technology configuration further comprises data storage components, laptops, monitors, desktops, printers, thin clients, or network devices, or combinations thereof, in a workplace.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the baseline power consumption values comprises a power consumption value of at least one of:

a most energy efficient server capable of replacing the out of threshold server, or

a historical server which was recently replaced.

26. The system of claim 11, where the baseline power consumption models of the plurality of servers comprise the baseline power consumption values associated with a descriptor of each operating state of a plurality of operating states of the plurality of servers, where the baseline power consumption values vary for each operating state, and where the plurality of operating states comprises an online state, an offline state, and a startup state.

27. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of a recommended technology configuration that includes the replacement server, wherein the carbon output of the recommended technology configuration is determined based on a baseline power consumption of the replacement server; and

determining, by the processor, a carbon output of the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server, wherein the carbon output of the technology configuration is determined based on the baseline power consumption of the out of threshold server.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

providing to the user a forecast of future energy savings and cost savings achievable by implementing the recommended technology configuration compared to the technology configuration that includes the out of threshold server.