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

• US 8,554,515 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: VanGilder, James W., Zhang, Xuanhang
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, LYNNE D
• Application Number:
  US13/589,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 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 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, by the computer system, the received data;

calculating by the computer system, a modifier value based on characteristics of the improper cluster;

calculating, by the computer system, a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the modifier value and the characteristics of the improper cluster; and

displaying, by the computer system, the layout of the data center, wherein the layout includes an indication of the performance metric of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an out of tolerance condition based on the performance metric and displaying an indication of the out of tolerance condition in the layout of the data center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one gap in the layout, wherein the at least one gap includes at least one of:

an unequal-length row in a two row cluster, an opening in the two row cluster, a single row of equipment racks and a break between equipment racks having a predetermined length.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the modifier value includes determining airflow through the at least one gap.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the modifier value 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 method of claim 5, wherein determining the performance metric includes determining net airflow captured in the aisle of the improper cluster and determining net airflow supplied to the aisle of the improper cluster.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the performance metric further includes determining a capture index based on a ratio of the net airflow captured and the net airflow supplied.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the performance metric includes determining a value for a capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks with each gap in the layout modeled as at least one of at least one blank panel and at least one equipment rack having no airflow.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying the modifier value to the value for the capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the equipment in the data center in accordance the performance metric of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

11. 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;

determine a modifier value based on characteristics of the improper cluster;

determine a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the modifier value and the characteristics of the improper cluster; and

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

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an out of tolerance condition based on the performance metric and displaying an indication of the out of tolerance condition in the layout of the data center.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to identify at least one gap in the layout, wherein the at least one gap includes at least one of:

an unequal-length row in a two row cluster, an opening in the two row cluster, a single row of equipment racks and a break between equipment racks having a predetermined length.

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

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the modifier value by 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.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the performance metric by determining net airflow captured in the aisle of the improper cluster and determining net airflow supplied to the aisle of the improper cluster.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the performance metric further by determining a capture index based on a ratio of the net airflow captured and the net airflow supplied.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the performance metric by determining a value for a capture index for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks with each gap in the layout modeled as at least one of at least one blank panel and at least one equipment rack having no airflow.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising arranging the equipment in the data center in accordance the performance metric of the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks.

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

determine a modifier value based on characteristics of the improper cluster;

determine a performance metric for the at least one of the plurality of equipment racks based, at least in part, on the modifier value and the characteristics of the improper cluster; and

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