System to provide regular and green computing services

• US 8,589,929 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeCusatis, Casimer M., Krishnamurthy, Rajaram B., Onghena, Michael, Rao, Anuradha
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DONG U
• Application Number:
  US13/102,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5094 where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system is provided. The system includes a computing device by which first and second commands are inputted, first and second resources disposed in communication with the computing device to be receptive of the first command and responsive to the first command with first and second energy demands in first and second response times, respectively and a managing unit. The managing unit is disposed in communication with the computing device to be receptive of the first and second commands and with the first and second resources to allocate tasks associated with the first command to one of the first and second resources. The tasks are allocated in accordance with the second command and the second command is based on the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device by which first and second commands are inputted;

first and second resources disposed in communication with the computing device to be receptive of the first command, the first resource being configured to provide regular service and responsive to the first command with a first energy demand in a first response time and the second resource being configured to provide green service and responsive to the first command with a second energy demands in second response time; and

a managing unit disposed in communication with the computing device to be receptive of the first and second commands, the managing unit being further disposed in communication with the first and second resources to allocate tasks associated with the first command to one of the first and second resources in accordance with the second command,

the managing unit being configured to present an offer for the green service of the second resource as a request for the second command that includes the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times, and the second command being an affirmative or negative response to the offer for the green service;

wherein a third command is inputted by way of the computing device in response to the offer for the green service, the managing unit being responsive to the third command to provide an estimate for the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times; and

wherein a fourth command is inputted by way of the computing device following the provision of the estimate, the fourth command being an upper bound for the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times, and wherein the managing unit is further configured to accept the upper bound if meeting the upper bound is possible and to negotiate until a final agreement is met if meeting the upper bound is not possible.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second resources and the managing unit are provided by a service provider.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second resources and the managing unit are associated with a cloud computing network.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first command comprises a request for computing or software service.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second energy demands comprise expected energy requirements.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second energy demands comprise expected energy costs.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second energy demands comprise energy footprints of the first and second resources.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second energy demands comprise fuel types used to generate energy for the first and second resources.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the managing unit issues a report of energy demand and/or response time at the completion of the allocated tasks.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second resources and the managing unit are housed together.

11. A method of managing energy consumption in a system, the method comprising:

receiving first and second commands inputted into a computing device;

determining in response to the first command that a first resource is configured to provide regular service with a first energy demands and a first response times and that a second resource is configured to provide green service with a second energy demand and a second response time; and

allocating tasks associated with the first command to one of the first and second resources in accordance with the second command, the second command being based on the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times, the method further comprising;

presenting an offer for the green service as a request for the second command that includes the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times such that the second command is an affirmative or negative response to the offer for the green service;

receiving a third command inputted into the computing device as a response to the offer for the green service;

estimating in response to the third command the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times of the first and second resources, respectively

receiving a fourth command inputted into the computing device following the estimating, the fourth command being an upper bound for the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times, the method further comprising;

accepting the upper bound if meeting the upper bound is possible; and

negotiating until a final agreement is met if meeting the upper bound is not possible.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising issuing a report of energy demand and/or response time at the completion of the allocated tasks.

13. A non-transitory computer program product for managing energy consumption in a system, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution, by the processing circuit, a method comprising;

receiving first and second commands inputted into a computing device;

determining in response to the first command that a first resource is configured to provide regular service with a first energy demands and a first response times and that a second resource is configured to provide green service with a second energy demand and a second response time; and

allocating tasks associated with the first command to one of the first and second resources in accordance with the second command, the second command being based on the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times, the method further comprising;

presenting an offer for the green service as a request for the second command that includes the first and second energy demands and the first and second response times such that the second command is an affirmative or negative response to the offer for the green service;

receiving a third command inputted into the computing device as a response to the offer for the green service;

estimating in response to the third command the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times of the first and second resources, respectively;

receiving a fourth command inputted into the computing device following the estimating, the fourth command being an upper bound for the first and second energy demands and/or the first and second response times, the method further comprising;

accepting the upper bound if meeting the upper bound is possible; and

negotiating until a final agreement is met if meeting the upper bound is not possible.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising issuing a report of energy demand and/or response time at the completion of the allocated tasks.