System and method for monitoring power distribution units

• US 8,639,459 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morales, Osvaldo P., Czamara, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/076,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 702/62
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766

Abstract

A data center includes one or more racks, one or more electrical systems mounted in at least one of the racks, and one or more rack power distribution units (PDUs) in the racks, and one or more rack PDU power monitors. The rack PDUs distribute electrical power to the electrical systems. Each of the rack PDUs includes one or more PDU coupling devices and a monitoring device. The coupling device couples with PDU output receptacles of the rack PDUs. The monitoring device monitors electrical power output from the PDU output receptacles.

Claims

1. A data center, comprising:

one or more racks;

one or more electrical systems mounted in at least one of the racks;

one or more rack power distribution units (PDUs) in at least one of the racks, wherein at least one of the rack PDUs is configured to distribute electrical power to at least part of the electrical systems in at least one of the racks;

one or more rack PDU power monitors configured to externally couple to at least one of the rack PDUs and to monitor electrical power from at least one of the rack PDUs, wherein at least one of the rack PDU power monitors comprises;

one or more PDU coupling devices configured to be coupled with one or more PDU output receptacles of one or more of the rack PDUs on a downstream side of the one or more PDU output receptacles; and

a monitoring device coupled to the one or more PDU coupling devices, such that the monitoring device is externally coupled to the at least one of the rack PDUs, wherein the monitoring device is configured to monitor electrical power output from at least one of the PDU output receptacles.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the one or more rack power distribution units (PDUs) comprise two or more rack PDUs in a first one of the racks, wherein at least one of the rack PDU power monitors is configured to monitor electrical power from at least two of the rack PDUs in the first one of the racks.

3. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rack PDU power monitors is configured to associate an address with at least one of the rack PDUs coupled to the rack PDU power monitor.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein the one or more PDU coupling devices for at least a first one of the rack PDU power monitors are coupled with rack PDUs in two or more different racks in the data center.

5. The data center of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device for at least one of the rack PDU power monitors is configured to report status for at least one of the rack PDUs to a system external to the rack PDU power monitor.

6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the one or more rack PDU power monitors comprise two or more rack PDU power monitors, wherein each of at least two of the rack PDU power monitors are coupled to rack PDUs in different racks, wherein at least two of the rack PDU monitoring devices report to a common master monitor.

7. A system for monitoring electrical power from rack power distribution units (PDUs), comprising:

one or more PDU coupling devices configured to couple with one or more PDU output receptacles of one or more rack PDUs on a downstream side of the one or more PDU output receptacles, wherein each of at least one of the rack PDUs is configured to distribute electrical power to at least part of the electrical systems in at least one rack; and

a monitoring device coupled to the one or more PDU coupling devices, wherein the monitoring device is configurable to monitor electrical power output from at least one of the PDU output receptacles.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more PDU coupling devices are configured to couple with rack PDUs in two or more different racks.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device is configured to mount in at least one of the racks.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the PDU coupling devices is configured to couple to two or more hot lines of power from the rack PDU, wherein the power monitor is configured to detect a fault in the electrical power in either of the two hot lines.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the PDU coupling devices comprises one or more cables configured to couple the output receptacle on at least one of the rack PDUs to the monitoring device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the PDU coupling devices comprises a wireless transmitter coupled to the PDU output receptacle and a wireless receiver coupled to the monitoring device, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a power status signal or message to the wireless receiver indicating whether the rack PDU has power.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device comprises an addressing module configured to associate an address with one or more of the rack PDUs coupled to the monitoring device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device for at least one of the rack PDU power monitors is configured to report status for at least one of the rack PDUs to a system external to the rack PDU power monitor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring device is configured to report to a computer system over a network.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device is configured to periodically report that each of one or more of the rack PDUs is supplying electrical power.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device receives at least a portion of its operating power from one of the rack PDUs through at least one of the PDU coupling devices.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device comprises a backup power device configured to supply operating power to the monitoring device.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device is configurable to monitor at least one characteristic of power quality from at least one of the PDU output receptacles.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device is configurable to monitor and report load or current history for at least one of the rack PDUs.

21. A method of monitoring electrical power in a data center, comprising:

connecting a monitoring device to two or more rack PDUs, wherein each of at least one of the rack PDUs is configured to distribute electrical power to at least part of the electrical systems in at least one rack;

monitoring power in at least two of the two or more of the rack PDUs; and

upon occurrence of a loss of power in one of the rack PDUs, reporting the loss of power in the rack PDU to a system external to the monitor.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising assigning an identifier to at least one of the rack PDUs being monitored, wherein reporting the loss of power comprises sending the identifier to the system external to the monitor.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein reporting the loss of power comprises sending a failure indicator message over a network to the system external to the monitor.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising performing service on the rack PDU to restore power from the rack PDU.

25. A method of monitoring computing capacity at a remote computing facility, comprising:

remotely monitoring, over a network, electrical power output from one or more rack PDUs supplying electrical power to computing systems being operated at a remote facility, wherein each of at least one of the rack PDUs is configured to distribute electrical power to at least part of the electrical systems in at least one rack;

wherein remotely monitoring comprises receiving data from a PDU power monitor externally coupled to at least one outlet receptacle of a rack PDU at the remote facility; and

reporting to an operator of the remote facility, upon the occurrence of a loss of power in one or more of the rack PDUs, that the loss of power has occurred.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein remotely monitoring the electrical power output from one or more rack power distribution units comprises receiving a power lost indicator from a PDU power monitor coupled to two or more racks at the remote facility.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the remote facility is a co-location computing facility, wherein the operator of the co-location computing facility provides computing services to at least two computing service customers at the co-location computing facility.

28. A method of maintaining capacity at a computing facility, comprising:

operating, at a computing facility, computing systems for two or more computing service customers;

receiving a notification from one of the customers that power has been lost in one or more rack PDUs that were supplying power to one or more of the computing systems; and

restoring power for at least one rack PDU in response to the notification from the customer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the notification is received from a computing service customer remotely monitoring rack PDUs in the computing facility.