Power profiling application for managing power allocation in an information handling system

• US 8,639,962 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brundridge, Michael A., Brumley, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Application Number:
  US13/786,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/340, 702/57
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A method, system, and software instructions for allocating power in a information handling system are operable to respond to a power profiling request by transitioning a processing resource to a first power consumption state and obtaining and storing a first power consumption value. The first power consumption value is then retrieved and used to allocate power to the first processing resource in response to a power on request. The first power consumption state may be a state in which power consumption approximates a maximum power consumption. The processing resource may be further transitioned to a second power consumption state and a second power consumption value obtained. The second power consumption state may be a reduced performance state. Thereafter, responsive to determining that the system lacks sufficient power budget to fulfill a pending request for power, the processing resource is throttled and power is allocated using the second power consumption value.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a management resource coupled to a plurality of information handling resources and configured to;

receive a power profiling request from a particular one of the plurality of information handling resources; and

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolate a particular information handling resource by powering off the plurality of information handling resources except for the particular information handling resource; and

an allocation resource configured to;

allocate power in response to a request from the particular information handling resource, wherein allocation is based on maintaining substantially equivalent power loads on a plurality of power supply modules coupled to the plurality of information handling resources; and

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolate a particular power supply module by powering off the plurality of power supply modules except for the particular power supply module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular information handling resource is a processing resource comprising a processor and a system memory accessible to the processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the particular information handling resource comprises a server blade having a printed circuit board to which the processor and the system memory are coupled, the server blade suitable for insertion into a rack based chassis.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the rack based chassis comprises a plurality of slots suitable for receiving a plurality of server blades.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power profiling module configured to transition the particular information handling resource to a first power consumption state; and

a power monitoring module configured to record a first power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the first power consumption state.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the power profiling module is further configured to transition the particular information handling resource to a second power consumption state and the power monitoring module is further configured to record a second power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the second power consumption state.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first power consumption state comprises a high power consumption state and the second power consumption state comprises a reduced power consumption state.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the allocation resource is further configured to determine a power allocation based on the first power level.

9. A management resource configured to:

couple to a plurality of information handling resources;

receive a power profiling request from a particular one of the plurality of information handling resources;

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolate a particular information handling resource by powering off the plurality of information handling resources except for the particular information handling resource;

allocate power in response to a request from the particular information handling resource, wherein allocation is based on maintaining substantially equivalent power loads on a plurality of power supply modules coupled to the plurality of information handling resources; and

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolate a particular power supply module by powering off the plurality of power supply modules except for the particular power supply module.

10. The management resource of claim 9, wherein the particular information handling resource is a processing resource comprising a processor and a system memory accessible to the processor.

11. The management resource of claim 9, further configured to:

transition the particular information handling resource to a first power consumption state; and

record a first power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the first power consumption state.

12. The management resource of claim 11, further configured to:

transition the particular information handling resource to a second power consumption state; and

record a second power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the second power consumption state.

13. The management resource of claim 12, wherein the first power consumption state comprises a high power consumption state and the second power consumption state comprises a reduced power consumption state.

14. The management resource of claim 12, further configured to determine a power allocation based on the first power level.

15. A method of managing power allocation in an information handling system, comprising:

receiving a power profiling request from a particular one of a plurality of information handling resources;

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolating a particular information handling resource by powering off the plurality of information handling resources except for the particular information handling resource;

allocating power in response to a request from the particular information handling resource, wherein allocation is based on maintaining substantially equivalent power loads on a plurality of power supply modules coupled to the plurality of information handling resources; and

responsive to the power profiling request, substantially isolating a particular power supply module by powering off the plurality of power supply modules except for the particular power supply module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular information handling resource is a processing resource comprising a processor and a system memory accessible to the processor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transitioning the particular information handling resource to a first power consumption state; and

recording a first power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the first power consumption state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transitioning the particular information handling resource to a second power consumption state; and

recording a second power level supplied by the particular power supply module while the particular information handling resource is in the second power consumption state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first power consumption state comprises a high power consumption state and the second power consumption state comprises a reduced power consumption state.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining a power allocation based on the first power level.