Operational management method for information processing system and information processing system

• US 8,650,420 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Takeshi, Saito, Tatsuya, Okitsu, Jun, Shiga, Yoko, Nakajima, Tadakatsu, Kondo, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US13/395,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 700/277, 700/297, 713/300, 713/320, 713/340, 718/104
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/52 The controlling of the operation of the load not being the total disconnection of the load, i.e. entering a degraded mode or in current limitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

In an information processing system comprising an information processing equipment group and a facility equipment group, both an increase in performance and a reduction in power consumption are obtained, thereby achieving an efficient and flexible operational management. The plurality of information processing equipments are divided into a plurality of groups, each of which includes power feed equipments and cooling equipments. The operation management method for the information processing system includes: a procedure for acquiring, from each of the groups, operating information indicating the performances and the power consumptions of the information processing equipments, the power feed equipments, and the cooling equipments included in each of the groups; and another procedure for controlling, based on the operating information, the information processing equipments, the power feed equipments, and the cooling equipments included in each of the groups so that the performances with respect to the power consumptions become large.

Claims

1. An operation management method for an information processing system,

the information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing equipment components;

a plurality of power feed equipment components for supplying power to the plurality of information processing equipment components; and

a plurality of cooling equipment components for cooling the plurality of information processing equipment components,

the plurality of information processing equipment components including a plurality of network equipment components,

the plurality of information processing equipment components other than the plurality of network equipment components each comprising an interface, which is connected to one of the plurality of network equipment components, a processor, which is connected to the interface, and a memory, which is connected to the processor,

the plurality of information processing equipment components other than the plurality of network equipment components including a management computer,

the interface of the management computer being connected to the plurality of power feed equipment components and the plurality of cooling equipment components via the plurality of network equipment components,

the information processing system having a plurality of groups defined therein, the plurality of groups each including at least one of the plurality of information processing equipment components,

the plurality of groups each including at least one of the plurality of power feed equipment components that supply power to the information processing equipment components included in the group, and at least one of the plurality of cooling equipment components that cool the information processing equipment components included in the group,

the management computer keeping, for each of the plurality of groups, configuration information which associates the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group with one another,

the operation management method for an information processing system comprising;

a first step of obtaining, by the management computer, for each of the plurality of groups separately, operating information which indicates performance and power consumption of the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group; and

a second step of controlling, by the management computer, based on the operating information, the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group in a manner that enhances the performance relative to the power consumption.

2. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of groups include a plurality of first hierarchy level groups each of which includes at least one of the plurality of information processing equipment components, and second hierarchy level groups above the first hierarchy level, and

wherein the second hierarchy level groups each include a plurality of first hierarchy level groups.

3. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 2,

wherein the plurality of network equipment components include first network equipment components and second network equipment components, and the plurality of power feed equipment components include first power feed equipment components and second power feed equipment components,

wherein the plurality of first hierarchy level groups each include the first network equipment components that are connected to the plurality of information processing equipment components within the first hierarchy level group, and include the first power feed equipment components that supply power to the plurality of information processing equipment components within the first hierarchy level group,

wherein the second hierarchy level groups each include the second network equipment components and the second power feed equipment components that supply power to the plurality of first power feed equipment components within the second hierarchy level group, and

wherein, in each of the second hierarchy level groups, the second network equipment components included in the second hierarchy level group are connected to the first network equipment components that are included in the first hierarchy level groups within the second hierarchy level group.

4. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the second step comprises:

a third step of controlling, for each of the plurality of groups separately, operation allocation to the information processing equipment components in a manner that enhances the performance of the information processing equipment components relative to the power consumption of the information processing equipment components; and

a fourth step of controlling the power feed equipment components and the cooling equipment components in a manner that reduces power dissipation of the power feed equipment components relative to the power consumption of the information processing equipment components, and that reduces power consumption of the cooling equipment components relative to the power consumption of the information processing equipment components.

5. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the third step comprises a step of allocating an operation to, out of the plurality of first hierarchy level groups included in each second hierarchy level group, the first hierarchy level group that is the highest in the performance of the information processing equipment components relative to a sum of the power consumption of the information processing equipment components, the power dissipation of the power feed equipment components, and the power consumption of the cooling equipment components.

6. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the third step comprises a step of controlling operation allocation to the information processing equipment components so that the operation allocation to the information processing equipment components does not violate predetermined conditions.

7. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the second step comprises a fifth step of controlling, for each of the plurality of groups, based on the operating information, the information processing equipment components included in the group so that the power consumption of the information processing equipment components does not exceed power capacity of the power feed equipment components included in the group and cooling capacity of the cooling equipment components included in the group.

8. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, when it is determined that the power consumption of the information processing equipment components that are included in a first group out of the plurality of groups exceeds at least one of the power capacity of the power feed equipment components included in the first group and the cooling capacity of the cooling equipment components included in the first group, the fifth step comprises executing at least one of:

a sixth step of newly adding to the first group at least one of the power feed equipment components and the cooling equipment components;

a seventh step of changing the operation allocation so that an operation that has been allocated to the information processing equipment components included in the first group shifts to groups other than the first group;

an eighth step of lowering the power consumption of the information processing equipment components included in the first group by lowering the performance of the information processing equipment components; and

a ninth step of reducing operations that have been allocated to the information processing equipment components included in the first group.

9. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the seventh step comprises a step of searching the plurality of groups sequentially from the highest hierarchy level groups that include the first group to the groups below the highest hierarchy level groups, and determining whether or not operations that have been allocated to the information processing equipment components included in the first group can be shifted to the searched groups.

10. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the seventh step comprises a step of sequentially searching the groups that are on the same hierarchy level as the first group, and determining whether or not operations that have been allocated to the information processing equipment components included in the first group can be shifted to the searched groups.

11. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the seventh step comprises a step of sequentially tracing up and searching the groups above the first group in hierarchy, sequentially searching the higher hierarchy level groups that include the first group, and the lower hierarchy level groups below the higher hierarchy level groups, and determining whether or not operations that have been allocated to the information processing equipment components included in the first group can be shifted to the searched groups.

12. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the operating information comprises information indicating allocation of operations to the plurality of groups, and

wherein the first step comprises a step of obtaining the performance and the power consumption for each of the allocated operations, and the second step is executed based on the performance and the power consumption of each operation.

13. The operation management method for an information processing system according to claim 2,

wherein the first hierarchy level groups each correspond to a rack, which comprises the plurality of information processing equipment components, a rack row which comprises a plurality of the racks, a partition on a floor which comprises a plurality of the rack rows, or a floor which comprises a plurality of the partitions,

wherein, when the first hierarchy level group corresponds to the rack, the first network equipment components are each a top-of-rack network equipment component, the first power feed equipment components are each a breaker, a distribution unit, or a power supply unit that is associated with the rack, the cooling equipment components in the first hierarchy level group are each a local cooling equipment component that cools an interior of the rack, and the second hierarchy level groups each correspond to the rack row or the partition,

wherein, when the first hierarchy level group corresponds to the rack row, the first network equipment components are each an end/middle-of-row network equipment component, the first power feed equipment components are each a panelboard that is associated with the rack row, the cooling equipment components in the first hierarchy level group are each a local cooling equipment component that cools the rack row, and the second hierarchy level groups each correspond to the partition,

wherein, when the first hierarchy level group corresponds to the partition, the first network equipment components are each an end/middle-of-row network equipment component, the first power feed equipment components are each a switchboard that is associated with the partition, the cooling equipment components in the first hierarchy level group are each an air-conditioner that cools the partition, and the second hierarchy level groups each correspond to the floor, and

wherein, when the first hierarchy level group corresponds to the floor, the first network equipment components are each a core network equipment component connected to a network outside the information processing system, the first power feed equipment components are each a transformer or an uninterruptible power-supply system that is associated with the floor, the cooling equipment components in the first hierarchy level group are each a chiller that cools a refrigerant used by the air-conditioner, and the second hierarchy level groups each correspond to a building that includes a plurality of the floors.

14. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing equipment components;

a plurality of power feed equipment components for supplying power to the plurality of information processing equipment components; and

a plurality of cooling equipment components for cooling the plurality of information processing equipment components,

the plurality of information processing equipment components including a plurality of network equipment components,

the plurality of information processing equipment components other than the plurality of network equipment components each comprising an interface, which is connected to one of the plurality of network equipment components, a processor, which is connected to the interface, and a memory, which is connected to the processor,

the plurality of information processing equipment components other than the plurality of network equipment components including a management computer,

the interface of the management computer being connected to the plurality of power feed equipment components and the plurality of cooling equipment components via the plurality of network equipment components,

the information processing system having a plurality of groups defined therein, the plurality of groups each including at least one of the plurality of information processing equipment components,

the plurality of groups each including at least one of the plurality of power feed equipment components that supply power to the information processing equipment components included in the group, and at least one of the plurality of cooling equipment components that cool the information processing equipment components included in the group,

the management computer being configured to;

keep, for each of the plurality of groups, configuration information which associates the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group with one another;

obtain, for each of the plurality of groups separately, operating information which indicates performance and power consumption of the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group; and

control, based on the operating information, the information processing equipment components, the power feed equipment components, and the cooling equipment components that are included in the group in a manner that enhances the performance relative to the power consumption.