Power management of data processing resources, such as power adaptive management of data storage operations

• US 8,707,070 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Muller, Marcus S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bae, Ji H
• Application Number:
  US12/671,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A system and method for performing power conservation actions is described. In some examples, the system determines a power conservation policy based on information from the system, and implements that policy in an enterprise or in one or more buildings, such as within a data storage environment. In some examples, the system adds or modifies global filters or system performance based on information from the system.

Claims

1. A system for conserving power within a data processing enterprise having multiple data storage devices and other components coupled together via a network, wherein the data processing enterprise includes multiple client computers executing read and write commands directed to the data storage devices, the system comprising:

at least first and second data storage devices, wherein each of the at least first and second data storage devices includes at least one motor;

a cache memory coupled to the network;

two or more agents, wherein each agent is configured to gather information associated with power consumption;

at least one database storing data associated with at least one power conservation plan, wherein the at least one power conservation plan is selected by an administrator of the data processing enterprise;

a global system manager configured to communicate directly or indirectly, via the network, with the at least one database, with the at least first and second data storage devices, and with the two or more agents,

wherein the global system manager is configured to receive the information associated with power consumption and to directly or indirectly cause the at least first and second data storage devices to be selectively operated based on the received information associated with the power consumption and the data associated with at least one power conservation plan,

wherein causing the at least first and second data storage devices to be selectively operated includes selectively operating the at least one motor for the at least first and second data storage devices, and,

wherein the global system manager further compares a queue of data storage operations to be performed and allocates the data storage operations to the at least first and second data storage devices to conserve power; and

,

wherein the at least first and second data storage devices are respectively located within first and second differing buildings or first and second cells,

wherein the cache memory stores and aggregates at least first and second data objects, wherein the first and second data objects are respectively destined to be written to the at least first and second data storage devices; and

,

wherein the global system manager redirects the first data object, destined to be written to the first data storage device, to instead be written to the second data storage device and does not operate the at least one motor of the first data storage device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing enterprise includes multiple buildings, wherein the global system manager obtains environmental and industrial component data from the buildings including thermostat data, heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) data, and machinery data, wherein the at least first and second data storage devices are logically organized in two or more power consumption tiers, wherein the first data storage device is logically associated with a lower power tier, while the second data storage device is logically associated with a higher power tier, and,

wherein the global system manager further receives a schedule of data storage jobs to be performed and allocates the data storage jobs to the first data storage device in the lower power tier to reduce the operation of the at least one motor of the second data storage device within the higher power tier, and

wherein the global system manager adjusts the functioning of HVAC components or adjusts the functioning of machinery to accommodate the execution of a data storage operation while also remaining below a threshold power consumption level.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising first and second local managers, within the first and second differing buildings or first and second cells, respectively, and wherein the first and second local managers are configured for performing power conservation operations with respect to the at least first and second data storage devices, respectively.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least first and second data storage devices includes software or firmware configured to provide information regarding energy performance of each data storage device to the global system manager, and wherein the global system manager instructs the at least first and second data storage devices to operate within power efficient range based at least in part on the energy performance information.