System power capping using information received from the installed power supply

• US 8,756,440 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clemo, Raymond Mathew, Gruendler, Nickolas John, Loebach, Beth Frayne, McKnight, Gregory Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US12/104,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A computer system comprising a motherboard and a power supply having an associated power management bus controller with memory storing the power capacity of the associated power supply. A power circuit provides power from the power supply to the motherboard, wherein the motherboard has a processor and a baseboard management controller. The system further comprises a power management bus providing communication between the baseboard management controller and the power management bus controller associated with the selected power supply, wherein the power management bus controller provides the stored power capacity to the baseboard management controller. This allows the baseboard management controller to limit operation of the processor to control the amount of power consumed from exceeding the power capacity of the selected power supply. The power capacity of the power supply may be sent to the baseboard management controller in response to booting the motherboard.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a power supply interchangeably selected from a group of power supplies having different power capacities, each power supply having an associated power management bus controller with memory storing the power capacity of the associated power supply;

a motherboard having a processor and a baseboard management controller;

a power circuit for providing power from the power supply to the motherboard; and

a power management bus providing communication between the baseboard management controller and the power management bus controller associated with the selected power supply, wherein the power management bus controller provides the stored power capacity to the baseboard management controller, and wherein the baseboard management controller limits operation of the processor to control the amount of power consumed from exceeding the power capacity of the selected power supply.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power supply and the motherboard are installed in a common chassis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motherboard is included in a compute module, wherein the common chassis includes at least a second module selected from a compute module and an expansion module, and wherein the power supply provides electricity to each module installed within the chassis.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each module includes a power paddle for selective coupling to the power supply.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each power paddle communicates the power circuit between the power supply and the modules.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein only one compute module in the common chassis has a power management bus connection that extends the power management bus between the power management bus controller and the motherboard of the only one compute module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller controls the amount of power consumed using a software application program.

8. A method comprising:

selectively coupling a power circuit and a power management bus between a motherboard and a power supply for providing power from the power supply to the motherboard, wherein the motherboard has a processor and a baseboard management controller, and wherein the power supply has a power management bus controller with memory storing the power capacity of the power supply;

sending a power capacity rating of the power supply from the power management bus controller to the baseboard management controller over the power management bus; and

controlling the operation of the processor to prevent power consumption from exceeding a power cap that is equal to the power capacity rating of the power supply.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

interchangeably selecting the power supply from a group of power supplies having different power capacities, each power supply having an associated power management bus controller with memory storing the power capacity rating of the associated power supply.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected power supply has a power capacity rating that will supply power for an actual system configuration including the motherboard and an expected workload for the actual system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of sending the power capacity rating of the power supply to the baseboard management controller is performed in response to booting the motherboard.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

tripping the power supply in response to the power consumption exceeding the power capacity rating.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of controlling the operation of the motherboard is performed by the baseboard management controller, the method further comprising:

allowing modification of the power cap to an amount that is less than the power capacity rating of the power supply; and

disallowing modification of the power cap to an amount that is greater than the power capacity rating of the power supply.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of controlling the operation of the motherboard includes sensing the amount of power consumed.

15. A computer program product for controlling power consumption, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code, the computer usable program code comprising:

program instructions for sending a power capacity rating of a power supply from a power management bus controller on the power supply over a power management bus to a baseboard management controller on a motherboard that is coupled to the power supply via a power circuit for providing power from the power supply to the motherboard, wherein the power management bus controller has memory storing the power capacity of the power supply; and

program instructions for controlling the operation of a processor on the motherboard to prevent power consumption from exceeding a power cap that is equal to the power capacity rating of the power supply.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for sending a power capacity rating are performed in response to booting the motherboard.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer usable program code further comprising:

program instructions for allowing modification of the power cap to an amount that is less than the power capacity rating of the power supply; and

program instructions for disallowing modification of the power cap to an amount that is greater than the power capacity rating of the power supply.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for controlling the operation of the motherboard are executed by the baseboard management controller.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for sending a power capacity rating are executed by the power management bus controller.