Automatically starting servers at low temperatures

• US 8,762,702 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Belady, Christian L., Peterson, Eric C., Rogers, Harry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US13/749,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 702/130, 700/300
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

This document describes various techniques for automatically starting servers at low temperatures. A server may be powered on into a heating mode responsive to determining that a temperature of the server is below an operational temperature range. The server may then be restarted when the temperature of the server has increased to a temperature that is within the operational temperature range.

Claims

1. A computer storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

determining that a first temperature of a server is below an operational temperature range of the server;

sending a command to power on a server component into a heating mode to heat the server responsive to determining that the first temperature is below the operational temperature range of the server, the server component comprising a power supply, a processor, a clock, a memory, or a storage device;

determining, responsive to the server component being in the heating mode for some amount of time, that a second temperature of the server is within the operational temperature range; and

restarting the server responsive to determining that the second temperature is within the operational temperature range of the server, the server being below the operational temperature range if the server is below a minimum operational temperature of a server component with a highest minimum operational temperature of all server components of the server.

2. The computer storage device of claim 1, wherein the server component is configured to operate in the heating mode without damaging the server component and without damaging any additional server components of the server.

3. The computer storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, perform a method further comprising sending one or more additional commands to power on one or more of the additional server components into the heating mode to heat the server.

4. The computer storage device of claim 1, wherein the server component does not perform computations in the heating mode.

5. The computer storage device of claim 1, wherein restarting the server comprises restarting the server into a full operational boot.

6. The computer storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, perform a method further comprising sending one or more additional commands to power on one or more server heaters on the server, the one or more server heaters configured to generate heat to increase the temperature when powered on.

7. A computer storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

determining that a first temperature in a container of servers is below an operational temperature range of the servers;

powering on one or more of the servers in the container of servers into a heating mode to heat the container of servers responsive to determining that the first temperature is below the operational temperature range of the servers;

determining, responsive to the one or more servers being in the heating mode for some amount of time, that a second temperature in the container of servers is within the operational temperature range of the servers; and

restarting the servers responsive to determining that the second temperature is within the operational temperature range of the servers.

8. The computer storage device of claim 7, wherein powering on the one or more servers into the heating mode comprises selectively powering on one or more server components of the one or more servers into the heating mode.

9. The computer storage device of claim 7, wherein the one or more servers do not perform computations in the heating mode.

18. The computer storage device of claim 7, wherein the one or more servers are configured to operate in the heating mode without damaging server components of the one or more servers.

19. The computer storage device of claim 7, wherein restarting the servers comprises restarting the servers into a full operational boot.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a system management controller implemented by a processor at a server, a command to start the server;

powering on the system management controller of the server; and

heating the system management controller to an operational temperature range to enable the system management controller to initiate an automatic start-up of the server, the system management controller configured to heat itself to the operational temperature range.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising heating the system management controller to a safe power-on temperature range prior to powering on the system management controller.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the system management controller, when heated to the operational temperature range, is configured to initiate the automatic start-up of the server by:

determining that a first temperature of the server is below an additional operational temperature range of the server;

sending a command to power on a server component into a heating mode to heat the server responsive to determining that the first temperature is below the additional operational temperature range of the server;

determining, responsive to the server component being in the heating mode for some amount of time, that a second temperature of the server is within the additional operational temperature range; and

restarting the server responsive to determining that the second temperature is within the additional operational temperature range of the server.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein prior to restarting the server, the system management controller is configured to send one or more additional commands to power on one or more additional server components into the heating mode to heat the server.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the system management controller is further configured to determine that a third temperature of the server is above a safe power-on temperature of the one or more additional server components prior to powering on the one or more additional server components into the heating mode.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the system management controller is further configured to sequentially power on the one or more additional server components into the heating mode using an ordered list of server components that is ordered based at least in part on safe power-on temperatures of the one or more additional server components.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the server is below the operational temperature range if the server is below a minimum operational temperature of a server component with a highest minimum operational temperature of all server components of the server.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the system management controller is configured to restart the server by restarting the server into a full operational boot.