Discovering thermal relationships in data processing environments

• US 8,855,963 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gatts, Todd Dickson, Nastacio, Denilson, Mohan, Preethi C
• Primary Examiner(s): HENSON, MISCHITA L
• Application Number:
  US12/858,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 702 99-100, 702/127, 702/130, 702/136, 700275-276, 700299-300, 222/54
• US Class Current: 702/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

A system, and computer usable program product for discovering thermal relationships in a data processing environment are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An output temperature of a cooling unit operating in the data processing environment is changed from a previous output temperature to a new output temperature. The difference between the previous and the new output temperatures is a change in the output temperature. A change in an ambient temperature proximate to a data processing system is measured. The change in the ambient temperature is a difference between a previous ambient temperature and a new ambient temperature. An expression that represents a relationship between the change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature is determined. The expression is used to determine a cooling correspondence between the cooling unit and the data processing system.

Claims

1. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable non-transitory storage medium including computer usable code for discovering thermal relationships in a data processing environment, the computer usable code when executed by a processor causes performance of operations comprising:

changing an output temperature of a cooling unit operating in the data processing environment from a previous output temperature to a new output temperature, wherein the difference between the previous and the new output temperatures is a change in the output temperature, wherein the cooling unit is separate from and provides cooling to a plurality of data processing systems in the data processing environment;

measuring a change in an ambient temperature proximate to a data processing system, the plurality of data processing systems including the data processing system, wherein the change in the ambient temperature is a difference between a previous ambient temperature and a new ambient temperature;

determining an expression that represents a relationship between the change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature, wherein the relationship is plottable as a curve on a graph and the expression is a mathematical equation representing the curve;

using the expression to determine a cooling correspondence between the cooling unit and the data processing system, wherein the cooling correspondence according to a curve provides a proportionality between (i) cooling received by the data processing system from the cooling unit and (ii) the change in the output temperature; and

computing, using the relationship, a fraction of cooling contributed by the cooling unit to the data processing system and a fraction of thermal load contributed by the data processing system from the plurality of data processing systems to the cooling unit.

2. The computer usable program product of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the changing and the measuring to generate plurality of values of change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature, where the plurality of values are used in determining the expression.

3. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the cooling correspondence is determined from evaluating the expression at a given output temperature of the cooling unit.

4. The computer usable program product of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the ambient temperature to stabilize at a new temperature resulting from the changing.

5. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the new ambient temperature fluctuates within a tolerance value.

6. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature is an input air temperature of the data processing system, as determined by a temperature sensing component of the data processing system.

7. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code is stored in the computer usable non-transitory storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

8. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code is stored in the computer usable non-transitory storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer usable non-transitory storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

9. A data processing system for discovering thermal relationships in a data processing environment, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for changing an output temperature of a cooling unit operating in the data processing environment from a previous output temperature to a new output temperature, wherein the difference between the previous and the new output temperatures is a change in the output temperature, wherein the cooling unit is separate from and provides cooling to a plurality of data processing systems in the data processing environment;

computer usable code for measuring a change in an ambient temperature proximate to a data processing system, the plurality of data processing systems including the data processing system, wherein the change in the ambient temperature is a difference between a previous ambient temperature and a new ambient temperature;

computer usable code for determining an expression that represents a relationship between the change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature, wherein the relationship is plottable as a curve on a graph and the expression is a mathematical equation representing the curve;

computer usable code for using the expression to determine a cooling correspondence between the cooling unit and the data processing system, wherein the cooling correspondence according to a curve provides a proportionality between (i) cooling received by the data processing system from the cooling unit and (ii) the change in the output temperature; and

computer usable code for computing, using the relationship, a fraction of cooling contributed by the cooling unit to the data processing system and a fraction of thermal load contributed by the data processing system from the plurality of data processing systems to the cooling unit.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable code for repeating the changing and the measuring to generate plurality of values of change in the output temperature and corresponding change in the ambient temperature, where the plurality of values are used in determining the expression.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the cooling correspondence is determined from evaluating the expression at a given output temperature of the cooling unit.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable code for allowing the ambient temperature to stabilize at a new temperature resulting from the changing.

13. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the new ambient temperature fluctuates within a tolerance value.

14. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the ambient temperature is an input air temperature of the data processing system, as determined by a temperature sensing component of the data processing system.