System and method for server rack power management

• US 9,423,854 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, John R., Ahmed, Syed S., Masuyama, Jinsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US14/199,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A server rack includes a management controller, a power mapping module coupled to the management controller, and a plurality of power receptacles. Each power receptacle is coupled to the power mapping module to provide an indication to the power mapping module of the power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle. The management controller is operable to determine that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a first high power threshold and throttle a first piece of equipment installed in the rack space.

Claims

1. A server rack comprising:

a management controller; and

a plurality of power receptacles, wherein each power receptacle is coupled to the management controller, and each power receptacle provides an indication to the management controller of the power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

wherein the management controller;

determines that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a first high power threshold;

throttles a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack;

determines that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a second high power threshold, but less than the first high power threshold; and

powers a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack from a powered off state to a stand-by state.

2. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the management controller further throttles a processor of the first piece of equipment.

3. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the management controller further throttles a memory of the first piece of equipment.

4. The server rack of claim 1, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the management controller further throttles a running average power of the first piece of equipment.

5. The server rack of claim 1, wherein the management controller further:

determines that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a third high power threshold, but less than the first high power threshold, the third high power threshold being lower than the first high power threshold; and

powers the second piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered on state.

6. The server rack of claim 5, wherein the management controller further:

determines that all equipment in the server rack is in the powered on state;

provides an indication to a data center management controller that all equipment in the server rack is in the powered on state; and

receives, from the data center management controller, an instruction to migrate a workload from the server rack to a server on a different server rack.

7. The server rack of claim 1, wherein the management controller further:

determines that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold; and

powers a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

8. The server rack of claim 7, wherein the management controller further:

determines that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is less than a second low power threshold, the second low power threshold being lower than the first low power threshold; and

powers the second piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered off state.

9. A method comprising:

installing equipment in a server rack;

coupling each piece of equipment to a power receptacle of the server rack;

providing, by each power receptacle, an indication to a management controller of the server rack, a power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a first high power threshold;

throttling a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the rack space is greater than a second high power threshold, but less than the first high power threshold; and

powering a second piece of equipment installed in the rack space from a powered off state to a stand-by state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a processor of the first piece of equipment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a memory of the first piece of equipment.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises throttling a running average power of the first piece of equipment.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a third high power threshold, but less than the first high power threshold, the third high power threshold being lower than the first high power threshold; and

powering the second piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered on state.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that all equipment in the server rack is in the powered on state;

providing an indication to a data center management controller that all equipment in the server rack is in the powered on state; and

receiving, from the data center management controller, an instruction to migrate a workload from the server rack to a server on a different server rack.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold; and

powering a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is less than a second low power threshold, the second low power threshold being lower than the first low power threshold; and

powering the second piece of equipment from the stand-by state to a powered off state.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

installing equipment in a server rack;

coupling each piece of equipment to a power receptacle of the server rack;

providing, by each power receptacle, an indication to a management controller of the server rack, a power consumed by equipment that is plugged in to each power receptacle;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is greater than a first high power threshold;

throttling a first piece of equipment installed in the server rack;

determining, by the management controller, that the power consumed by the equipment installed in the server rack is less than a first low power threshold; and

powering a second piece of equipment installed in the server rack from a powered on state to a stand-by state.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein in throttling the first piece of equipment, the method further comprises one of throttling a processor of the first piece of equipment, throttling a memory of the first piece of equipment, and throttling a running average power of the first piece of equipment.