Multiple level computer system temperature management for cooling fan control

• US 9,541,971 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haridass, Anand, Jayaraman, Prasanna, Sawan, Tony E.
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US13/930,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-278, 700/291, 700295-300, 713320-330
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In a method for designating cooling fan control management in a computing system, a processor causes one or more cooling fans to be managed by a first process, wherein the first process utilizes a first set of temperature sensors of a plurality of temperature sensors. A processor receives temperature data from a first set of temperature sensors. A processor determines a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors, wherein the second process utilizes a second set of temperature sensors of the plurality of temperature sensors.

Claims

1. A computer program product for designating cooling fan control management in a computing system, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to cause one or more cooling fans to be managed by a first process, wherein the first process utilizes a first set of temperature sensors of a plurality of temperature sensors;

program instructions to receive temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors; and

program instructions to determine a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors, wherein;

the second process utilizes a second set of temperature sensors of the plurality of temperature sensors; and

the second process has different energy requirements for managing the one or more cooling fans than the first process.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, to cause the one or more cooling fans to be managed by the second process.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein program instructions to determine a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors comprise program instructions to determine that the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors includes a measurement that exceeds a threshold.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first set of temperature sensors comprises a temperature sensor in proximity to an airflow inlet to the computing system and a temperature sensor in proximity to an airflow outlet to the computing system;

and

wherein the second set of temperature sensors comprises at least one temperature sensor different from the temperature sensors in the first set of temperature sensors.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the at least one temperature sensor different from the temperature sensors in the first set of temperature sensors is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor in proximity to a random-access memory (RAM) device, a temperature sensor in proximity to a hard drive disk, a temperature sensor in proximity to a power supply unit, a temperature sensor on the RAM device, a temperature sensor on a hard disk drive, and a temperature sensor on a power supply unit.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first process and the second process operate on separate controllers.

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

program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, to receive an indication that the second process is not properly functioning; and

program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, to manage the one or more cooling fans using the first process in response to receiving an indication that the second process is not properly functioning.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein program instructions to receive the temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors comprises:

program instructions to receive temperature data from each temperature sensor of the first set of temperature sensors.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein:

the first process monitors the first set of temperature sensors at a first frequency; and

the second process monitors the second set of temperature sensors at a second frequency.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the temperature data comprises a change in temperature between two temperature sensors of the first set of temperature sensors.

11. A computer system for designating cooling fan control management in a computing system, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to cause one or more cooling fans to be managed by a first process, wherein the first process utilizes a first set of temperature sensors of a plurality of temperature sensors;

program instructions to receive temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors; and

program instructions to determine a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors, wherein;

the second process utilizes a second set of temperature sensors of the plurality of temperature sensors; and

the second process has different energy requirements for managing the one or more cooling fans than the first process.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to cause the one or more cooling fans to be managed by the second process.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein program instructions to determine a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors comprise program instructions to determine that the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors includes a measurement that exceeds a threshold.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first set of temperature sensors comprises a temperature sensor in proximity to an airflow inlet to the computing system and a temperature sensor in proximity to an airflow outlet to the computing system;

and

wherein the second set of temperature sensors comprises at least one temperature sensor different from the temperature sensors in the first set of temperature sensors.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one temperature sensor different from the temperature sensors in the first set of temperature sensors is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor in proximity to a random-access memory (RAM) device, a temperature sensor in proximity to a hard drive disk, a temperature sensor in proximity to a power supply unit, a temperature sensor on the RAM device, a temperature sensor on a hard disk drive, and a temperature sensor on a power supply unit.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first process and the second process operate on separate controllers.