System and method for providing a tile management controller

• US 9,863,659 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• 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, Sajjad, Masuyama, Jinsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Vostal, O. C.
• Application Number:
  US14/623,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 709220
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/18 Construction of rack or frame
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A server rack includes a server pod including a server pod element that has a first temperature sensor for sensing a first operating temperature of the server pod element and a baseboard management controller, and a second temperature sensor for sensing a second operating temperature of the server rack. The server rack receives the first operating temperature via the first baseboard management controller, adjusts a first operating parameter of the first server pod element based on the first operating temperature, receives the second operating temperature, and directs a first active floor tile to adjust a first air conditioning vent of the first active floor tile based on the second operating temperature.

Claims

1. A server rack comprising:

a rack management controller;

a first server pod comprising a first set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together, the first set including a first server pod element, the first server pod element including a first temperature sensor and a first baseboard management controller, the first temperature sensor for sensing a first operating temperature of the first server pod element; and

a second temperature sensor for sensing a second operating temperature of the server rack;

wherein the rack management controller;

receives the first operating temperature via the first baseboard management controller;

adjusts a first operating parameter of the first server pod element based on the first operating temperature;

receives the second operating temperature; and

directs a first active floor tile to adjust a first air conditioning vent of the first active floor tile based on the second operating temperature.

2. The server rack of claim 1, wherein directing the first active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the second operating temperature.

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

receives a third operating temperature from the first active floor tile, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

4. The server rack of claim 1, further comprising:

a second server pod comprising a second set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together, the second set including a second server pod element, the second server pod element including a third temperature sensor and a second baseboard management controller, the third temperature sensor for sensing a third operating temperature of the third server pod element;

wherein the rack management controller further;

receives the third operating temperature via the second baseboard management controller; and

adjusts a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature.

5. The server rack of claim 4, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

6. The server rack of claim 1, wherein:

the first set includes a second server rack having;

a second server pod element of the first server pod, the second server pod element including a third temperature sensor and a second baseboard management controller, the third temperature sensor for sensing a third operating temperature of the second server pod element; and

a fourth temperature sensor for sensing a fourth operating temperature of the second server rack;

wherein the rack management controller further;

receives the third operating temperature via the second baseboard management controller;

adjusts a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature;

receives the fourth operating temperature; and

directs a second active floor tile to adjust a second air conditioning vent of the second active floor tile based on the fourth operating temperature.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a rack management controller of a first server rack, a first operating temperature from a first temperature sensor in a first server pod element of a first server pod in the first server rack, wherein the first operating temperature is received from a first baseboard management controller of the first server pod element, and wherein the first server pod comprises a first set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together;

adjusting, by the rack management controller, a first operating parameter of the first server pod element based on the first operating temperature;

receiving, by the rack management controller, a second operating temperature from a second temperature sensor in the first server rack; and

directing, by the rack management controller, a first active floor tile to adjust a first air conditioning vent of the first active floor tile based on the second operating temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein directing the first active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the second operating temperature.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the rack management controller, a third operating temperature from the first active floor tile, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the rack management controller, a third operating temperature from a third temperature sensor in a second server pod element of the first server pod, wherein the third operating temperature is received from a second baseboard management controller of the second server pod element, and wherein the second server pod comprises a second set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together; and

adjusting, by the rack management controller, a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

receiving, by the rack management controller, a third operating temperature from a third temperature sensor in a second server pod element of the first server pod in the first server rack, wherein the third operating temperature is received from a second baseboard management controller of the second server pod element;

adjusting, by the rack management controller, a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature;

receiving, by the rack management controller, a fourth operating temperature from a fourth temperature sensor in the second server rack; and

directing, by the rack management controller, a second active floor tile to adjust a second air conditioning vent of the second active floor tile based on the fourth operating temperature.

13. An information handling system, comprising:

a first active floor tile; and

a server rack including;

a rack management controller;

a first server pod comprising a first set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together, the first set including a first server pod element, the first server pod element including a first temperature sensor and a first baseboard management controller, the first temperature sensor for sensing a first operating temperature of the first server pod element; and

a second temperature sensor for sensing a second operating temperature of the server rack;

wherein the rack management controller;

receives the first operating temperature via the first baseboard management controller;

adjusts a first operating parameter of the first server pod element based on the first operating temperature;

receives the second operating temperature; and

directs the first active floor tile to adjust a first air conditioning vent of the first active floor tile based on the second operating temperature.

14. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein directing the first active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the second operating temperature.

15. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein further the rack management controller:

receives a third operating temperature from the first active floor tile, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the first air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

16. The information handling system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second server pod comprising a second set of defined compute, network, and storage resources of a data center that are tightly integrated together, the second set including a second server pod element, the second server pod element including a third temperature sensor and a second baseboard management controller, the third temperature sensor for sensing a third operating temperature of the third server pod element;

wherein the rack management controller further;

receives the third operating temperature via the second baseboard management controller; and

adjusts a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature.

17. The information handling system of claim 16, wherein directing the active floor tile to adjust the air conditioning vent is further based on the third operating temperature.

18. The information handling system of claim 13, wherein:

the first set includes a second server rack having;

a second server pod element of the first server pod, the second server pod element including a third temperature sensor and a second baseboard management controller, the third temperature sensor for sensing a third operating temperature of the second server pod element; and

a fourth temperature sensor for sensing a fourth operating temperature of the second server rack;

wherein the rack management controller further;

receives the third operating temperature via the second baseboard management controller;

adjusts a second operating parameter of the second server pod element based on the third operating temperature;

receives the fourth operating temperature; and

directs a second active floor tile to adjust a second air conditioning vent of the second active floor tile based on the fourth operating temperature.