Server rack for improved data center management

• US 9,864,417 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bermudez Rodriguez, Sergio A., Hamann, Hendrik F., Wehle, Hans-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US13/791,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and systems for data center management include collecting sensor data from one or more sensors in a rack; determining a location and identifying information for each asset in the rack using a set of asset tags associated with respective assets; communicating the sensor and asset location to a communication module; receiving an instruction from the communication module; and executing the received instruction to change a property of the rack.

Claims

1. A data center management system, comprising:

a control module configured to monitor an operating status of a data center; and

a plurality of racks, each having one or more assets, a managed service unit, and a communication mote integrated with the rack that is configured to collect sensor and asset location data and to transmit said collected data to the control module, wherein the integrated communication mote comprises;

a sensor module configured to monitor one or more environmental variables at the respective rack, said one or more environmental variables including at least one of light intensity, temperature, pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration, pollutants, audio and video;

an asset module configured to determine a location and identification information for each asset in the rack, to communicate with one or more asset tags associated with the assets in the respective rack, and to activate a visual or audio indicator in the one or more asset tags;

a communication module configured to communicate said sensor and asset location data and to relay an instruction received from the control module to a component within each rack, the instruction including a command to the component to perform an action at the rack, to associate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form a mesh network, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to a neighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location data received from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, wherein each asset module is further configured to activate the visual or audio indicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command,

wherein the asset tags include a radio frequency identification transmitter that transmits an identifier to the respective integrated communication mote; and

wherein the managed service unit is configured to provide a service to the assets in the rack and wherein said managed service unit is controlled by the integrated communication mote in response to receipt of the command from the control module.

2. The data center management system of claim 1, wherein the integrated communication mote further comprises a power sensor configured to monitor power consumption at the respective rack.

5. The data center management system of claim 1, wherein the service to the assets in the rack includes increasing power to a cooling unit when a temperature in the respective rack is exceeded.

7. The data center management system of claim 1, wherein the service to the assets in the rack includes power management of the one or more assets.

3. A managed rack comprising:

one or more assets, each having an associated asset tag;

one or more sensors configured to collect environmental data at the rack, said one or more environmental variables including at least one of light intensity, temperature, pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration, pollutants, audio and video;

an integrated communication mote, comprising;

a sensor module configured to collect sensor data from the one or more sensors;

an asset module configured to determine a location and identification information for each asset in the rack using the assets'"'"' associated asset tags, to communicate with the asset tags in the rack, and to activate a visual or audio indicator in the asset tags,

wherein the asset tags comprise a radio frequency identification transmitter that transmits an identifier to the integrated communication mote; and

a communication module configured to communicate said sensor and asset location data to a control module and to relay an instruction received from the control module to a component within the managed rack, the instruction including a command to the component to perform an action at the rack, to associate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form a mesh network, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to a neighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location data received from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, wherein the asset module is further configured to activate the visual or audio indicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command; and

a managed service unit configured to provide a service to the assets in the rack and wherein said managed service unit is controlled by the integrated communication mote in response to receipt of the command from the control module.

4. The managed rack of claim 3, wherein the integrated communication mote further comprises a power sensor configured to monitor power consumption at the respective rack.

6. The managed rack of claim 3, wherein the service to the assets in the rack includes increasing power to a cooling unit when a temperature in the respective rack is exceeded.

8. The managed rack of claim 3, wherein the service to the assets in the rack includes power management of the one or more assets.