AGGREGATE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100087963A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diwakar, Kiran, Patti, Paul A., Boston, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A method includes collecting energy utilization information for machines in a center, such machines originating from multiple vendors. An energy management object is instantiated for each machine, wherein energy utilization is aggregated using such energy management objects. Energy utilization for the center is aggregated and may be used for controlling overall energy utilization for the center.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting energy utilization information for machines in a center, such machines originating from multiple vendors;

instantiating an energy management object for each machine, wherein energy utilization is aggregated using such energy management objects;

aggregating the energy utilization for the center for controlling overall energy utilization for the center.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

discovering machines in the center; and

using an adapter for each machine to determine how to collect the energy utilization information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each energy management object has properties, a profile and a policy.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a policy specifies actions to be taken should an energy utilization threshold be exceeded or an event trigger activated or deactivated.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein a profile describes behavior and operation of a device within the context of directing work to a specific machine or managing the behavior of a specific computing, communication, or other information processing, power consuming device or devices in a collective physical or logical entity,

6. The method of claim 1 wherein energy utilization information is used to control cooling equipment within the data center.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein cooling equipment is controlled as a function of a threshold of energy utilization for the center.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein energy utilization information is used to cycle machines on and off in the data center to reduce predicted future energy utilization.

9. A method comprising:

collecting energy utilization information for heterogeneous equipment in a center regardless of vendor or manufacturer.

aggregating the energy utilization for the center;

predicting future energy utilization as a function of historical aggregated energy utilization trends; and

managing energy utilization for the center as a function of the aggregated energy utilization for the center and the predicted future energy utilization.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein energy utilization information is used to control facilities-based appliances or other environmental control equipment, including devices, within the center.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein facilities-based appliances or other environmental control equipment, including devices, is controlled as a function of a threshold of energy utilization for the center.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein energy utilization information is used to cycle machines on and off in the data center to reduce predicted future energy utilization.

13. The method of claim 9 and further comprising instantiating an energy management object for each machine in the center.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein an energy management object has properties, a profile and a policy.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a policy specifies actions to be taken should an energy utilization threshold be exceeded.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein future energy utilization is predicated as a function of workload history and scheduled processing jobs

17. A method comprising:

collecting energy utilization information for heterogeneous equipment in multiple centers regardless of vendor or manufacturer;

aggregating the energy utilization for each center; and

managing energy utilization for the centers as a function of the aggregated energy utilization for the centers.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the centers are data centers, and energy utilization is managed by redistributing work between the data centers.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein work is distributed away from data centers exceeding predetermined energy utilization thresholds.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein selected equipment in data centers having work distributed away, are placed in lower power consumption modes.

21. The method of claim 17 and further comprising instantiating an energy management object for any energy consuming entity in the center, to include each piece of equipment, wherein an energy management object has properties, a profile and a policy.