POWER MANAGEMENT OF DATA PROCESSING RESOURCES, SUCH AS POWER ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF DATA STORAGE OPERATIONS

• US 20140108837A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Muller, Marcus S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 Energy audits or management systems therefor

Abstract

A system and method for performing power conservation actions is described. In some examples, the system determines a power conservation policy based on information from the system, and implements that policy in an enterprise or in one or more buildings, such as within a data storage environment. In some examples, the system adds or modifies global filters or system performance based on information from the system.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system for performing a power conservation action within a building or among multiple buildings, wherein the power conservation action is related to data processing operations, the method comprising:

creating or receiving information related to data processing operations;

receiving or generating power consumption information related to at least one data processing component in the building;

identifying one or more power conservation actions to be performed, wherein the power conservation actions to be performed are based on the information related to data processing operations and the power consumption information; and

,

selecting or implementing one or more of the identified power conservation actions based on the power consumption information and the information related to data processing operations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing system includes a hierarchical data storage system comprising two or more data storage cells, wherein each data storage cell contains a separate data storage resource capable of performing storage operations in the data storage system, and wherein each data storage resource has known estimatable power consumption information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more power conservation actions comprises rescheduling or combining jobs from a queue to another day or a later time within an available time window.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more power conservation actions comprises reorganizing the data storage resources for future data storage operations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more power conservation actions comprises shifting one or more data storage jobs to another data storage resource.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises information related to delayed storage operations at one or more of the data storage resources, available windows for delaying storage operations, and power consumption forecast information.

7. A system for conserving power within a data processing enterprise having multiple data storage devices and other components coupled together via a network, wherein the data processing enterprise includes multiple client computers executing read and write commands directed to the data storage devices, the system comprising:

means for receiving sampled energy data associated with operation of at least the data storage devices;

means for obtaining schedule data related to data storage operations scheduled to be performed within the data processing enterprise; and

,

means for determining a power conservation operation based at least in part on the sampled energy data from the means for receiving, on the schedule data from the means for obtaining, and on power requirements data, wherein the power conservation operation instructs one of the multiple data storage devices or other components to operate, at least temporarily, in a power conservation mode.

8. A data storage apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a data storage component, wherein the data storage component includes at least one motor for actuating a data storage medium in response to a received read or write command;

a communications component for receiving data at, and sending data from, the data storage apparatus;

a memory device;

a controller for controlling the data storage apparatus, wherein the controller is coupled among the data storage component, the communications component and the memory device,

wherein the memory device stores power data related to the performance of the data storage apparatus, and wherein the power data includes information related to the power efficient operation of at least the data storage component; and

,

an enclosure for at least partially enclosing as a unit the data storage component, the communications component, the memory device and the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the data storage component is a disk drive, wherein the memory device is non-volatile semiconductor memory, and wherein the power data is power consumption or power performance curve data related to the operation of the data storage apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a semiconductor cache memory for storing and aggregating multiple data objects to be written to the data storage medium, and wherein the controller does not command the at least one motor to actuate the data storage medium until a threshold number of data objects have been stored in the semiconductor cache memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a temperature sensor and at least one fan motor, wherein the temperature sensor measures a temperature inside the enclosure, wherein the communications component transmits data associated with the temperature inside the enclosure, and wherein the communications component receives an external command signal to energize or de-energize the at least one fan motor based at least in part on the temperature inside the enclosure.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium carrying instructions to perform a method for conserving power within a data processing enterprise, wherein the data processing enterprise communicates with multiple client computers executing read and write commands directed to the data processing enterprise, the method comprising:

receiving component data from data processing components within the data processing enterprise,

wherein the component data includes data related to the performance of data storage devices, or data related to data storage jobs to be performed;

receiving external data related to power consumption, wherein the external data is received external to the data processing enterprise, and

wherein the external data includes meteorological data or data associated with operation of heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) components;

receiving power requirements data, wherein the power requirements data includes a power threshold, or a redistribution of data processing operations to components to reduce power consumption; and

,

generating a power conservation action based at least in part on the received component data, the received external data, and the received power requirements data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein generating the power conservation action includes adjusting the usage of electrical components within a building to minimize power spikes or ensure that the power remains below a threshold, wherein adjusting the usage of electrical components includes, during a certain period, turning off, or reducing the use of, HVAC components in the building, industrial electrical components in the building, or auxiliary electrical components associated with the building.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein generating the power conservation action includes temporarily storing data in a first, lower power tier of the data storage devices, before migrating the data to the data storage devices in a higher power tier.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the data processing enterprise comprises two or more data processing cells,

wherein individual hardware devices in the cells have different power consumption curves,

wherein similar classes of devices have similar power curves, but wherein the similar power consumption curves differ based on an age of a device or environmental conditions in which the device operates,

wherein the data processing enterprise stores the power consumption curves in at least one data structure, and

wherein the generating includes comparing the received external data and the received power requirements data to at least one stored power consumption curve.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the power conservation action comprises a schedule policy that specifies when to perform data storage operations or how often to perform data storage operations,

wherein the schedule policy comprises:

determining a substantially optimal time within a time window to perform the data storage operations that satisfy a specified power requirement,

determining a substantially optimal time in which to perform storage operations to satisfy a specified power requirement,

aggregating small data storage operations to reduce a number of times a disk drive or tape drive is powered up, or

moving an operation to a time period when power consumption in a building is forecasted to be lower.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the power conservation action comprises rescheduling data storage operations, redistributing data storage operations, transferring data storage operations from one data processing device to another data processing device, defining at least one future data storage policy, or setting at least one global power conservation filter.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

periodically, or in response to a query message, receiving information regarding an operation of a disk drive or tape drive,

wherein the disk drive or tape drive includes firmware storing instructions to periodically, or in response to the query message, provide the information, and

wherein the information comprises a time and day at which spindle rotors or fans in the disk drive or tape drive are powered on and off.