Apparatus, architecture, and method for integrated modular server system providing dynamically power-managed and work-load managed network devices

• US 7,134,011 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1990
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Huron IP LLC
• Inventors: Fung, Henry T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/860,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/100, 709/221
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00317 Microwell devices, i.e. having large numbers of wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00686 Automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00707 separated from the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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

Abstract

Network architecture, computer system and/or server, circuit, device, apparatus, method, and computer program and control mechanism for managing power consumption and workload in computer system and data and information servers. Further provides power and energy consumption and workload management and control systems and architectures for high-density and modular multi-server computer systems that maintain performance while conserving energy and method for power management and workload management. Dynamic server power management and optional dynamic workload management for multi-server environments is provided by aspects of the invention. Modular network devices and integrated server system, including modular servers, management units, switches and switching fabrics, modular power supplies and modular fans and a special backplane architecture are provided as well as dynamically reconfigurable multi-purpose modules and servers. Backplane architecture, structure, and method that has no active components and separate power supply lines and protection to provide high reliability in server environment.

Claims

1. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit comprising:

a frame, housing, or enclosure;

a plurality of configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices disposed within said frame, housing, or enclosure;

said dynamically reconfigurable network devices including at least one network device operating as a computer node;

at least one of said network devices is dynamically and acceptably reconfigurable at any time based on types of activities detected within a network to which the network device is then presently or will be connected;

said computer node comprises a server module; and

said server module is initially configurable and subsequently reconfigurable during operation as any one or more or all of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, a router, and combinations thereof.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein each computer node is configurable and reconfigurable as a combination type of network device, and wherein said network device configured in said computer node is a network device selected from the set consisting of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, a router, and combinations thereof.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said server module may be reconfigured at any time based on any one or more of server processor loading, quality of service indicator, or combinations thereof.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said server module may be reconfigured at any time based on any one or more of server processor loading, quality of service indicator, or combinations thereof.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said reconfiguration of a computer node is initiated by any computer node type network device including the same computer node as is being reconfigured.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said reconfiguration of a computer node is initiated by any computer node that has been designated as a master computer node.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein any computer node may be designated as the master node.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein a particular computer node is designated as a master node on the basis of its position within a chassis.

9. A system as in claim 7, wherein a particular computer node is designated as a master node on the basis of the order of power-up or boot completion.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein reconfiguration of said computer node comprises altering the software and/or firmware instructing said computer node.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein reconfiguration of said computer node comprises altering the data organization of a data storage device integral with or coupled to said computer node.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein said reconfiguration of a computer node is initiated by a management node type network device.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein said dynamically reconfigurable network devices include a plurality of network devices configured as the same type.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein a plurality of network devices of the same type are grouped together into a group that are treated as a single network device.

15. A system as in claim 14, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is managed and controlled as a single network device.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is power managed as a single network device.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein said group of network devices treated as a single network device is monitored as a single network device.

18. A system as in claim 17, wherein said plurality of network devices each comprise a server group.

19. A system as in claim 17, wherein said plurality of network devices each comprise a computer node.

20. A system as in claim 19, wherein each computer node is configured as a computer node selected from the group consisting of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, and a router.

21. A system as in claim 14, wherein said plurality of grouped network devices are coupled for communication and the logical grouping of the plurality of network devices into a single logical network device is performed under control of software or firmware.

22. A system as in claim 14, wherein said plurality of grouped network devices are electrically coupled via a backplane bus and the logical grouping of the plurality of network devices into a single logical network device is performed under control of software.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein said software executes within a processor and memory associated with each network device.

24. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit comprising:

a frame, housing, or enclosure;

a plurality of configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices disposed within said frame, housing, or enclosure;

said configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices including at least one network device operating as a computer node, at least one network device operating as a monitor node, and at least one network device operating as a switching node;

each said computer node, said monitor node, and said switching node being coupled for communication;

at least one of said network devices is dynamically and adaptably reconfigurable at any time based on types of activities detected within a network to which the network device is then presently or will be connected; and

wherein reconfiguration of said computer node comprises at least one of;

(i) altering the software and/or firmware instructing said computer node, and (ii) altering the data organization of a data storage device integral with or coupled to said computer node.

25. A system as in claim 24, wherein when said network device is configured prospectively for a network that said network device is to be connected, said activities are detected by either said network device in a different configuration or by a different network device coupled to said network.

26. A system as in claim 24, wherein said system includes a network activity monitor that detects the types of activities present on a network to which said activity monitor is coupled.

27. A system as in claim 26, wherein said types of activities present on a network to which said activity monitor is coupled monitored by said activity monitor include at least one of a number or volume of web pages served, a number or volume of streaming media served, a number or volume of files served, a number or volume of applications served, a number or volume of cached data served, an amount of network traffic routed, and combinations thereof.

28. A system as in claim 27, wherein said activity monitor is based in part on detection of the execution of idle threads by a processor within said network device during periods of time when said network device is not performing the activity for which said network device is configured.

29. A dynamically adaptable integrated server system unit comprising:

a frame, housing, or enclosure;

a plurality of configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices disposed within said frame, housing, or enclosure;

said configurable and dynamically reconfigurable network devices including at least one network device operating as a computer node, at least one network device operating as a monitor node, and at least one network device operating as a switching node;

each said computer node, said monitor node, and said switching node being coupled for communication;

at least one of said network devices is dynamically and adaptably reconfigurable at any time based on types of activities detected within a network to which the network device is then presently or will be connected; and

wherein said data storage device comprises a hard disc drive based RAID storage array and altering said data organization comprises altering a RAID configuration of said data to provide better performance for the type of data being served.

30. A method for dynamically and adaptably operating an integrated server system unit of the type having a frame, housing, or enclosure and a plurality of network devices disposed within said frame, housing, or enclosure;

said method comprising;

operating at least one of said network devices as a computer node comprising a server module;

detecting activities within a network to which the network device is then presently or will be connected;

dynamically and adaptably reconfiguring at least one of said network devices at any time based on types of activities detected within the network to which the network device is then presently or will be connected; and

said server module is initially configurable and subsequently reconfigurable during operation as any one or more or all of a web server, a streaming media server, a cache server, a file server, an application server, a router, and combinations thereof.