Method and system for associating power consumption of a server with a network address assigned to the server

• US 7,783,910 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lefurgy, Charles R., Felter, Wesley M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao; Chun
• Application Number:
  US11/693,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A system for associating power consumption with a network address. Network traffic is inspected to determine network addresses. The network addresses are assigned to one or more servers. A power output of a plurality of power outlets is measured to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets. The network addresses assigned to the one or more servers is associated with the power consumption of the one or more servers. A total power consumption is calculated for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption. Then, the total power consumption is recorded for the one or more servers in a table and a user is provided access to the table.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for associating power consumption with a network address, the computer implemented method comprising:

inspecting by a power network distribution unit connected to an external network switch network traffic internally using a plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays to determine network addresses assigned to one or more servers connected to the power network distribution unit, wherein the plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays inspect the network traffic on a plurality of network ports connected to the one or more servers, and wherein each of the plurality of network ports has a one-to-one correspondence with a same numbered power outlet in a plurality of power outlets on the power network distribution unit;

measuring by the power network distribution unit a power output of the plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

associating by the power network distribution unit the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

calculating a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

recording the total power consumption for the one or more servers in a table; and

providing a user access to the table.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

fetching data from the power network distribution unit via a network to calculate the total power consumption for the one or more servers.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the table on a pre-determined time interval basis.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network addresses are a media access control address and an internet protocol address assigned to the one or more servers.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the power network distribution unit inspects the network traffic for the media access control address and the internet protocol address on the plurality of network ports and measures the power output of the plurality of power outlets to determine the power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the power network distribution unit is one of a plurality of network distribution units, and wherein each of the plurality of power network distribution units include the plurality of power outlets and the plurality of network ports.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the power network distribution unit connected to the external network switch acts as a network pass-through.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the power network distribution unit is connected to a redundant power network distribution unit, and wherein each of the one or more servers connected to the power network distribution unit and the redundant power network distribution unit are connected via a power cable and a network cable to both the power network distribution unit and the redundant power network distribution unit, and wherein the power cable and the network cable for a server connected to both the power network distribution unit and the redundant power network distribution unit are plugged in to corresponding same numbered power ports and network ports on both the power network distribution unit and the redundant power network distribution unit.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the power network distribution unit includes a plurality of power meters, and wherein the plurality of power meters are associated with the plurality of power outlets, and wherein each of the plurality of power outlets has an associated power meter to measure the power output of each of the plurality of power outlets.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the power network distribution unit includes a management microprocessor.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the power network distribution unit uses a simple external wiring scheme to connect the one or more servers to the power network distribution unit via power cables and network cables plugged in to corresponding same numbered power ports and network ports on the power network distribution unit.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein a system management software performs the calculating, recording, displaying, fetching, and updating steps.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the system management software scans the network to find one or more power network distribution units connected to a network.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the system management software utilizes a graphical user interface window to display the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers and a corresponding power consumption used by the one or more servers.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the user may query the system management software by using a particular network address to locate a particular server and view the corresponding power consumption used by that particular server in the graphical user interface window.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the user may query the system management software by using the particular network address in the graphical user interface window to locate each power network distribution unit and each power outlet used for the particular server.

17. A data processing system for associating power consumption with a network address, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to inspect by a power network distribution unit connected to an external network switch network traffic internally using a plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays to determine network addresses assigned to one or more servers connected to the power network distribution unit, wherein the plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays inspect the network traffic on a plurality of network ports connected to the one or more servers, and wherein each of the plurality of network ports has a one-to-one correspondence with a same numbered power outlet in a plurality of power outlets on the power network distribution unit;

measure by the power network distribution unit a power output of the plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

associate by the power network distribution unit the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

calculate a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

record the total power consumption of the one or more servers in a table; and

provide a user access to the table.

18. A computer program product for associating power consumption with a network address, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the tangible computer readable storage medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to inspect by a power network distribution unit connected to an external network switch network traffic internally using a plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays to determine network addresses assigned to one or more servers connected to the power network distribution unit, wherein the plurality of internal field programmable gate arrays inspect the network traffic on a plurality of network ports connected to the one or more servers, and wherein each of the plurality of network ports has a one-to-one correspondence with a same numbered power outlet in a plurality of power outlets on the power network distribution unit;

computer usable program code configured to measure by the power network distribution unit a power output of the plurality of power outlets to determine a power consumption of the one or more servers connected to the plurality of power outlets;

computer usable program code configured to associate by the power network distribution unit the network addresses assigned to the one or more servers with the power consumption of the one or more servers;

computer usable program code configured to calculate a total power consumption for the one or more servers having an association of network addresses with power consumption;

computer usable program code configured to record the total power consumption for the one or more servers in a table; and

computer usable program code configured to provide a user access to the table.