Server rack system and power management method applicable thereto

• US 9,304,562 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Jau, Maw-Zan, Chu, Wei-Yi, Ko, Ting-Chen, Chi, Li-Ching, Chao, Wei-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JIGAR P
• Application Number:
  US13/571,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 714/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• 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

Abstract

A server rack system including a plurality of power supply units, a monitoring circuit, a rack management controller (RMC), and a plurality of server nodes is provided. The monitoring circuit is for monitoring the power supply units. The RMC is for monitoring the power supply units. When the monitoring circuit and/or the RMC finds that at least one of the power supply units failed to output a normal voltage, an operation status of the server nodes is lowered or at least one of the server nodes is forcibly shut down.

Claims

1. A server rack system, comprising:

a plurality of power supply units;

a monitoring circuit for monitoring the plurality of power supply units;

a rack management controller (RMC) for monitoring the plurality of power supply units;

a plurality of server nodes; and

a backplane controller communicatively coupled to the monitoring circuit, the RMC, and the plurality of server nodes;

wherein the backplane controller is configured for lowering an operation status of at least one of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down one of the server nodes, in response to a command from the monitoring circuit or the RMC,

wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to detect whether a quantity of power supply units that fails to output a normal voltage is over a first threshold, and

wherein the RMC is configured to detect whether the quantity is over a second threshold.

2. The server rack system according to claim 1, wherein,

if the first quantity is not over the first threshold, the RMC determines whether a second quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over a second threshold;

and

if the RMC determines that the second quantity is over the second threshold, then the RMC sets the backplane controller, which controls the backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

3. The server rack system according to claim 2, further comprising:

if the first quantity is over the first threshold, the RMC determines whether a third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over a third threshold; and

if the third quantity is over the third threshold, then the RMC sets the backplane controller, which controls the backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

4. The server rack system according to claim 3, wherein, setting of the first threshold and the second threshold is related to a loading state of the server rack system.

5. The server rack system according to claim 4, wherein, setting of the third threshold is related to a loading state of the server rack system.

6. A power management method applicable to a server rack system including a monitoring circuit, an RMC, and a plurality of server nodes, the power management method including:

determining, via the monitoring circuit, that a first quantity of the plurality of power supplies failing to output a normal voltage is over a first threshold;

in response to determining that the first quantity is over the first threshold, lowering an operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the plurality of server nodes, or in response to determining that the first quantity is not over the first threshold,

determining, via the RMC, that a second quantity of the plurality of power supply units failing to output the normal voltage is over a second threshold; and

in response to determining that the second quantity is over the second threshold, lowering the operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the server nodes.

7. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 6, wherein,

if the monitoring circuit finds that the first quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the first threshold, then the monitoring circuit sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

8. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 7, wherein, the monitoring circuit sends a notice signal to the backplane controller for setting at least one jumper of the backplane controller.

9. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 6, wherein,

if the RMC determines that the second quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the second threshold, then the RMC sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

10. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining by the RMC whether a third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over a third threshold if the monitoring circuit finds that the first quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the first threshold; and

lowering the operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the server nodes in response to the judgment result of the RMC if the RMC determines that the third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over the third threshold.

11. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 10, wherein,

if the RMC determines that the third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over the third threshold, then the RMC sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

12. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 6, wherein, setting of the first threshold and the second threshold is related to a loading state of the server rack system.

13. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 10, wherein, setting of the third threshold is related to a loading state of the server rack system.

14. A power management method applicable to a server rack system including a monitoring circuit, an RMC, and a plurality of server nodes, the power management method including:

determining, via the monitoring circuit, that a first quantity of the plurality of power supplies failing to output a normal voltage is over a first threshold;

in response to determining that the first quantity is over the first threshold, lowering an operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the plurality of server nodes, or in response to determining that the first quantity is not over the first threshold, determining, via the RMC, that a second quantity of the plurality of power supply units failing to output the normal voltage is over a second threshold; and

in response to determining that the second quantity is over the second threshold, lowering the operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the server nodes,

wherein, setting of the first threshold and the second threshold is related to a loading state of the server rack system.

15. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 14, wherein,

if the monitoring circuit finds that the first quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the first threshold, then the monitoring circuit sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

16. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 15, wherein, the monitoring circuit sends a notice signal to the backplane controller for setting at least one jumper of the backplane controller.

17. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 14, wherein,

if the RMC determines that the second quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the second threshold, then the RMC sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.

18. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining by the RMC whether a third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over a third threshold if the monitoring circuit finds that the first quantity of at least one power supply failed to output the normal voltage is over the first threshold; and

lowering the operation status of the server nodes or forcibly shutting down at least one of the server nodes in response to the judgment result of the RMC if the RMC determines that the third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over the third threshold.

19. The power management method applicable to the server rack system according to claim 18, wherein,

if the RMC determines that the third quantity of the power supply units failed to output the normal voltage is over the third threshold, then the RMC sets a backplane controller;

and

the backplane controller controls a plurality of backplanes to lower the operation status of the server nodes or to forcibly shut down at least one of the server nodes.