Patent Grant
7222043
This application contains subject matter that is related to the subject matter of the following application, which is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The below-listed application is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety:
Electronic device power levels have increased dramatically in recent years. Also, enclosures that contain the electronic components, for example, computer cases and rack-mount frames, have been reduced in size to allow for a smaller footprint of the device. As more electronic devices are placed in a rack-mount frame, close proximity among the electronic devices undesirably reduces effectiveness of cooling for thermal energy generated by the electronic devices.
In particular, the close proximity among the electronic devices increases concentration of the thermal energy into a small area. Furthermore, multiple rack-mount frames are often placed in a computer closet or data center with a specialized cooling system. This trend has created significant thermal issues for individual rack-mount frames as well as the computer closet. As more electronic devices are added to a computer closet, the thermal energy generated by the electronic devices may be too much for the cooling system to effectively dissipate.
The invention in one implementation encompasses an apparatus. The apparatus comprises one or more control components that regulate one or more thermal test components to adjust one or more emulated operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices. The thermal test components are coupled with one or more rack-mount frames. The thermal test components create the emulated operational characteristics for the one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. The one or more control components obtain one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated operational characteristics and the one or more emulated environmental effects. The one or more control components make a prediction of one or more of one or more actual operational characteristics and one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.
Another implementation of the invention encompasses an apparatus. The apparatus comprises one or more control components that regulate one or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. The one or more control components make a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects.
Yet another implementation of the invention encompasses a method. One or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices are regulated to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. A prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices is made through employment of the one or more emulated environmental effects.
A further implementation of the invention comprises an apparatus. The apparatus comprises means for emulating one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. The apparatus comprises means for measuring one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects.
A still further implementation of the invention encompasses an article. The article comprises one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media. The article includes means in the one or more media for regulating one or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. The article includes means in the one or more media for making a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of the one or more emulated environmental effects.
Features of exemplary implementations of the invention will become apparent from the description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to the BACKGROUND section above, it is desirable to validate the electronic devices in a rack or environment before the electronic devices are placed into service. Determining if the thermal energy generated by the electronic devices is too much for the cooling system to effectively dissipate typically requires the use of expensive, functional electronic equipment. For example, a fully loaded rack-mount server may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchase cost alone, with additional costs for service and configuration. It is desirable to use less expensive components to reduce costs of validating electronic devices in a test environment.
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The control component 104 in one example comprises a computer and/or computer terminal. In a further example, the control component 104 comprises an instance of a recordable data storage medium 114, as described herein. The control component 104 in one example is located within and/or external to the frame 102. In a further example, the control component 104 is coupled with the frame 102. In another example, the control component 104 is located remotely from the frame 102.
The control components 104 employ the thermal test components 106 to generate one or more emulated environmental effects for one or more electronic devices (not shown), as described herein. In a further example, the control components 104 regulate the thermal test components 106 to adjust the emulated operational characteristics for the electronic devices. Exemplary operational characteristics comprise temperature characteristics, thermal energy dissipation characteristics, airflow characteristics, noise characteristics, and fan speed characteristics. Exemplary electronic devices comprise network servers, storage devices, and network switches.
The control component 104 in one example obtains one or more measurements of one or more operational characteristics of the electronic device 108. Exemplary measurements comprise measurements of temperature, noise, and airflow. For example, the control component 104 obtains a measurement of an internal temperature and/or airflow of the electronic device 108. The control component 104 in another example obtains one or more measurements of the emulated environmental effects for the electronic devices. The emulated environmental effects created by the thermal test component 106 are comparable to actual environmental effects that would be created by the electronic devices during operation, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Exemplary environmental effects comprise one or more thermal effects, one or more airflow effects, and one or more vibrational effects.
In a further example, the control components 104 measure the emulated environmental effects to make a prediction of correct operation of the electronic devices in one or more test environments (not shown) through employment of the measurements. Exemplary test environments comprise a rack-mount frame, a cubicle, an office, and a computer room. The control components 104 in one example emulate the test environments through employment of the environmental control components 110. In another example, the control components 104 regulate the thermal test components 106 based on the measurements.
The thermal test components 106 emulate the operational characteristics of the electronic devices, as described herein. The thermal test component 106 replaces an electronic device in a rack-mount frame to reduce costs of validating the electronic device in the test environment. For example, the thermal test component 106 generates thermal energy and airflow comparable to the electronic device in the test environment without an expensive purchase and/or configuration cost of the electronic device.
The electronic device 108 in one example comprises a network server, storage device, and/or network switch. The control component 104 in one example employs the electronic devices 108 and the thermal test components 106 to obtain the measurements of the operational characteristics of the electronic device 108 in the test environment. Where a plurality of electronic devices 108 are located in a rack-mount frame, the actual environmental effects of the electronic devices 108 compound each other and may reduce cooling efficiencies of the electronic device 108. For example, surface areas of the electronic device 108 exposed to ambient air may be reduced, airflow through the electronic device 108 may be blocked, and thermal energy dissipated by the electronic devices 108 may be too much for the environment to adequately cool. In one example, the control component 104 obtains a measurement of the operational characteristics of the electronic device 108 where the electronic device 108 is located in a rack-mount frame with the thermal test components 106. The thermal test components 106 emulate additional electronic devices in the rack-mount frame to reduce costs of validating the electronic device 108 in the rack-mount frame.
The environmental control components 110 alter the environmental effects on the test environment. The environmental control components 110 in one example are located within and/or external to the frame 102. In a further example, the environmental control components 110 are coupled with the frame 102. In another example, the environmental control components 110 are located remotely from the frame 102. In one example, the environmental control components 110 comprise one or more heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) system components. For example, the environmental control components 110 emulate cooling provided by a rack-mount frame. In another example, the environmental control component 110 comprises a portion of an altitude chamber. For example, the environmental control component 110 lowers air pressure in the test environment to emulate a high-altitude environment. The control components 104 in one example employ the environmental control components 110 to regulate air temperature, air pressure, airflow, and/or vibrational effects. For example, the control components 104 employ the environmental control components 110 to emulate the one or more test environments.
The communication link 112 in one example comprises a communication cable and/or wireless interface. The control components 104 in one example communicate with each other through employment of the communication link 112. In another example, the control component 104 communicates with the thermal test components 106 and/or the environmental control components 110 through employment of the communication link 112.
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The frame 202 in one example comprises one or more apertures 210 and/or one or more baffles 212 that serve to promote an adjustability of quantity and/or direction of airflow through the frame 202. The frame 202 in one example conforms to an “EIA RS-310” standard (Electronic Industries Alliance, Arlington, Va., http://www.eia.org). For example, the frame 202 comprises a height interval that is an integral multiple of “U,” for example, “1U,” “2U,” . . . “NU.”
The control component 204 in one example is coupled with one or more user interfaces 214 and/or one or more sensor components 216 of the thermal test component 106. In one example, the control component 204 comprises an instance of a recordable data storage medium 114, as described herein. The control component 104 in one example is coupled with the control component 204, for example, the control component 104 and the control component 204 comprise a same control component. The control component 204 in one example employs the frame 202, the thermal components 206, the fans 208, the apertures 210, the baffles 212, and/or the sensor components 216 to emulate one or more operational characteristics of the one or more electronic devices. The control component 204 in one example regulates thermal energy and/or airflow to emulate the operational characteristics of the electronic devices, as described herein.
The control component 204 in one example obtains one or more measurements of one or more of the operational characteristics of the electronic device through employment of the sensor components 216. For example, the control component 204 employs the measurements to regulate the airflow through the frame 202, the thermal energy generated by the thermal component 206, and/or temperature in the frame 202. In one example, the control component 204 adjusts airflow through the frame 202 by causing the fans 208 to rotate at a given speed. For example, the control component 204 adjusts the speed of the fans 208 through pulse width modulation or voltage control, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. A higher speed of the fans 208 will promote an increase in airflow through the frame 202 and increase noise levels, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In another example, the control component 204 adjusts one or more of the apertures 210 and the baffles 212 to adjust the airflow through the frame 202, as described herein. The control component 204 in one example emulates one or more operational deficiencies of the electronic device through employment of the frame 202, the thermal components 206, the fans 208, the apertures 210, and/or the baffles 212. In one example, the control component 204 emulates an operational deficiency of one or more of the fans 208, for example, a clogging of blades of the fan with dust. In another example, the control component 204 emulates one or more blockages of one or more of the apertures 210.
The user interface 214 in one example comprises one or more display screens, one or more keypads, one or more input knobs, and/or one or more computer terminals. In a further example, the user interface 214 is located remotely from the frame 202. For example, the user interface 214 comprises an external computer terminal that is electronically coupled with the control component 204 via the communication link 112. In a further example, the user interface 214 is coupled with the control component 104 via the communication link 112. For example, a user controls the thermal test component 106 via the control component 104.
The user interface 214 in one example presents one or more of the operational characteristics of the electronic device to one or more users, for example, on the display screen. In a further example, the user interface 214 receives one or more parameters from the user for the operational characteristics, for example, through the keypad, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the user employs the user interface 214 to set the thermal energy dissipation of the thermal components 206 and the airflow of the fans 208 to known values for an electronic device. In another example, the user sets the thermal energy dissipation and airflow to theoretical and/or approximate values for an electronic device. In yet another example, the user sets the thermal energy dissipation and airflow to emulate one or more failures of the electronic device.
The thermal component 206 in one example comprises a heating element, for example, a finned strip heater controlled by a solid state relay or silicon-controlled rectifier. The thermal component 206 serves to generate thermal energy in the frame 202. In one example, the thermal component 206 is coupled with the frame 202. The thermal energy is dissipated into the airflow and carried out of the frame 202, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The control component 204 signals the thermal component 206 to generate a given quantity of thermal energy, for example, fifty watts, to emulate thermal energy dissipation of the electronic device.
The fans 208 in one example are coupled with the frame 202. The fans 208 serve to promote airflow through the frame 202. For example, one or more fans 208 take air into the frame 202 and/or exhaust air from the frame 202. The fans 208 in one example comprise 40 millimeter fans, 80 millimeter fans, and/or 120 millimeter fans. The fans 208 comprise rotational speed, size, and design attributes that determine the airflow generated by the fans 208, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.
The speakers 209 in one example are coupled with the frame 202. The speakers 209 in one example emulate one or more noise characteristics of the electronic device. For example, the speakers 209 generate one or more sounds and/or acoustic vibrations associated with operation of the electronic device. In one example, the speaker 209 emulates sounds associated with a disk drive being accessed and/or diagnostic beeps.
One or more of the apertures 210 in one example are partially or completely blocked to adjust the airflow through the frame 202. In one example, the control component 204 causes a cover (not shown), for example, a plastic bezel or air filter, to partially or completely block the aperture 210. In another example, the user adjusts the cover to partially or completely cover the aperture 210. In yet another example, the user employs a piece of tape, for example, duct tape, to cover the aperture 210. One or more apertures 210 may be covered to provide different paths for airflow through the frame 202. For example, the apertures 210 may be covered such that the frame 202 takes in air from a corner of the frame 202 and exhausts air out a side of the frame 202.
The baffles 212 in one example are repositioned to adjust the airflow through the frame 202. In one example, the control component 204 causes the baffle 212 to redirect a portion of the airflow through the frame 202. In another example, the user repositions the baffle 212 to redirect the portion of the airflow through the frame 202. One or more baffles 212 may be added or removed from the frame 202 to promote an adjustability of the airflow through the frame 202. One or more covers of the apertures 210 and one or more baffles 212 in one example are combined. For example, a cover comprises one or more baffles to both limit and direct airflow through the cover. In one example, the user adjusts airflow through the frame 202 to emulate airflow of an electronic device.
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An illustrative description of exemplary operation of the thermal test component 106 is presented, for explanatory purposes. An electronic device (not shown), for example, a network switch, generates given amounts of thermal energy, airflow, and noise during operation. The generated thermal energy requires airflow to sufficiently cool the electronic devices, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The frame 202 and the thermal components 206 serve to emulate the operational characteristics of the electronic device. Exemplary operational characteristics comprise thermal energy dissipation of the thermal components 206, speed of the fans 208, rate of airflow through the frame 202, fault conditions of the fans 208, noise volume, and temperatures of air entering and exiting the frame 202. For example, the thermal components generate the given amount of thermal energy and the fans 208 create airflow through the frame 202 that is determined by one or more of the fans 208, the apertures 210, and the baffles 212.
The control component 204 and/or the user configure one or more of the frame 202, the thermal components 206, the fans 208, the apertures 210, and the baffles 212 to emulate the operational characteristics of the electronic device. In one example, the user inputs values for the operational characteristics of the network switch. For example, the user employs the user interface 214 to input values such as one hundred watts for thermal energy generation, forty cubic feet per minute for airflow, four thousand revolutions per minute for fan speed, one hundred degrees Fahrenheit for surface temperature, and/or thirty degrees Celsius for ambient temperature, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In another example, the user selects an electronic device from a list of pre-determined electronic devices. For example, the user employs the user interface 214 to select a network server from a list of network equipment and the control component 204 configures the thermal components 206, the fans 208, the apertures 210, and the baffles 212 to emulate the operational characteristics of the network server, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
An illustrative description of exemplary operation of the apparatus 100 is presented, for explanatory purposes. The control component 104 in one example emulates a test environment through employment of the environmental control components 110. For example, the environmental control components 110 provide cooling to a room to emulate a computer closet. The control component 104 signals the thermal test components 106 to emulate one or more electronic devices, for example, network switches. The thermal test components 106 generate one or more emulated operational characteristics for the network switches. For example, the thermal test component 106 generates thermal energy, airflow, and/or noise that is comparable to the network switch.
The thermal test component 106 creates one or more emulated environmental effects on the test environment through employment of the thermal energy and airflow. The emulated environmental effects created by the thermal test component 106 are comparable to actual environmental effects that would be created by the network switch, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In one example, the thermal test component 106 employs the airflow to dissipate the thermal energy into the test environment and cause an increase in temperature of the computer closet. In a further example, the thermal test component 106 causes one or more vibrational effects in the test environment, for example, noise associated with the fans 208. In one example, the frame 102 alters the emulated environmental effects. For example, vents, doors, and/or cable management arms of the frame 102 reduce an efficiency of cooling by impeding airflow through the frame 102 and/or the frame 202.
In one example, the control component 104 measures the emulated environmental effects to make a prediction of the actual environmental effects of the network switch. For example, the control component 104 obtains one or more measurements of the emulated environmental effects and/or operational characteristics, where the emulated environmental effects are comparable to the actual environmental effects, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The control component 104 in one example makes a prediction of correct operation of the electronic device in the test environment through employment of one or more of the measurements. In a further example, the control component 104 makes a prediction of correct operation of the electronic device in the test environment against one or more pre-determined standards. For example, the control component 104 validates the electronic device in the test environment through employment of the measurements. The control component 104 in one example regulates the thermal test components 106 through employment of the measurements.
The control component 104 in one example emulates one or more operational failures of the environmental control components 110. In one example where the environmental control component 110 comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system component, the control component 104 emulates a failure of air cooling capabilities of the environmental control component 110. In another example, the control component 104 emulates one or more blocked ventilation ducts of the environmental control component 110. For example, the control component 104 determines a length of time before failure of the electronic components 108 due to the failure of the air cooling capabilities of the environmental control component 110.
In another example, an electronic device 108, for example, a network server, and a plurality of thermal test components 106 are placed in a frame 102. The control component 104 is remotely located, for example, in another frame 102. The control component 104 signals the plurality of thermal test components 106 to emulate a plurality of network devices, for example, a plurality of the network servers. The plurality of thermal test components 106 generate emulated environmental effects for the plurality of network servers and the electronic device 108 generates actual environmental effects. The control component 104 employs the plurality of thermal test components and the electronic device 108 to validate the network server in a rack with the plurality of the network servers in the test environment.
The apparatus 100 in one example comprises a plurality of components such as one or more of electronic components, hardware components, and computer software components. A number of such components can be combined or divided in the apparatus 100. An exemplary component of the apparatus 100 employs and/or comprises a set and/or series of computer instructions written in or implemented with any of a number of programming languages, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The apparatus 100 in one example comprises any (e.g., horizontal, oblique, or vertical) orientation, with the description and figures herein illustrating one exemplary orientation of the apparatus 100, for explanatory purposes.
In another example, an electronic device 108, for example, a network server, and a plurality of thermal test components 106 are placed in a frame 102. The control component 104 is remotely located, for example, in another frame 102. The control component 104 signals the plurality of thermal test components 106 to emulate a plurality of network devices, for example, a plurality of the network servers. The plurality of thermal test components 106 generate emulated environmental effects for the plurality of network servers and the electronic device 108 generates actual environmental effects. The control component 104 employs the plurality of thermal test components and the electronic device 108 to validate the network server in a rack with the plurality of the network servers in the test environment.
The steps or operations described herein are just exemplary. There may be many variations to these steps or operations without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.
Although exemplary implementations of the invention have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
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