Patent Application
20160313777
This disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly relates to dynamically adjusting power supply efficiency in information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements can vary between different applications, information handling systems can also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information can be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems can include a variety of hardware and software components that can be configured to process, store, and communicate information and can include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, networking systems, and power supplies.
Embodiments incorporating teachings of the present disclosure are shown and described with respect to the drawings presented herein, in which:
The following description in combination with the figures is provided to assist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The following discussion will focus on specific implementations and embodiments of the teachings. This focus is provided to assist in describing the teachings and should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings certainly can be utilized in this application.
For the purpose of illustration, information handling system 100 is described in an example context of a server chassis with multiple server blades. The techniques described herein can be applied in other information handling system contexts that utilize one or multiple power supply units (PSUs) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Information handling system 100 includes a plurality of power supply units (PSUs), such as PSUs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, server nodes 20, 21, 22, and 23, and a chassis management control module 30. CMC 30 is configured to monitor and control components of information handling system 100. For example, chassis management control module can activate and deactivate server nodes in response to a power conservation policy, computational requirements, and the like. CMC 30 includes a power management control module 40, which is configured to control operation of PSUs 10-15, and selectively engage and disengage PSUs based on current operating characteristics of information handling system 100 and in accordance with efficiency profiles associated with PSUs 10-15, described in greater detail below. A PSU is engaged when it is actively providing power to a load, such as information handling system 100. Conversely, a PSU is disengaged when it is not providing power to a load of the information handling system, such as in response to a failure of the PSU, or in response to an action by chassis management control module 30. Information handling system 100 may include other components in addition to those illustrated that also receive power from power delivery module 10.
As disclosed herein, one or more of PSUs 10-15 are capable of adjusting their energy conversion efficiency characteristics in response to commands received over a System Management Bus (SMBus) interface, a Power Management Bus (PMBus) interface, or the like. For example, power management control module 40 can determine an average power level being delivered by a PSU and adjust a power efficiency profile of the PSU so that the PSU operates at a more-optimal efficiency.
Each PSU of PSUs 10-15 has an input to receive electric power via a node labeled “MAINS POWER,” a bidirectional control interface terminal connected to a node labeled “SMBus,” and an output connected to a node labeled “POWER PLANE.” Each server node of server nodes 20-23 has an input to receive power from node POWER PLANE and a bidirectional control interface terminal connected to node SMBus. Chassis management control module 30 is connected to node SMBus. Node SMBus facilitates communication of information between components of information handling system 100 in accordance with an industry-standard SMBus serial interface protocol. For the purpose of example, six PSUs are illustrated at
In one embodiment, each PSU of PSUs 10-15 is compliant with a standard power-management protocol known as PMBus. The PMBus protocol is implemented over the SMBus protocol, and enables chassis management control module 30 to program, control, and conduct real-time monitoring of each PSU of PSUs 10-15. For example, power management control module 40 is configured to query each PSU of PSUs 10-15 to determine a peak efficiency shifting capability the PSU, an amount of mains power received at the input of a selected PSU via node MAINS POWER (power input), and to determine an amount of power provided to node POWER PLANE at the output of the selected PSU (power output). Based on this information, power management control module 40 can determine a power conversion efficiency of each PSU. Module 40 can also determine how much power each PSU is providing in relation to the rated power delivery capability of the PSU. While the PMBus protocol is used in this example, another standard or proprietary protocol can be used to implement communication between power management control module 40 and each PSU of PSUs 10-15.
As used herein, the term percentage of load (POL) is defined as a ratio of output power that is being delivered by a PSU to a load relative to the rated, name-plate, capability of the PSU, expressed as a percentage. For example, if a 1200 watt PSU is presently delivering 600 watt, the POL is (600/1200)×100, or 50%. In one embodiment, CMC 30 or power management control module 40 can issue commands to each PSU to determine whether the PSU includes dynamic efficiency adjusting capabilities, and if such capability is available, configure the PSU to shift its peak efficiency operating characteristics so as to reduce power demand of system 100. For example, module 40 can query a PSU and determine that the PSU can be configured to operate with a peak efficiency corresponding to POL values of either 40% or 50%, and is presently configured to operate at a POL of 50%. If module 40 determines that an average amount of power presently provided by the PSU is only 40% of the PSU's rate capability, module 40 can shift the operating efficiency profile of the PSU from 50% to 40%.
Each server node of server nodes 20-23 can include one or more data processing devices, such as a microprocessor or microcomputer, and each data processing device can include one or more processor cores. Each server node of server nodes 20-23 is operable to access computer-readable medium such as a memory device, which is capable of storing a software program that includes a set of instructions to manipulate at least one processor to perform desired tasks. A server node further can include memory devices, other information storage devices, peripheral interface devices, and the like. Furthermore, a server node can include one or more interfaces (not shown) to support communications and information transfer with another server node, or with other components of information handling system 100 such as shared information storage devices, peripheral interface devices, and the like (not shown at
The amount of power consumed by a respective server node can vary in response to how the corresponding server node is configured, the selection and utilization of associated hardware components, and the type of computations being performed at the server node, amongst other factors. For example, chassis management control module 30 can place one or more server nodes into a power-conservation mode when demand for computational resources does not require the operation of all server nodes. In an embodiment, power management control module 40 can respond to current power demand of information handling system 100 and dynamically shift a peak operating efficiency of selected PSUs, or engage a selected number of PSUs based on information included at PSU efficiency profiles to improve the power conversion efficiency of power delivery module 10 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
Processor 220 includes a bidirectional control interface connected to node SMBus, a bidirectional data interface connected to storage component 210, and a bidirectional data interface connected to memory device 230. Processor 220 is operable to execute software program 232. Processor 220 may be a device that is dedicated to performing only tasks associated with power management control module 40, or it may perform additional processing tasks of information handling system 100.
Storage component 210 can include one or more registers included at data processing device 220, a non-volatile or volatile memory device, or another device operable to store one or more power conversion efficiency profiles, such as power conversion efficiency profile 212. Memory device 230 is configured to store software program 232, and may include a hard-disk drive, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), another type of data memory device, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, storage component 210 can be implemented using storage resources provided by memory device 230. Each of efficiency computation software module 234 and engagement software module 236 includes sets of instructions that can be executed by processor 220. In another embodiment, power management control module 40 can be partially or fully implemented in hardware using a state machine, hard-coded logic devices, and the like.
Power management control module 40 is configured to determine a respective power conversion efficiency profile representing power conversion efficiency characteristics of each corresponding PSU of PSUs 10-15 over a range of operating loads. During operation of information handling system 100, power management control module 40 can periodically request information from each PSU using the PMBus protocol conducted by node SMBus. For example, management control module 40 can issue a request to PSU 11 inquiring as to an amount of power currently being received by PSU 11, and a corresponding output power currently being provided by PSU 11. Based on this information, management control module 40 can calculate a power conversion efficiency of PSU 11 for the current operating load using the equation:
where the variable Pin represents the power consumed by the PSU (power input), and the variable Pout represents the power provided at the output of the PSU (power output). Power management control module 40 can issue similar requests to each PSU of PSUs 10-15 and do so over a range of operating conditions (and an associated range of loads) to compile a power conversion efficiency profile corresponding to each PSU as described in greater detail with reference to
In one embodiment, a power conversion efficiency profile of a PSU includes a set of data-pairs representative of the power conversion efficiencies of the PSU over a range of output loads or power outputs. In particular, the power conversion efficiency is calculated and expressed based on a quantity referred to as “percent-of-load.” Percent-of-load is a fraction, expressed as a percentage, quantifying the power provided by a PSU in relation to a maximum output power capability of the PSU:
where the variable Pout represents the power provided at the output of the PSU (power output), and Pmax represents the specified maximum output power that the PSU is capable of providing. For example, if the maximum output power of a PSU is 1000 watts, and the PSU is currently providing 400 watts of power, the percent-of-load is 40%. Thus, the power conversion efficiency profile of a PSU can include a respective power conversion efficiency corresponding to percent-of-load values ranging from approximately zero to 100% of percent-of-load. The efficiency profile information can be stored in a data structure at storage component 210.
Power management control module 40 is further configured to: 1) determine a total amount of power being supplied to information handling system 100; 2) determine an efficiency shifting capability of each PSU; 3) determine a number of PSUs needed to provide the total amount of power and a POL of each PSU that is engaged; and 4) configure a POL efficiency profile of each PSU so that each PSU is operating at a substantially optimal efficiency based on an amount of power provided by the PSU. The total amount of power to be supplied to information handling system 100 is the total amount of power currently being consumed by all components included at information handling system 100. Because power consumption can fluctuate in response to varying computational activity of servers 20-23, module 40 can collect periodic load measurements in order to calculate an average, steady state, load at each PSU. Module 40 can periodically repeat this process to maintain optimal efficiency as the total power consumed by system 100 changes over time.
One of skill will appreciate that efficiency profiles 301 and 302 are merely examples of possible PSU behavior, and the shape of the data curves can vary based on numerous circuit and design characteristics. Power supply efficiency is known to be variable based on many factors, including but not limited to power conversion circuitry, such as transformers, transistors, and other discrete components, inlet temperature, input voltage, switching frequency, and the like. Accordingly, a PSU can be configured to provide alternate efficiency profiles, such as efficiency profiles 301 and 302, by manipulating one or more of these components or parameters. While two efficiency profiles are illustrated at
In one embodiment, information characterizing profiles 301 and 302 can be provided by a manufacturer of a PSU and stored at a memory device included at the PSU. The efficiency profile can be accessed by issuing a command provided to the PSU via the PMBus interface. In an embodiment, a single power conversion efficiency profile can be determined and used to represent one or more of multiple PSUs of identical or similar construction. For example, if information handling system 100 includes six similar PSUs, a single power conversion efficiency profile can be prepared and used to represent each of the six PSUs.
One of skill will appreciate that percentage of load and temperature are two examples of operating conditions of a PSU, and that efficiency profiles can be associated with other operating conditions, such as air flow, humidity, barometric pressure, mains voltage, and the like.
The method continues at block 503 where an average percentage of load is determined based on the current power level provided by the PSU and based on the PSU's total power capability. For example, if a PSU that is rated for 1800 watts that is presently providing 1000 watts, the average POL is (1000/1800)×100, or approximately 56%. The method proceeds to block 504 where a power efficiency peak of a PSU is shifted from one efficiency profile to another profile. For example, module 40 can determine that the PSU can operate more efficiently, given the present load conditions, at an alternate efficiency profile. Module 40 can issue a command directing the PSU to transition operation to the alternate profile.
Information handling system 700 can include one or more storage devices that can store machine-executable code, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices, and various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. An example of information handling system 700 includes a multi-tenant chassis system where groups of tenants (users) share a common chassis and each of the tenants has a unique set of resources assigned to them. The resources can include blade servers of the chassis, input/output (I/O) modules, Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) cards, storage controllers, and the like
Information handling system 700 can include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the information handling system to perform any one or more of the methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. The information handling system 700 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected to other computer systems or peripheral devices, such as by a network.
In a networked deployment, the information handling system 700 may operate in the capacity of a server or as a client user computer in a server-client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The information handling system 700 can also be implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, a wireless telephone, a land-line telephone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. In a particular embodiment, the computer system 100 can be implemented using electronic devices that provide voice, video or data communication. Further, while a single information handling system 700 is illustrated, the term “system” shall also be taken to include any collection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointly execute a set, or multiple sets, of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.
The information handling system 700 can include a disk drive unit and may include a computer-readable medium, not shown in
In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodiments described herein may implement functions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented by software programs executable by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary, non-limited embodiment, implementations can include distributed processing, component/object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, virtual computer system processing can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionality as described herein.
The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium that includes instructions or receives and executes instructions responsive to a propagated signal; so that a device connected to a network can communicate voice, video or data over the network. Further, the instructions may be transmitted or received over the network via the network interface device.
The term “computer-readable medium” can include a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or that cause a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable medium can include a solid-state memory such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatile read-only memories.
Further, the computer-readable medium can be a random access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally, the computer-readable medium can include a magneto-optical or optical medium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to store information received via carrier wave signals such as a signal communicated over a transmission medium. A digital file attachment to an e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives may be considered a distribution medium that is equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more of a computer-readable medium or a distribution medium and other equivalents and successor media, in which data or instructions may be stored.
Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.
