# US 10,481,659 B2 · Rack resource utilization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,659 B2 - Document ID: US10481659B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/059,870 - Filed: 2016-03-03 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Kenneth T. Gambon; Bret W. Lehman; Christopher L. Molloy; Tenley D. Jackson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481659B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An approach to managing power distribution to computing devices, the approach involving monitoring power consumption of a plurality of computing devices and power draw on a plurality of power distribution units, wherein the plurality of power distribution units distribute power to the plurality of computing devices, determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching respective power thresholds and responsive to determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds, taking one or more actions to manage power distribution to the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more actions are based on a set of rules and the one or more actions comprise configuring a drawing of unequal amounts of power. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for managing power distribution to computing devices, the method comprising: monitoring power consumption of a plurality of computing devices and power draw on a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs), wherein the plurality of power distribution units distribute power to the plurality of computing devices; determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching respective power thresholds; and responsive to determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds, taking one or more actions to manage power distribution to the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more actions are based on a set of rules comprising workload priorities and the one or more actions comprise configuring a plurality of power supply units of the plurality of computing devices, respectively, to draw unequal amounts of power from the plurality of the power distribution units, respectively and capping power consumption of computing devices processing workloads associated with development or testing while not capping workloads associated with production, wherein the capping is based on suspending processes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the unequal amounts of power are drawn by a plurality of power supply units in one or more of the plurality of computing devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions further comprise at least one of transferring at least a portion of power supply to at least one of the plurality of power distribution units from a first power source to a second power source and reassigning one or more workloads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of rules is associated with at least one of device priorities, power consumption maximums and power consumption minimums. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the transferring at least a portion of power supply from the first power source to the second power source is accomplished with a use of a transfer switch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating an alert for a manual management of power distribution, wherein the alert is at least one of a pop-up notification and at least one of an email and a text message sent to a designated recipient. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a determination that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds is based on at least one of a predetermined threshold and a dynamically determined threshold. ### Claim 8 A computer program product for managing power distribution to computing devices, the computer program product comprising: one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to monitor power consumption of a plurality of computing devices and power draw on a plurality of power distribution units, wherein the plurality of power distribution units distribute power to the plurality of computing devices; program instructions to determine that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching respective power thresholds; and program instructions to, responsive to determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds, take one or more actions to manage power distribution to the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more actions are based on a set of rules comprising workload priorities and the one or more actions comprise configuring a plurality of power supply units of the plurality of computing devices, respectively, to draw unequal amounts of power from the plurality of the power distribution units, respectively and capping power consumption of computing devices processing workloads associated with development or testing while not capping workloads associated with production, wherein the capping is based on suspending processes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the unequal amounts of power are drawn by a plurality of power supply units in one or more of the plurality of computing devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the one or more actions further comprise at least one of transferring at least a portion of power supply to at least one of the plurality of power distribution units from a first power source to a second power source and reassigning one or more workloads. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the set of rules is associated with at least one of device priorities, power consumption maximums and power consumption minimums. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the transferring at least a portion of power supply from the first power source to the second power source is accomplished with a use of a transfer switch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising: program instructions to generate an alert for a manual management of power distribution, wherein the alert is at least one of a pop-up notification and at least one of an email and a text message sent to a designated recipient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a determination that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds is based on at least one of a predetermined threshold and a dynamically determined threshold. ### Claim 15 A computer system for managing power distribution to computing devices, the computer system comprising: one or more computer processors; one or more computer readable storage media; program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to monitor power consumption of a plurality of computing devices and power draw on a plurality of power distribution units, wherein the plurality of power distribution units distribute power to the plurality of computing devices; program instructions to determine that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching respective power thresholds; and program instructions to, responsive to determining that any of the plurality of power distribution units are approaching the respective power thresholds, take one or more actions to manage power distribution to the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one or more actions are based on a set of rules comprising workload priorities and the one or more actions comprise configuring a plurality of power supply units of the plurality of computing devices, respectively, to draw unequal amounts of power from the plurality of the power distribution units, respectively and capping power consumption of computing devices processing workloads associated with development or testing while not capping workloads associated with production, wherein the capping is based on suspending processes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the unequal amounts of power are drawn by a plurality of power supply units in one or more of the plurality of computing devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more actions further comprise at least one of transferring at least a portion of power supply to at least one of the plurality of power distribution units from a first power source to a second power source and reassigning one or more workloads. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the set of rules is associated with at least one of device priorities, power consumption maximums and power consumption minimums. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein the transferring at least a portion of power supply from the first power source to the second power source is accomplished with a use of a transfer switch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, further comprising: program instructions to generate an alert for a manual management of power distribution, wherein the alert is at least one of a pop-up notification and at least one of an email and a text message sent to a designated recipient.