Intelligent energy-optimization technique for computer datacenters

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for controlling cooling for one or more computer systems in a data center, the method comprising:

• monitoring a temperature of one or more components in the computer system during operation of the computer system;
• determining a thermal-headroom margin for each of the one or more components in the computer system by subtracting the temperature of the component from a pre-specified maximum operating temperature of the component;
• and
• controlling an external HVAC cooling system for the data center that regulates an ambient air temperature for the computer system based on the determined thermal-headroom margins for the one or more components, wherein controlling the cooling system additionally comprises minimizing a collective energy consumption of the computer system and the cooling system by controlling a fan speed of the cooling system to balance a power consumption of the cooling system, which grows nonlinearly with increasing fan speeds, against a power drain from leakage currents in semiconductor chips in the computer system, which grows nonlinearly as decreasing fan speeds cause temperatures of the semiconductor chips to increase, wherein balancing the power consumption additionally comprises balancing a power drain due to ambient vibrations in the computer system, wherein increasing fan speeds cause the ambient vibrations to increase.

A system that controls cooling for one or more computer systems in a data center, comprising:

• a controller that,
• monitors a temperature of one or more components in the computer system during operation of the computer system;
• determines a thermal-headroom margin for each of the one or more components in the computer system by subtracting the temperature of the component from a pre-specified maximum operating temperature of the component;
• and
• controls an external HVAC cooling system for the data center that regulates an ambient air temperature for the computer system based on the determined thermal-headroom margins for the one or more components, wherein controlling the cooling system additionally comprises minimizing a collective energy consumption of the computer system and the cooling system by controlling a fan speed of the cooling system to balance a power consumption of the cooling system, which grows nonlinearly with increasing fan speeds, against a power drain from leakage currents in semiconductor chips in the computer system, which grows nonlinearly as decreasing fan speeds cause temperatures of the semiconductor chips to increase, wherein balancing the power consumption additionally comprises balancing a power drain due to ambient vibrations in the computer system, wherein increasing fan speeds cause the ambient vibrations to increase.