Data center energy management system

#This invention relates generally to data centers. More particularly, the invention pertains to energy management of data centers.

#Computers typically include electronic packages that generate considerable amounts of heat. Typically, these electronic packages include one or more components such as CPUs (central processing units) as represented by MPUs (microprocessor units) and MCMs (multi-chip modules), and system boards having printed circuit boards (PCBs) in general. Excessive heat tends to adversely affect the performance and operating life of these packages. In recent years, the electronic packages have become more dense and, hence, generate more heat during operation. When a plurality of computers are stored in the same location, as in a data center, there is an even greater potential for the adverse effects of overheating.

#A data center may be defined as a location, e.g., room, that houses numerous electronic packages, each package arranged in one of a plurality of racks. A standard rack may be defined as an Electronics Industry Association (EIA) enclosure, 78 in. (2 meters) wide, 24 in. (0.61 meter) wide and 30 in. (0.76 meter) deep. Standard racks may be configured to house a number of computer systems, e.g., about forty (40) to eighty (80). Each computer system having a system board, power supply, and mass storage. The system boards typically include PCBs having a number of components, e.g., processors, micro-controllers, high-speed video cards, memories, semi-conductor devices, and the like, that dissipate relatively significant amounts of heat during the operation of the respective components. For example, a typical computer system comprising a system board, multiple microprocessors, power supply, and mass storage may dissipate approximately 250 W of power. Thus, a rack containing forty (40) computer systems of this type may dissipate approximately 10 KW of power.

#The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures in which like numeral references refer to like elements, and wherein:

#FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary schematic illustration of a data center system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 1B is an illustration of an exemplary cooling system to be used in a data center room in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

#According to an embodiment of the present invention, an energy management system is configured to distribute the workload and to manipulate the cooling in one or more data centers, according to desired energy requirements. This may involve the transference of workload from one server to another or from one heat-generating component to another. The system is also configured to adjust the flow of cooling fluid within the data center. Thus, instead of applying cooling fluid throughout the entire data center, the cooling fluid may solely be applied to the locations of working servers or heat generating components.

#FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified schematic illustration of a data center energy management system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the energy management system 100 includes a data center room 101 with a plurality of computer racks 110a-110p and a plurality of cooling vents 120a-120p associated with the computer racks. Although FIG. 1A illustrates sixteen computer racks 110a-110p and associated cooling vents 120a-120p, the data center room 101 may contain any number of computer racks and cooling vents, e.g., fifty computer racks and fifty cooling vents 120a-120p. The number of cooling vents 120a-120p may be more or less than the number of computer racks 110a-110p. The data center energy management system 100 also includes a system controller 130. The system controller 130 controls the overall energy management functions.

#Each of the plurality of computer racks 110a-110p generally houses an electronic package 112a-112p. Each electronic package 112a-112p may be a component or a combination of components. These components may include processors, micro-controllers, high-speed video cards, memories, semi-conductor devices, or subsystems such as computers, servers and the like. The electronic packages 112a-112p may be implemented to perform various processing and electronic functions, e.g., storing, computing, switching, routing, displaying, and like functions. In the performance of these processing and electronic functions, the electronic packages 112a-112p generally dissipate relatively large amounts of heat. Because the computer racks 110a-110p have been generally known to include upwards of forty (40) or more subsystems, they may require substantially large amounts of cooling to maintain the subsystems and the components generally within a predetermined operating temperature range.