Optimizing Power Consumption by Tracking How Program Runtime Performance Metrics Respond to Changes in Operating Frequency

A system for optimizing power consumption of an executing processor, comprising:

• a service processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to said service processor;
• and
• a dynamic power consumption optimizing utility stored within said memory and executable on said service processor for:
• determining a first sensitivity relationship based on a first performance metric value corresponding to a first operating frequency of the processor and a second performance metric value corresponding to a second operating frequency of the processor, wherein said first sensitivity relationship predicts workload performance of the processor over a range of operating frequencies;
• determining a third operating frequency of the processor based on said first sensitivity relationship, wherein said third operating frequency corresponds to a workload performance floor;
• determining a third performance metric value derived from an execution of said processor operating at said third operating frequency;
• determining a second sensitivity relationship based on said third performance metric value corresponding to said third operating frequency and said second performance metric value corresponding to said second operating frequency;
• logically combining said first sensitivity relationship and said second sensitivity relationship to generate a third sensitivity relationship;
• and
• outputting a fourth operating frequency of the processor based on said third sensitivity relationship.

A computer program product for optimizing power consumption of an executing processor, said computer program product comprising:

• a service processor-usable memory having program code embodied therein, said program code comprising:
• program code configured for determining a first sensitivity relationship based on a first performance metric value corresponding to a first operating frequency of the processor and a second performance metric value corresponding to a second operating frequency of the processor, wherein said first sensitivity relationship predicts workload performance of the processor over a range of operating frequencies;
• program code configured for determining a third operating frequency of the processor based on said first sensitivity relationship, wherein said third operating frequency corresponds to a workload performance floor;
• program code configured for determining a third performance metric value derived from an execution of said processor operating at said third operating frequency;
• program code configured for determining a second sensitivity relationship based on said third performance metric value corresponding to said third operating frequency and said second performance metric value corresponding to said second operating frequency;
• program code configured for logically combining said first sensitivity relationship and said second sensitivity relationship to generate a third sensitivity relationship;
• and
• program code configured for outputting a fourth operating frequency of the processor based on said third sensitivity relationship.