US 2011/0035611 A1 · COORDINATING IN-BAND AND OUT-OF-BAND POWER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method of managing power in a computer system. A device of the computer system is operated at a selected power-state. The power consumption of the computer system is monitored. If the power consumption of the computer system is approaching or has exceeded a power cap selected for the computer system, then a request to reduce the power-state for the device is generated in response. The operating system is used to service the request to reduce the power-state according to the priority of the request. The reduced power state is forced out-of-band following the request to reduce the power-state if the request is not immediately serviceable by the operating system. Different approaches can be taken to force the reduced power state, using, for example, system management mode or a platform environment control interface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of managing power in a computer system, comprising:

operating a device of the computer system at a selected power-state;
monitoring the power consumption of the computer system;
generating a request to reduce the power-state for the device in response to identifying that the power consumption of the computer system is approaching or has exceeded a power cap selected for the computer system;
servicing the request to reduce the power-state in-band according to the priority of the request;
and
forcing the reduced power state out-of-band following the generation of the request if the request is not immediately serviceable in-band.

3 more elements

A computer program product including computer usable program code embodied on a computer usable storage medium for managing power in a computer system, the computer program product including:

computer usable program code for selecting a power state at which to operate a device of the computer system;
computer usable program code for monitoring the power consumption of the computer system;
computer usable program code for generating a request to reduce the power-state for the device in response to identifying that the power consumption of the computer system is approaching or has exceeded a power cap selected for the computer system;
computer usable program code included with an operating system for servicing the request to reduce the power-state in-band according to the priority of the request;
and
computer usable program code not included with the operating system for forcing the reduced power state out-of-band following the generation of the request if the request is not immediately serviceable in-band.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coordinating in-band and out-of-band power management

Life of this patent

Coordinating in-band and out-of-band power management

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20