Information handling system dynamic fan power management
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsPaul T. Artman, Shawn J. Dube
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Power resource allocation at a chassis that supports plural server information handling systems is enhanced with modifications to power consumption by plural cooling fans based upon available power resources. As available power decreases, at least some of the cooling fans operate at reduced speeds for a given thermal condition to consume less power. In one embodiment, a maximum allowed cooling fan speed is set with a delta value over the fan speed of one or more other cooling fans, such as a delta over the lowest commanded cooling fan speed of the chassis.
Claims20
An information handling system comprising:
- a chassis having plural slots, each slot operable to accept a server information handling system sled operable to process information;
- plural cooling fans disposed in the chassis and operable to provide cooling airflow to information handling system sleds coupled to the plural slots;
- a power subsystem disposed in the chassis and operable to power the plural cooling fans and server information handling system sleds coupled to the plural slots, the power subsystem providing power at plural power levels up to a maximum power level;
- and
- a fan controller interfaced with the plural cooling fans, the fan controller operable to command a fan speed for each of the plural cooling fans based upon one or more thermal measurements associated with each of the plural cooling fans and a fan speed configuration, the fan controller having a first fan speed configuration associated with a first power consumption level and a second fan speed configuration associated with a second power consumption level.
A method for managing operations of server information handling systems that share a chassis power resource, the method comprising:
- cooling the server information handling systems with cooling airflow provided by plural cooling fans according to a first fan speed configuration and detected thermal conditions;
- detecting a predetermined power resource condition;
- in response to detecting, cooling the server information handling systems according to a second fan speed configuration and detected thermal conditions.
An information handling system chassis cooling fan controller comprising:
- a processor operable to execute instructions to communicate fan speed commands to plural cooling fans;
- and
- memory interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions configured to:
- apply sensed thermal conditions of the information handling system chassis to command a fan speed for each of the plural cooling fans;
- determine a predetermined power consumption threshold at the information handling system chassis;
- in response to the predetermined power consumption threshold, command a reduction of the fan speed for the sensed thermal conditions for at least some of the plural cooling fans.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.