Systems and methods of adaptive thermal control for information handling systems

An information handling system, comprising:

• a chassis enclosure;
• at least one heat-generating component to be cooled that is contained within the chassis enclosure that consumes electrical power for operation, the heat-generating component including memory storing at least one component thermal control parameter that includes at least one of a component thermal throttling temperature threshold value or a component fan control target setpoint temperature value;
• at least one temperature sensor configured to sense and report an operating temperature of the heat generating component;
• one or more variable speed cooling fans configured to provide different flow rates of cooling air within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating component;
• system persistent storage separate from the heat-generating component to be cooled, the persistent storage including system thermal control parameter information stored thereon, the system thermal control parameter information defining a permissible range of values for the at least one component thermal control parameter;
• and
• at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component that is coupled to receive values of real time sensed component temperature from the temperature sensor, and to provide control signals to control a fan speed of each of the cooling fans to cool the heat-generating component and/or to control power consumption of the heat-generating component;
• where the processing device is coupled to retrieve the at least one component thermal control parameter stored in the memory of the heat-generating component, and is further coupled to retrieve the system thermal control parameter information including the permissible range of values for the at least one component thermal control parameter from the system persistent storage;
• where the processing device is configured to compare the retrieved component thermal control parameter to the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to determine if the retrieved component thermal control parameter has a value within the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter, and to use the retrieved component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be within the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter;
• and at least one of:
• use the maximum value of the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be greater than the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter, or
• use the minimum value of the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be less than the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter.

An adaptive method for controlling cooling fan response in an information handling system, comprising:

• operating at least one heat-generating component that consumes electrical power within an information handling system chassis enclosure, the heat-generating component including memory storing at least one component thermal control parameter that includes at least one of a component thermal throttling temperature threshold value or a component fan control target setpoint temperature value;
• using one or more variable speed cooling fans to provide different flow rates of cooling air within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating component;
• using at least one temperature sensor to sense an operating temperature of the heat generating component in real time;
• using at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component to:
• retrieve the component thermal control parameter value stored in the memory of the heat-generating component, and
• receive values of real time sensed component operating temperature from the temperature sensor;
• using at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component to compare the retrieved component thermal control parameter to a defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to determine if the retrieved component thermal control parameter has a value within the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter, and to:
• use the retrieved component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be within the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter, or
• use the maximum value of the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be greater than the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter, or
• use the minimum value of the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices and/or control power consumption of the heat-generation component if the retrieved component thermal control parameter is determined to be less than the defined permissible range of values for the component thermal control parameter.

An information handling system, comprising:

• a chassis enclosure;
• at least one heat-generating component to be cooled that is contained within the chassis enclosure that consumes electrical power for operation, the heat-generating component including memory storing a component thermal throttling temperature threshold value and a component thermal profile that is specified as a relationship between component operating temperature and component operating power that is limited at an upper value by the component thermal throttling temperature threshold value;
• at least one temperature sensor configured to sense and report an operating temperature of the heat generating component;
• one or more variable speed cooling fans configured to provide different flow rates of cooling air within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating component;
• system persistent storage separate from the heat-generating component to be cooled, the persistent storage including system thermal control parameter information stored thereon, the system thermal control parameter information including a system maximum component thermal profile value;
• and
• at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component that is coupled to receive values of real time sensed component temperature from the temperature sensor, to receive values of real time component power consumption from the heat-generating component, and to provide control signals to control a fan speed of each of the cooling fans to cool the heat-generating component;
• where the processing device is coupled to retrieve the component thermal throttling temperature threshold value and the fan control target setpoint temperature profile stored in the memory of the heat-generating component, and is further coupled to retrieve the system maximum component thermal profile value from the system persistent storage;
• where the processing device is configured to:
• use the component thermal profile to determine a profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value as a function of received real time current component power consumption and use the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value as a selected component fan control target setpoint temperature value to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices if the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value is less than or equal to the system maximum component thermal profile value, and
• use the system maximum component thermal profile value as a selected component fan control target setpoint temperature value to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices if the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value is greater than the system maximum component thermal profile value.

An adaptive method for controlling cooling fan response in an information handling system, comprising:

• operating at least one heat-generating component that consumes electrical power within an information handling system chassis enclosure, the heat-generating component including memory storing at least one component thermal control parameter that includes a component thermal throttling temperature threshold value and a component thermal profile that is specified as a relationship between component operating temperature and component operating power that is limited at an upper value by the component thermal throttling temperature threshold value;
• using one or more variable speed cooling fans to provide different flow rates of cooling air within the chassis enclosure to cool the heat generating component;
• using at least one temperature sensor to sense an operating temperature of the heat generating component in real time;
• using at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component to:
• retrieve the component thermal throttling temperature threshold value and the component thermal profile stored in the memory of the heat-generating component, and
• receive values of real time sensed component temperature from the temperature sensor, and to receive values of real time component power consumption from the heat-generating component;
• and
• using at least one processing device separate from the heat generating component to:
• use the component thermal profile to determine a profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value as a function of received real time current component power consumption, and use the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value as a selected component fan control target setpoint temperature value to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices if the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value is less than or equal to a system maximum component thermal profile value that itself is set less than the component thermal throttling temperature threshold value, and
• use the system maximum component thermal profile value as a selected component fan control target setpoint temperature value to control cooling fan speed of one or more of the cooling devices if the determined profile-based component fan control target setpoint temperature value is greater than the system maximum component thermal profile value.