US 7,461,274 B2Granted

Method for maximizing server utilization in a resource constrained environment

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorAaron E. Merkin

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Abstract

A mechanism for controlling the hardware resources on a blade server, and thereby limiting the power consumption of the blade server is disclosed. The enforceable hardware resources that are controlled include the base frequency of the central processing unit (CPU) as well as power to individual banks of physical memory, for example dual-inline memory modules (DIMMs). The hardware resources are tuned in dependence on actual server utilization such that applications running on the blade only have the allocated hardware resources available to them. Deactivated hardware resources are powered off and are so ‘hidden’ from the operating system when they are not required. In this manner, power consumption in the entire chassis can be managed such that all server blades can be powered on and operate at higher steady-state utilization. The utilization of the powered on resources in a blade center is also improved.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method for allocating electrical power to a plurality of blade servers installed in a blade center chassis, further including a management module in said blade center chassis, said method comprising the steps of:

reading a total power capacity of said blade center chassis by querying all power supplies installed in said blade center chassis;
calculating a maximum power load dissipated by said plurality of blade servers by querying a power consumption value of each of said plurality of blade servers;
allocating an individual amount of power to each of said plurality of blade servers, wherein a total amount of individual power allocated remains less than said total power capacity of said blade center chassis;
booting an operating system on each of said plurality of blade servers;
monitoring utilization of power-consuming resources on each of said plurality of blade servers during operation of said operating system;
determining when said utilization of said power-consuming resources on each of said plurality of blade servers requires a change in said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers;
and
as a function of said determining step, brokering said total power capacity in said blade center chassis by changing said individual amount of power allocated to each of said plurality of blade servers.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/209,870Filed 23 Aug 2005
Published: US 2007/0050644 A11 Mar 2007
Granted: 2 Dec 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 1/206
Cooling means: comprising thermal management
G06F 1/263
Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof: arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC
G06F 1/28
Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof: supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
H05K 7/20836
For server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks: thermal management, e.g. server temperature control