Determining and using correlative thermal efficiency impacts to distribute workloads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10203994-B2
Application number	US-201615153580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for determining and using correlative thermal efficiency impacts to distribute workloads includes a baseline module, a deviation module, and a transfer module. The baseline module determines a baseline system thermal efficiency of a plurality of servers based on a utilization level of the plurality of servers, the baseline system thermal efficiency including a baseline thermal efficiency of a first server of the plurality of servers. The deviation module determines a deviation in a thermal efficiency from the baseline thermal efficiency of the first server of the plurality of servers based on a new workload assigned to the first server of the plurality of servers. The transfer module transfers the new workload to a second server of the plurality of servers in response to the deviation being above a deviation threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising one or more of hardware circuits, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code, the apparatus comprising:
a baseline module that determines a baseline system thermal efficiency of a plurality of servers based on a utilization level of the plurality of servers, the baseline system thermal efficiency comprising a baseline thermal efficiency of each of the plurality of servers, the plurality of servers located in a same room;
a deviation module that determines a deviation in a thermal efficiency from the baseline thermal efficiency of a first server of the plurality of servers based on a new workload assigned to the first server of the plurality of servers; and
a transfer module that transfers the new workload to a second server of the plurality of servers in response to the deviation being above a deviation threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal efficiency of the first server comprises a comparison of a fan power of the first server with a utilization level of the first server.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baseline module determines a new system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers based on the utilization level of the plurality of servers and the new workload in response to the new workload being assigned to the first server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the deviation module determines a deviation of thermal efficiency for servers of the plurality of servers adjacent to the first server in response to the new workload being assigned to the first server; and
the baseline module determines a new system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers based on an effect of the new workload on the first server and the servers of the plurality of server adjacent to the first server.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the deviation module determines a deviation of thermal efficiency for each of the plurality of servers in response to the new workload being assigned to the first server; and
the baseline module determines a new system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers based on an effect of the new workload on each of the plurality of servers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the baseline system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers comprises a combination of a baseline thermal efficiency for each of the plurality of servers; and
the deviation threshold is a percentage deviation of the thermal efficiency of the first server from the baseline thermal efficiency for the first server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deviation module further determines a deviation of thermal efficiency of the second server of the plurality of servers in response to the new workload being transferred to the second server of the plurality of servers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the deviation module further determines a deviation of thermal efficiency of the second server of the plurality of servers in response to the new workload being transferred to the second server of the plurality of servers; and
the transfer module transfers the new workload to a third server of the plurality of servers in response to the deviation of thermal efficiency of the second server of the plurality of servers being above a deviation threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a correlation module that correlates the deviation in the thermal efficiency of the first server with a combination of utilization levels of the plurality of servers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pattern module that predicts a deviation of thermal efficiency for each server of the plurality of servers based on the new workload and the utilization level of the plurality of servers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising an assignment module that assigns the new workload to a server of the plurality of servers with a lowest predicted deviation of thermal efficiency.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the thermal efficiency comprises a comparison of a fan power of the first server with a utilization level of the first server; and
the fan power changes in response to thermal conditions of the first server.

13. A method comprising:
determining a baseline system thermal efficiency of a plurality of servers based on a utilization level of the plurality of servers, the baseline system thermal efficiency comprising a baseline thermal efficiency of each of the plurality of servers, the plurality of servers located in a same room;
determining a deviation in a thermal efficiency from the baseline thermal efficiency of a first server of the plurality of servers based on a new workload assigned to the first server of the plurality of servers; and
transferring the new workload to a second server of the plurality of servers in response to the deviation being above a deviation threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the thermal efficiency of the first server comprises a comparison of a fan power of the first server with a utilization level of the first server.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining a new system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers based on the utilization level of the plurality of servers and the new workload in response to the new workload being assigned to the first server.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the baseline system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers comprises a combination of a baseline thermal efficiency for each server of the plurality of servers; and
the deviation threshold is a percentage deviation of the thermal efficiency of the first server from the baseline thermal efficiency for the first server.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining a deviation of thermal efficiency for servers of the plurality of servers adjacent to the first server in response to the new workload being assigned to the first server; and
determining a new system thermal efficiency of the plurality of servers based on an effect of the new workload on the first server and the servers of the plurality of server adjacent to the first server.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining a deviation of thermal efficiency of the second server of the plurality of servers in response to the transferring the new workload to the second server of the plurality of servers.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
predicting a deviation of thermal efficiency for each server of the plurality of servers based on the new workload; and
assigning the new workload to a server of the plurality of servers with a lowest predicted deviation of thermal efficiency.

20. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:
determining a baseline system thermal efficiency of a plurality of servers based on a utilization level of the plurality of servers, the baseline system thermal efficiency comprising a baseline thermal efficiency of each of the plurality of servers, the plurality of servers located in a same room;
determining a deviation in a thermal efficiency from the baseline thermal efficiency of the first server of the plurality of servers based on a new workload assigned to the first server of the plurality of servers; and
transferring the new workload to a second server of the plurality of servers in response to the deviation being above a deviation threshold.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Cudak Gary D
• Alshinnawi Shareef F
• Herman Joseph F
• Matteson Jason A
• Weber John M

Classifications

• G06F9/5094 Primary

  where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria (power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206) · CPC title

• G06F9/5088 Primary

  involving task migration · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title