Responding to data backup operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10725508-B2
Application number	US-201615170617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

Various examples described herein provide for causing operation of a cooling system of a computing device to be adjusted (e.g., reduced or disabled) during at least a portion of a backup operation, where data is copied from volatile memory of the computing device to non-volatile memory of the computing device. Some examples can be implemented with respect to a type 10 (T10) non-volatile dynamic inline memory module (NVDIMM) configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system, comprising:
an interface to couple the control system to a fan system of a computing device, the computing device including a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and a fan system;
a backup detector to detect, in response to a reset of the computing device, whether or not firmware of the computing device is in a boot mode in which the firmware causes the computing device to perform a backup operation, wherein, in the boot mode, the firmware causing data from the volatile memory to be copied to the non-volatile memory while the volatile memory, the non-volatile memory, and the fan system are being powered by a backup power source; and
a fan controller to respond to the backup detector detecting the firmware of the computing device being in the boot mode and a temperature monitor determining that a temperature exceeds a temperature threshold by causing, via the interface, at least one fan of the fan system to be enabled or to operate at an alternative fan speed higher than a low fan speed during at least a portion of an execution of the backup operation.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature comprises a temperature of a component of the computing device, and the temperature threshold is associated with the component.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the firmware comprises a basic input/output (BIOS).

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the reset comprises a warm reset.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device further comprises a non-volatile dynamic inline memory module (NVDIMM), and the NVDIMM comprises the volatile memory.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the NVDIMM further comprises the non-volatile memory.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device internally includes the backup power source.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the computing device comprises a first processor to execute the firmware; and
the backup detector comprises a management processor other than the first processor.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the management processor comprises a baseboard management controller.

10. A method, comprising:
a management processor of a computing device detecting, in response to a reset of the computing device, whether or not firmware of the computing device is in a boot mode in which the firmware causes the computing device to perform a backup operation, wherein, in the boot mode, the firmware causing data from volatile memory of the computing device to be copied to a non-volatile memory of the computing device while the volatile memory, the non-volatile memory, and a fan system of the computing device are being powered by a backup power source;
the management processor monitoring whether a temperature of a component of the computing device exceeds a temperature threshold associated with the component; and
in response to detecting the firmware of the computing device being in the boot mode and the management processor determining that the temperature exceeds the temperature threshold, the management processor causing at least one fan of the fan system to be enabled or to operate at an alternative fan speed higher than a low fan speed during at least a portion of an execution of the backup operation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising detecting that the volatile memory, the non-volatile memory, and the fan system are being powered by the backup power source.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the firmware comprises a basic input/output (BIOS).

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reset comprises a warm reset.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein a non-volatile dynamic inline memory module (NVDIMM) comprises the volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the NVDIMM further comprises the non-volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device internally includes the backup power source.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Brown Andrew
• Raymond Patrick

Classifications

• Y02D30/50

  in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

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

• G06F11/1456

  Hardware arrangements for backup · CPC title

• G06F11/1441

  Resetting or repowering · CPC title

• G06F1/3234

  Power saving characterised by the action undertaken · CPC title