Fan box, server system, and method for adjusting rotation speed of fan box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12396142-B2
Application number	US-202318332381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2023
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

This application discloses a fan box, a server system, and a method for adjusting a rotation speed of a fan box, and belongs to the field of server heat dissipation technologies. The fan box provided in embodiments of this application has a plurality of communication interfaces, and each communication interface can be electrically connected to one server board. Therefore, the fan box provided in embodiments of this application can be electrically connected to a plurality of server boards. In addition, a controller in the fan box can adjust a rotation speed of a fan based on a plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions. Therefore, the fan box provided in embodiments of this application can be controlled by a plurality of master control nodes, and is applicable to a multi-node server system with a central management unit-free architecture, and any server system that requires multi-node master control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan box, wherein the fan box comprises a fan box control board and at least one fan;
the fan box control board comprises a controller and a plurality of communication interfaces, the controller is electrically connected to the plurality of communication interfaces, and the controller is electrically connected to the at least one fan; and
the controller is configured to receive a plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions through the plurality of communication interfaces, determine a target rotation speed based on rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions, and adjust a rotation speed of the at least one fan to the target rotation speed, wherein one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces receives one fan box speed adjustment instruction and adjust the rotation speed of the at least one fan based on a temperature value of the fan box when it is detected that external communication of the plurality of communication interfaces is interrupted.

2. The fan box according to claim 1 , wherein when determining the target rotation speed based on the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions, the controller is configured to:
determine a largest rotation speed in the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions as the target rotation speed.

3. The fan box according to claim 1 , wherein when determining the target rotation speed based on the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions, the controller is configured to perform one of:
determine the target rotation speed based on a rotation speed greater than a target rotation speed threshold in the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions; or
determine the target rotation speed threshold as the target rotation speed when the speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions are all less than the target rotation speed threshold.

4. The fan box according to claim 1 , wherein the fan box control board further comprises a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the controller;
the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature value of the fan box; and
before adjusting the rotation speed of the at least one fan based on the temperature value of the fan box, the controller is further configured to:
obtain the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor.

5. The fan box according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive an upgrade instruction sent by a first server board, wherein the upgrade instruction indicates the fan box to perform an upgrade operation; and
send a status indication message to a second server board, wherein the status indication message indicates that the fan box is performing the upgrade operation, and both the first server board and the second server board are electrically connected to the fan box.

6. A server system, wherein the server system comprises at least one fan box and a plurality of server boards;
the fan box is electrically connected to the plurality of server boards;
each server board is configured to send a fan box speed adjustment instruction to the fan box based on a detected board temperature value; and
the fan box is configured to adjust a rotation speed of the fan box based on the plurality of received fan box speed adjustment instructions and adjust the rotation speed of at least one fan based on a temperature value of the fan box when it is detected that external communication of a plurality of communication interfaces is interrupted.

7. The server system according to claim 6 , wherein the server system is a blade server, and the at least one fan box is fixedly connected to a shelf of the blade server.

8. A method for adjusting a rotation speed of a fan box, wherein the fan box comprises a plurality of communication interfaces, and the method comprises:
receiving a plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions through the plurality of communication interfaces, wherein one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces receives one fan box speed adjustment instruction;
determining a target rotation speed based on rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions;
adjusting a rotation speed of the fan box to the target rotation speed; and
receiving an upgrade instruction sent by a first server board, wherein the upgrade instruction indicates the fan box to perform an upgrade operation; and
sending a status indication message to a second server board, wherein the status indication message indicates that the fan box is performing the upgrade operation, and both the first server board and the second server board are electrically connected to the fan box.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining a target rotation speed based on rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions comprises:
determining a largest rotation speed in the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions as the target rotation speed.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining a target rotation speed based on rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions comprises one of:
determining the target rotation speed based on a rotation speed greater than a target rotation speed threshold in the rotation speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions; or
determining the target rotation speed threshold as the target rotation speed when the speeds indicated by the plurality of fan box speed adjustment instructions are all less than the target rotation speed threshold.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wei Dongdong
• Niu Yuanjun
• Li An

Classifications

• H05K7/20718

  Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant (in closed loop H05K7/20754) · CPC title

• F04D27/004

  by varying driving speed · CPC title

• H05K7/20727

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• H05K7/20836 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• G06F1/183

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title