Dynamically adjusting power disturbance hold up times

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9348390-B2
Application number	US-201313886489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2013
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

Power line disturbance hold up times are dynamically adjusted prior to the commencement of the power disturbance failover based on battery capacity of batteries in racks of the storage system as the batteries either fail, are repaired, or are added to the storage system having at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing power disturbance failover in a storage system by a processor device in a computing environment, comprising:
dynamically adjusting power line disturbance hold up times prior to the commencement of the power disturbance failover based on battery capacity of a plurality of batteries in a plurality of racks of the storage system as the plurality of batteries are one of failing, being repaired, and being added to the storage system having at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS);
determining which one of the plurality of racks has a fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries having the battery capacity; and
determining an amount of the power line disturbance the one of the plurality of racks, having the fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity, is able to support.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including performing one of:
monitoring for the failure of one of the plurality of batteries,
repairing one of the plurality of batteries, and
adding at least one new battery to the plurality of batteries.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including setting the power line disturbance hold up time based on a number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity in a surviving one of the at least one UPS.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including selecting the power line disturbance hold up time having a shortest hold up time in one of the plurality of racks.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including writing a new power line disturbance hold up time into a power controller.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including performing one of:
performing a repair operation on one of a battery in the plurality of batteries and the UPS,
waiting for at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries to charge for a predetermined time period,
determining if the at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries charged,
determining if the plurality of racks is able to support an increased power line disturbance hold up time, and
updating the power line disturbance hold up time upon adding at least one new battery to the plurality of batteries.

7. A system for reducing power disturbance failover in a storage system of a computing environment, the system comprising:
the storage system;
a plurality of racks in the storage system;
a plurality of batteries in the plurality of racks;
at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS) in the storage system in association with the plurality of batteries and the plurality of racks;
a power controller in association with the at least one UPS; and
at least one processor device operable in the computing environment, wherein the at least one processor device:
dynamically adjusts power line disturbance hold up times prior to the commencement of the power disturbance failover based on battery capacity of the plurality of batteries in the plurality of racks of the storage system as the plurality of batteries are one of failing, being repaired, and being added to the storage system having at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS),
determines which one of the plurality of racks has a fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries having the battery capacity, and
determines an amount of the power line disturbance the one of the plurality of racks, having the fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity, is able to support.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor device performs one of:
monitoring for the failure of one of the plurality of batteries,
repairing one of the plurality of batteries, and
adding at least one new battery to the plurality of batteries.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor device sets the power line disturbance hold up time based on a number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity in a surviving one of the at least one UPS.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor device selects the power line disturbance hold up time having a shortest hold up time in one of the plurality of racks.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor device writes a new power line disturbance hold up time into the power controller.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor device performs one of:
performing a repair operation on one of a battery in the plurality of batteries and the UPS,
waiting for at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries to charge for a predetermined time period,
determining if the at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries charged,
determining if the plurality of racks is able to support an increased power line disturbance hold up time, and
updates the power line disturbance hold up time upon adding at least one new battery to the plurality of batteries.

13. A computer program product for reducing power disturbance failover in a storage system by a processor device in a computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
a first executable portion that dynamically adjusts power line disturbance hold up times prior to the commencement of the power disturbance failover based on battery capacity of a plurality of batteries in a plurality of racks of the storage system as the plurality of batteries are one of failing, being repaired, and being added to the storage system having at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS);
determines which one of the plurality of racks has a fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries having the battery capacity; and
determines an amount of the power line disturbance the one of the plurality of racks, having the fewest number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity, is able to support.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further including a second executable portion that performs one of:
monitoring for the failure of one of the plurality of batteries,
repairing one of the plurality of batteries, and
adding at least one new battery to the plurality of batteries.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , further including a second executable portion that performs one of:
setting the power line disturbance hold up time based on a number of remaining batteries of the plurality of batteries with the battery capacity in a surviving one of the at least one UPS, and
selecting the power line disturbance hold up time having a shortest hold up time in one of the plurality of racks.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , further including a second executable portion that writes a new power line disturbance hold up time into the power controller.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , further including a second executable portion that performs one of:
performing a repair operation on one of a battery in the plurality of batteries and the UPS,
waiting for at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries to charge for a predetermined time period,
determining if the at least one new battery of the plurality of batteries charged, and
determining if the plurality of racks is able to support an increased power line disturbance hold up time, and
updating the power line disturbance hold up time

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Du Mann
• Juan Ya-Huey
• Juarez Larry
• Kraemer Brian C
• Martens Ronald D
• Qin Su
• Sorenson Todd C
• Xu Ji Qiu

Classifications

• H02J9/061

  for DC powered loads · CPC title

• G06F2201/805

  Real-time · CPC title

• H02J9/00

  Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting · CPC title

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• G06F11/2015 Primary

  Redundant power supplies (power supply failure G06F1/30) · CPC title