Control system and control method

Abstract

To provide a control system for minimizing overall power consumption of a data center including a cooling system for servers.SOLUTION: In a facility, a plurality of server groups, each consisting of a plurality of servers arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction. The facility includes a cooling system for cooling the servers, and a control device for controlling the servers and the cooling system. The control device includes a first allocating unit which, on the basis of schedule information of jobs for performing arithmetic processing on the servers and server information including the arrangement of the servers, allocates the jobs in a concentrated manner in order from the server group having the shortest flow path distance. Opening degrees of on-off valves provided in secondary side piping of the cooling system are changed in accordance with the processing loads of the servers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In data centers and the like where multiple servers are installed, there is a need to reduce the power consumption of the servers and the power consumption of the server cooling equipment. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for allocating workloads in order, giving priority to information processing devices with high power efficiency, so that the workload processing volume falls within the threshold range of each information processing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4768082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When performing computational processing using multiple servers in a data center, etc., it is common to have some predefined servers perform the computational processing. However, simply allocating computational processing to predefined servers or servers with high power efficiency can make it difficult to minimize the power consumption of the entire data center, including the power required to cool the servers.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a control system and a control method that can minimize the power consumption of the entire data center, including the cooling systems of the servers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control system is provided in a facility in which a plurality of server groups, each consisting of a plurality of servers arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the control system including a cooling system for cooling the servers and a control device for controlling the servers and the cooling system, the cooling system including a cooling device for cooling a first-side refrigerant, a first-side piping provided with a first-side pump for delivering the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the servers, and a control device for delivering the second-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger. The control device has a secondary side piping equipped with a pump, the secondary side piping having a flow path for each server group consisting of a main pipe, a plurality of first branch pipes branching from the main pipe at branch positions corresponding to each of the server groups, and a plurality of second branch pipes branching from the first branch pipe to each of the servers, and an on-off valve provided in each of the plurality of second branch pipes of the secondary side piping, and the control device has a first allocation unit that allocates the jobs in a concentrated manner to server groups in order of the shortest distance of the flow path based on schedule information of jobs to be processed by the servers and server information including the placement of the servers, and the opening degree of the on-off valve is changed according to the processing load of the servers.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method is a control method for controlling a cooling system that cools servers in a facility in which server groups each consisting of a plurality of servers arranged in a first horizontal direction are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, and the servers, wherein the cooling system includes a cooling device that cools a first-side refrigerant, a first-side pipe provided with a first-side pump that delivers the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the servers, and a second-side pump that delivers the second-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger. the secondary-side piping having a flow path for each server group, the flow path being composed of a main pipe, a plurality of first branch pipes branching from the main pipe at branch positions corresponding to each of the server groups, and a plurality of second branch pipes branching from the first branch pipe to each of the servers; and an on-off valve provided in each of the plurality of second branch pipes of the secondary-side piping, and the control method comprises the steps of: concentrating and allocating the jobs in order from the server group with the shortest distance of the flow path based on schedule information of jobs that perform calculation processing on the servers and server information including the placement of the servers; and changing the opening degree of the on-off valve according to the processing load of the servers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect, it is possible to minimize the power consumption of the entire data center including the cooling system of the servers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a secondary piping according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of server information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a distribution of processing loads according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between a secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and secondary-side pump power according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the flow rate of the secondary-side refrigerant and the power of the cooling device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the total power according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a distribution of processing loads according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first predicted value and a second predicted value according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a distribution of processing loads according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a second diagram illustrating an example of distribution of processing loads according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0011] (Overall composition) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a control system according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

[0012] The cooling system 10 includes a cooling device 11, a primary pump 13, a heat exchanger 14, a primary piping 15, a secondary pump 16, and a secondary piping 17. The cooling system 10 is a system that cools a server 18 installed in, for example, a data center. The server 18 has a processor (heat generating element 19) such as a CPU or GPU. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the heat generating element 19 is a CPU.

[0013] The cooling device 11 is, for example, a free-cooling cooling tower, an air-cooled heat pump chiller, etc. The cooling device 11 cools a primary refrigerant (for example, water) flowing through a primary piping 15. The cooling device 11 is equipped with a fan 12.

[0014] The primary pump 13 is provided in the primary piping 15, and sucks in the primary refrigerant cooled by the cooling device 11 and sends it to the heat exchanger 14. The primary piping 15 is a piping through which the primary refrigerant flows, and is provided so that the primary refrigerant can circulate between the cooling device 11 and the heat exchanger 14.

[0015] The secondary piping 17 is a piping through which the secondary refrigerant flows, and is provided so that the secondary refrigerant can circulate between the heat exchanger 14 and the server 18.

[0016] The heat exchanger 14 exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant and the second-side refrigerant. In the heat exchanger 14, the second-side refrigerant is cooled by the first-side refrigerant.

[0017] The secondary-side refrigerant cools the CPU 19 by removing heat from the CPU 19, and is cooled by the primary-side refrigerant in the heat exchanger .

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of secondary piping according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, secondary piping 17 circulates secondary refrigerant through each of multiple servers 18 installed in a facility R, such as a data center, to cool each server 18. In the facility R, multiple server groups G, each consisting of multiple servers 18 arranged in a first horizontal direction (the left-right direction on the paper), are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction (the up-down direction on the paper) perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. FIG. 2 shows an example in which four server groups G, groups A to D, are installed, but the number of server groups may be more or less than this. Also, FIG. 2 shows an example in which each server group G has 15 servers 18, but the number of servers may be more or less than this.

[0019] The secondary piping 17 includes a main pipe 171 , a first branch pipe 172 , and a second branch pipe 173 .

[0020] The header pipe 171 is made up of a low-temperature side header pipe 171a and a high-temperature side header pipe 171b extending in the first horizontal direction. The low-temperature side header pipe 171a is a flow path through which the secondary refrigerant (cold water) cooled by the heat exchanger 14 is supplied, and the high-temperature side header pipe 171b is a flow path through which the secondary refrigerant (hot water) heated by the heat taken from the server 18 (CPU 19) is discharged.

[0021] The first branch pipe 172 branches off in a second horizontal direction from the header pipe 171 at branch positions P1 to P4 corresponding to each server group G (groups A to D) of the low-temperature side header pipe 171a. The first branch pipe 172 also merges with the header pipe 171 at merge positions P5 to P8 corresponding to each server group G (groups A to D) of the high-temperature side header pipe 171b. The first branch pipe 172 is made up of a first low-temperature side branch pipe 172a and a first high-temperature side branch pipe 172b. The first low-temperature side branch pipe 172a is a flow path to which the secondary-side refrigerant (chilled water) cooled by the heat exchanger 14 is supplied, and the first high-temperature side branch pipe 172b is a flow path to which the secondary-side refrigerant (hot water) warmed by heat removed from the server 18 (CPU 19) is discharged.

[0022] The second branch pipe 173 branches off from the first low-temperature branch pipe 172a, passes through the server 18, and then merges with the first high-temperature branch pipe 172b. The second branch pipe 173 is made up of a second low-temperature branch pipe 173a and a second high-temperature branch pipe 173b. The second low-temperature branch pipe 173a is a flow path to which the secondary refrigerant (chilled water) cooled in the heat exchanger 14 is supplied, and the second high-temperature branch pipe 173b is a flow path to which the secondary refrigerant (hot water) warmed by heat taken from the server 18 (CPU 19) is discharged. The second low-temperature branch pipe 173a and the second high-temperature branch pipe 173b are provided with on-off valves 174 and 175, respectively.

[0023] The on-off valves 174 and 175 adjust the flow rate of the secondary-side refrigerant to the server 18 by changing their opening degrees in accordance with the processing load of the server 18. In this embodiment, the on-off valves 174 and 175 are automatic valves that automatically change their opening degrees in accordance with the temperature difference between the secondary-side refrigerant on the inlet side (low-temperature side second branch pipe 173a) of the server 18 and the secondary-side refrigerant on the outlet side (high-temperature side second branch pipe 173b) of the server 18. When the temperature difference is within a predetermined range (close to 0), that is, when the processing load of the server 18 (CPU 19) is low and no heat is generated, the on-off valves 174 and 175 are closed, and the supply of the secondary-side refrigerant to the server 18 is stopped. On the other hand, the on-off valves 174 and 175 increase their opening degrees as the temperature difference increases, thereby increasing the amount of secondary-side refrigerant supplied to the server 18. This makes it possible to prevent the server 18 from being supplied with an excessive or insufficient amount of secondary-side refrigerant.

[0024] The control device 20 adjusts the temperature of the primary refrigerant at the inlet side of the heat exchanger 14 by controlling the operation of the cooling device 11, adjusts the flow rate of the primary refrigerant flowing through the primary piping 15 by controlling the rotation speed of the primary pump 13, and adjusts the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant flowing through the secondary piping 17 by controlling the rotation speed of the secondary pump 16, thereby controlling the temperature of the CPU 19 to a desired range (below a predetermined allowable temperature). The control device 20 also allocates jobs to each server 18.

[0025] (Functional configuration of the control device) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the control device 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, a communication interface 24, a display unit 25, and an operation unit 26.

[0026] The processor 21 operates in accordance with a predetermined program to function as an acquisition unit 211, a first allocation unit 212, a heat generation amount estimation unit 213, a power calculation unit 214, and a control unit 215.

[0027] The acquisition unit 211 acquires schedule information for jobs that perform arithmetic processing on the servers 18 and server information for the servers 18. The job schedule information includes information on jobs to be executed in a predetermined period, etc. The server information includes information on the location of each server 18, etc.

[0028] The first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs in a concentrated manner, starting from the server group G having the shortest path distance, based on the schedule information and server information of the jobs.

[0029] The heat generation amount estimation unit 213 estimates the heat generation amount of each server 18 (CPU 19) based on the processing load of each server 18 and information (table, function, etc.) that defines the relationship between the processing load of the CPU 19 and the heat generation amount.

[0030] Based on the estimated heat generation amount of CPU 19 and the allowable temperature of CPU 19, the power calculation unit 214 determines the operating parameters of the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16, such as the rotation speed of the fan 12 (if the cooling device 11 is free cooling), the rotation speed of the compressor (not shown) (if the cooling device 11 is a heat pump chiller), and the rotation speeds of the primary pump 13 and the secondary pump 16.

[0031] The control unit 215 controls the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 based on the operation parameters determined by the power calculation unit 214.

[0032] The predetermined program executed by the processor 21 is stored in a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include magnetic disks, optical magnetic disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories. The computer program may be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer that receives the program may execute the program. The program may also be a program for implementing some of the above-described functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the on-off valves 174, 175 are automatic valves, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the on-off valves 174, 175 may be controlled by the control unit 215. For example, the control unit 215 adjusts the opening degree of each on-off valve 174, 175 in response to an operation by a data center administrator (user). Furthermore, the control unit 215 may automatically adjust the opening degree of each on-off valve 174, 175 in accordance with the heat generation amount of the server (CPU 19) estimated by the heat generation amount estimation unit 213.

[0034] The memory 22 has a memory area necessary for the operation of the processor 21 .

[0035] The storage 23 is a so-called auxiliary storage device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage 23 stores data that each part of the processor 21 acquires, generates, and refers to during processing.

[0036] The communication interface 24 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data, control signals, measurement values, etc. between each device and each sensor of the cooling system 10.

[0037] The display unit 25 has a display screen such as a liquid crystal display, and displays text, images, etc. represented by given data on the display screen.

[0038] The operation unit 26 includes input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, receives operations from the administrator (user) of the data center, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the received operation.

[0039] (Processing flow) 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the control device according to the first embodiment. The flow of processing by the control device according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

[0040] First, the acquisition unit 211 acquires job schedule information and server information (step S101). For example, information about jobs submitted by clients (job names, start times, end times, etc.) is recorded in the storage 23. The acquisition unit 211 acquires schedule information including information about jobs to be executed within a predetermined period from the job information recorded in the storage 23. The predetermined period is, for example, a future period of 30 minutes starting 5 minutes from the current time, and may be arbitrarily set by the administrator (user) of the data center.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of server information according to the first embodiment. The storage 23 pre-stores server information such as that shown in FIG. 5. The server information includes identification information (such as a group ID) of a server group G, a flow path distance of the server group, identification information (such as a server ID) of the servers 18 belonging to each server group G, the allowable temperature of each server 18, and an upper load limit. The server ID includes, for example, the group ID of the server group G to which the server belongs and a number indicating the order of placement within the group. In the example of FIG. 2, the server ID of the first server 18 in group A (the server 18 connected to the low-temperature-side second branch pipe 173a branching from the most upstream side of the low-temperature-side first branch pipe 172a) is "A1." In other words, the placement of each server 18 can be determined from the server ID. The flow path distance of the server group is the flow path distance of the server group G consisting of the main pipe 171 and the first branch pipe 172, and is based on the design data of the cooling system 10, actual measurements, and the like. For example, the flow path distance of group A is the sum of the distance from the starting point of low-temperature side main pipe 171a (e.g., the inlet of facility R, the outlet of heat exchanger 14, etc.) to branch position P1 to group A, the distance of first branch pipe 172 (low-temperature side first branch pipe 172a and high-temperature side first branch pipe 172b), and the distance from junction position P5 with high-temperature side main pipe 171b to the end point of high-temperature side main pipe 171b (e.g., the outlet of facility R, the inlet of heat exchanger 14, etc.). The load upper limit value is the upper limit of CPU occupancy rate or the maximum number of jobs that can be submitted.

[0042] Next, the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs included in the job schedule information so that the processing load is concentrated on the servers in server group G with the shortest path distance (step S102). In the examples of FIGS. 2 and 5, the server group G with the shortest path distance is group A. Therefore, the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs to each server 18 (A1 to A15) in group D up to the load upper limit value. Furthermore, if each server 18 (A1 to A15) in group A has been allocated up to the load upper limit value and there are still unallocated jobs, the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs to a server in server group G with the next shortest path distance. In the examples of FIGS. 2 and 5, group B has the next shortest path distance after group A. Therefore, if the servers 18 (A1 to A15) in group A cannot process all the jobs, the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs to the servers 18 (B1 to B15) in group B.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of processing loads according to the first embodiment. Assume that in step S102, the first allocation unit 212 allocates all jobs intensively to the servers 18 (A1 to A15) of group A, as shown in Fig. 6, and does not allocate jobs to the servers 18 of other groups B to D. The first allocation unit 212 may display a diagram showing the distribution of the processing load (CPU occupancy rate) of each server 18 on the display unit 25 using, for example, shading, color, text information, etc., so that the user can check it, as shown in Fig. 6.

[0044] Next, the operation parameters of each part of the cooling system 10 (the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16) are determined, and the cooling system 10 is controlled (step S103). For example, the heat generation amount estimation unit 213 calculates the heat generation amount of the server 18 (CPU 19) based on the processing load of the server 18. The heat generation amount estimation unit 213 also acquires the allowable temperature of the server 18 from the server information recorded in the storage 23. The power calculation unit 214 determines operation parameters of the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 based on the estimated heat generation amount of the CPU 19 and the allowable temperature of the CPU 19. Known techniques may be used to determine the operation parameters. The control unit 215 then controls the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 based on the operation parameters determined by the power calculation unit 214.

[0045] The on-off valves 174, 175 of each server group G are automatically switched between open and closed states (step S103). For example, when the opening degree is automatically changed based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the server 18, the servers 18 (A1 to A15) of group A have a high processing load and a large temperature difference, so the on-off valves 174, 175 are in an open state. On the other hand, the servers of groups B to D have a low processing load and a temperature difference close to zero, so the on-off valves 174, 175 are in a closed state. In another embodiment, a user may issue an instruction to open or close the on-off valves 174, 175 through the operation unit 26 of the control device 20 while checking the distribution of the processing load displayed on the display unit 25. In yet another embodiment, the control unit 215 may control the on-off valves 174, 175 to be in an open state or a closed state based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the server 18.

[0046] The control device 20 repeatedly executes the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 at predetermined intervals.

[0047] (Action and effect) As described above, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, the control device 20 has the first allocation unit 212 that allocates jobs in a concentrated manner, starting with the server group G having the shortest flow path distance, based on the job schedule information and server information. Also, the opening degrees of the on-off valves 174 and 175 provided in the second branch pipe 173 of the secondary side piping 17 are changed according to the processing load of the server 18.

[0048] In conventional technology, jobs were assigned to servers designated by clients, which distributed the processing load among groups A to D, necessitating the circulation of the secondary refrigerant through all of groups A to D. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the control device 20 concentrates the processing load on group A, which has a shorter flow path distance, allowing the secondary refrigerant to flow only through group A. This shortens the distance the secondary refrigerant must flow, thereby shortening the circulation path of the secondary refrigerant compared to circulating the secondary refrigerant to group D. This reduces pressure loss in the main pipe 171, assuming the same flow rate of the secondary refrigerant through the main pipe, and reduces the power (power consumption) of the secondary pump 16. This minimizes the power consumption of the entire data center, including the cooling system 10 for the servers 18.

[0049] The opening degrees of the on-off valves 174 and 175 are automatically changed based on the temperature difference of the secondary-side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the second branch pipe 173 of the server 18 .

[0050] In this way, for servers 18 that have no job assignments (processing loads) and have small temperature differences, the on-off valves 174 and 175 can be automatically closed to stop the flow of secondary-side refrigerant without the need for user monitoring or operation.

[0051] The control device 20 further includes a control unit 215 that performs control to change the opening degree based on an operational instruction from the user or based on the temperature difference of the secondary-side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the second branch pipe 173 for the server 18.

[0052] In this way, even if on-off valves 174, 175 that are not automatic valves are provided, for servers 18 that have no job assignment (processing load) and a small temperature difference, the on-off valves 174, 175 can be closed by user operation or by automatic control of the control unit 215 to stop the flow of the secondary side refrigerant.

[0053] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 13. Note that, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment.

[0054] (Functional configuration of the control device) Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the control device 20 according to this embodiment further includes a second allocation unit 216 and a determination unit 217. In addition, the function of the power calculation unit 214 differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0055] The second allocation unit 216 allocates jobs to all servers 18 in all server groups G so as to distribute the processing loads evenly based on the job schedule information and server information. In this embodiment, the expression "even processing loads" means that the difference in processing load (CPU occupancy rate) is within a predetermined value (within ±X%).

[0056] The power calculation unit 214 calculates a first predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 and a second predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the second allocation unit 216 based on information indicating the relationship between the allowable temperature of the server 18, the heat generation amount, the flow rate of the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant, and the total power of the cooling system 10 for supplying the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant to the server 18.

[0057] The determination unit 217 determines whether to adopt the job allocation of the first allocating unit 212 or the second allocating unit 216 based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value.

[0058] (Processing flow) 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the control device according to the second embodiment. The flow of processing by the control device according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

[0059] First, the acquisition unit 211 acquires the schedule information and server information of the job (step S201). This process is the same as step S101 in the first embodiment (FIG. 4).

[0060] Next, a first process of steps S202 to S206 and a second process of steps S207 to S211 are executed in parallel. In other embodiments, the first process and the second process may be executed in order.

[0061] First, the first process (steps S202 to S206) will be described. The first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs included in the job schedule information so that the processing load is concentrated on the servers in the server group G that have a short path distance (step S202). This process is the same as step S102 in the first embodiment (FIG. 4).

[0062] Next, the power calculation unit 214 sets the flow rate of the primary-side refrigerant (step S203). The flow rate of the primary-side refrigerant may be set by the user via the operation unit 26, for example, or a pre-recorded setting value may be read from the storage 23.

[0063] The heat generation amount estimation unit 213 also checks the constraint conditions of the heat generating element (step S204). For example, the heat generation amount estimation unit 213 calculates the heat generation amount of the server 18 based on the processing load of the server 18 (CPU 19). The heat generation amount estimation unit 213 also acquires the allowable temperature of the server 18 from the server information recorded in the storage 23. In the processing from step S205 onwards, the primary-side refrigerant flow rate set in step S203 and the heat generation amount and allowable temperature of the server 18 checked in step S204 are used as constraint conditions, and an optimal operating point under these constraint conditions is determined.

[0064] Next, the power calculation unit 214 determines the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate to satisfy the constraint conditions (step S205).

[0065] Fig. 9 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the power of the secondary-side pump according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, when the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate is increased, the power of the secondary-side pump 16 also increases. According to the graph in Fig. 9, the power of the secondary-side pump 16 can be calculated by determining the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate.

[0066] Fig. 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the power of the cooling device according to the second embodiment. The graph in Fig. 10 shows the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the power of the cooling device 11, assuming that the primary-side refrigerant flow rate and the heat generation amount of the server 18 (CPU 19) are constant at certain values. As shown in the figure, increasing the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate can reduce the power of the primary-side cooling device 11. When combined with the graph in Fig. 9, the power of the secondary-side pump 16 and the power of the cooling device 11 can be determined according to the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the total power according to the second embodiment. The graph in FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the total power, assuming that the primary-side refrigerant flow rate and the heat generation amount of the server 18 (CPU 19) are constant at certain values. The total power is the sum of the power of the cooling device 11, the power of the primary-side pump 13, and the power of the secondary-side pump 16. In combination with the graphs in FIGS. 9 and 10, the power of the cooling device 11, the power of the primary-side pump 13, and the power of the secondary-side pump 16 can be determined by determining the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate. Here, if an optimal PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) value that minimizes the total power can be selected and the cooling device 11, the primary-side pump 13, and the secondary-side pump 16 can be operated at this operating point, the cooling system 10 can be operated with minimal power (energy consumption), which can contribute to improving the energy efficiency of the data center.

[0068] For example, the storage 23 stores a graph (e.g., FIG. 11) showing the relationship between the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate and the total power for a combination of the primary-side refrigerant flow rate set in step S105, the heat generation amount of the server 18 calculated in step S204, and the allowable temperature of the server 18. Based on this graph, the power calculation unit 214 calculates the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate that minimizes the total power, and determines the calculated value as the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate of the cooling system 10 corresponding to the job allocation by the first allocation unit 212 (step S205).

[0069] Once the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate is determined, the power (rotation speed) of the secondary-side pump 16 is determined. For example, the power calculation unit 214 calculates the power of the secondary-side pump 16 based on the graph of FIG. 9 and the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate, and converts the power of the secondary-side pump 16 into a rotation speed. The power calculation unit 214 also determines the temperature of the secondary-side refrigerant required to cool the server 18 to a temperature equal to or lower than the allowable temperature based on the heat generation amount of the server 18, the allowable temperature of the server 18, the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate, and the secondary-side refrigerant temperature (the temperature of the secondary-side refrigerant at the inlet side of the server 18). The power calculation unit 214 determines the secondary-side refrigerant temperature corresponding to the job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 based on the heat generation amount and allowable temperature estimated in step S204, the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate determined in step S205, and this table. When the secondary-side refrigerant temperature is determined, the temperature of the primary-side refrigerant on the inlet side of the heat exchanger 14 is also determined because the primary-side refrigerant flow rate has been set previously. For example, a table that defines the correspondence between the primary-side refrigerant flow rate, the primary-side refrigerant temperature, the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate, and the secondary-side refrigerant temperature is registered in the storage 23. The power calculation unit 214 calculates the primary-side refrigerant temperature corresponding to the job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 based on this table and the previously determined primary-side refrigerant flow rate, the secondary-side refrigerant flow rate, and the refrigerant temperature.

[0070] The inlet and outlet temperatures of the primary side of the heat exchanger 14 are determined under the above conditions, and the power (first predicted value) of the cooling device 11 corresponding to the job allocation by the first allocation unit 212 is determined (step S206). The power calculation unit 214 calculates the outlet temperature of the primary refrigerant of the heat exchanger 14 using a predetermined formula from the primary refrigerant temperature at the inlet side of the heat exchanger 14, the secondary refrigerant flow rate, and temperature, and calculates the power (power consumption) of the cooling device 11 from the primary refrigerant temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger 14. For example, if the cooling device 11 is a free-cooling cooling tower, the power calculation unit 214 calculates the power (power consumption) of the fan 12. For example, if the cooling device 11 is an air-cooled heat pump chiller, the power calculation unit 214 calculates the power (power consumption) of the fan 12, a compressor (not shown), and the like. Furthermore, when the cooling device 11 has both a free-cooling cooling tower and an air-cooled heat pump chiller, if the constraint conditions are satisfied with only the free-cooling cooling tower, the power calculation unit 214 calculates only the power for the cooling tower fan 12. On the other hand, if the constraint conditions cannot be satisfied unless both the free-cooling cooling tower and the air-cooled heat pump chiller are operated, the power calculation unit 214 calculates the total value of the power for the cooling tower fan 12 and the power for the heat pump chiller fan 12 and a compressor (not shown), etc.

[0071] Next, the second process (steps S207 to S211) will be described. The second allocation unit 216 allocates jobs included in the job schedule information so that the processing loads of all servers in all server groups G are approximately equal (step S207).

[0072] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a distribution of processing loads according to the second embodiment. In step S207, the second allocation unit 216 allocates jobs to the servers 18 in all groups A to D so that the jobs are distributed approximately evenly, as shown in FIG.

[0073] Furthermore, the processing in steps S208 to S211 is the same as the processing in steps S203 to S206. In step S211, the power calculation unit 214 determines the power of the cooling device 11 corresponding to the job allocation by the second allocation unit 216 (second predicted value).

[0074] Next, the determination unit 217 compares the first predicted value with the second predicted value (step S212).

[0075] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the first predicted value and the second predicted value according to the second embodiment. For example, as in the example of FIG. 13, when the second predicted value is smaller than the first predicted value (step S212; NO), the determination unit 217 adopts the job allocation (e.g., FIG. 12) of the second allocation unit 216 (step S214). The control unit 215 also controls each unit of the cooling system 10 based on the second predicted value. For example, the control unit 215 controls the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 based on values obtained by converting the power of the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 determined in step S211 into the rotation speed of the fan 12 (or / and the rotation speed of the compressor), the rotation speed of the primary pump 13, and the rotation speed of the secondary pump 16.

[0076] Furthermore, if the first predicted value is smaller than the second predicted value (step S212; YES), the determination unit 217 adopts the job allocation (for example, FIG. 6) of the first allocation unit 212 (step S213). Furthermore, the control unit 215 controls each unit of the cooling system 10 based on the first predicted value. For example, the control unit 215 controls the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 based on values obtained by converting the power of the cooling device 11, the primary pump 13, and the secondary pump 16 determined in step S206 into the rotation speed of the fan 12 (or / and the rotation speed of the compressor), the rotation speed of the primary pump 13, and the rotation speed of the secondary pump 16.

[0077] The control device 20 repeatedly executes the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 at predetermined intervals.

[0078] (Action, effect) As described above, in the control system 1 according to this embodiment, the control device 20 further includes a second allocation unit 216 that allocates jobs to all servers 18 in all server groups G so as to distribute the processing load evenly based on schedule information and server information; a power calculation unit 214 that calculates a first predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 and a second predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the second allocation unit 216 based on information indicating the relationship between the allowable temperature, heat generation amount, flow rate of the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant of the server 18, and the total power of the cooling system 10 for supplying the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant to the server 18; and a determination unit 217 that determines which job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 or the second allocation unit 216 to adopt based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value.

[0079] In this way, the control device 20 can select and control conditions (job allocation) that allow further power reduction, thereby enabling the power consumption of the cooling system 10 to be reduced even more effectively.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, in a configuration in which the cooling device 11 has both a free-cooling cooling tower and an air-cooled heat pump chiller, it may be possible to satisfy the constraints by operating only the free-cooling cooling tower without using the air-cooled heat pump, depending on the conditions. For example, in the job allocation performed by the second allocation unit 216 (allocating jobs approximately evenly to all servers 18), the thermal load per server is low, so it may be possible to sufficiently cool each server 18 even if the refrigerant temperature is relatively high. Also, during periods of low outside air temperature, such as winter, a sufficient cooling effect may be obtained using only the free-cooling cooling tower. In such cases, stopping the air-cooled heat pump chiller and operating only the free-cooling cooling tower, which requires less power, makes it possible to cool the servers 18, thereby further reducing power consumption.

[0081] <Third embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 13. Note that, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment.

[0082] The facility R according to this embodiment has multiple floors, and multiple server groups G are set on each floor.

[0083] 4 or step S202 in FIG. 8, the first allocation unit 212 according to this embodiment allocates jobs in a concentrated manner to server groups G on some floors so as to minimize the number of operating floors. The first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs sequentially, for example, starting from floor 1, until the processing load of each server 18 in each server group G reaches its upper load limit. Furthermore, if floor 1 alone is insufficient, the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs until the processing load of each server 18 on floor 2 reaches its upper load limit.

[0084] FIG. 14 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a processing load distribution according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a second diagram illustrating an example of a processing load distribution according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 illustrates an example in which the second allocation unit 216 allocates jobs approximately evenly to all servers 18 on all floors. Meanwhile, FIG. 15 illustrates an example in which the first allocation unit 212 according to this embodiment allocates jobs in a concentrated manner to server groups G on some floors (floors 1 and 2) so as to minimize the number of floors in operation. As shown in FIG. 14, the allocation method of the second allocation unit 216 requires three floors to be operated, which increases the power consumption of the cooling system 10. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, the allocation method of the first allocation unit 212 requires only a minimum number of floors (two) to be operated, so the flow of secondary refrigerant can be stopped for floor 3, which is not in operation (no jobs are allocated). Therefore, since cooling of floor 3 is not required, the power consumption of the entire facility R may be reduced. Furthermore, since it becomes possible to submit jobs from other clients to the server 18 on floor 3, the data center side can handle jobs from more clients.

[0085] <Other embodiments> Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design modifications are possible. That is, in other embodiments, the order of the above-described processes may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, some processes may be executed in parallel.

[0086] <Additional Notes> The control system and the control method described in the above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0087] (1) According to a first aspect, a control system 1 is provided in a facility R in which a plurality of server groups G, each consisting of a plurality of servers 18 arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The control system 1 includes a cooling system 10 that cools the servers 18 and a control device 20 that controls the servers 18 and the cooling system 10. The cooling system 10 includes a cooling device 11 that cools a first-side refrigerant, a first-side pipe 15 provided with a first-side pump 13 that delivers the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device 11, a heat exchanger 14 that exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device 11 and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the servers 18, and a second-side pump 16 that delivers the second-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger 14. The secondary side piping 17 has a flow path for each server group G, which consists of a main pipe 171, a plurality of first branch pipes 172 branching from the main pipe 171 at branch positions corresponding to each server group G, and a plurality of second branch pipes 173 branching from the first branch pipe 172 to each server 18, and on-off valves 174, 175 provided on each of the plurality of second branch pipes 173 of the secondary side piping 17, and the control device 20 has a first allocation unit 212 that allocates jobs in a concentrated manner starting from the server group G with the shortest flow path distance based on schedule information for jobs to be processed by the servers 18 and server information including the placement of the servers 18, and the opening degrees of the on-off valves 174, 175 are changed according to the processing load of the servers 18.

[0088] In conventional technology, jobs were assigned to servers designated by clients, which distributed the processing load among groups A to D, necessitating the circulation of the secondary refrigerant through all of groups A to D. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the control device 20 concentrates the processing load on group A, which has a shorter flow path distance, allowing the secondary refrigerant to flow only through group A. This shortens the distance the secondary refrigerant must flow, thereby shortening the circulation path of the secondary refrigerant compared to circulating the secondary refrigerant to group D. This reduces pressure loss in the main pipe 171, assuming the same flow rate of the secondary refrigerant through the main pipe, and reduces the power (power consumption) of the secondary pump 16. This minimizes the power consumption of the entire data center, including the cooling system 10 for the servers 18.

[0089] (2) According to the second aspect, in the control system 1 relating to the first aspect, the opening degree of the on-off valves 174, 175 is automatically changed based on the temperature difference of the secondary side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the server 18 of the second branch pipe 173.

[0090] In this way, for servers 18 that have no job assignments (processing loads) and have small temperature differences, the on-off valves 174 and 175 can be automatically closed to stop the flow of secondary-side refrigerant without the need for user monitoring or operation.

[0091] (3) According to the third aspect, in the control system 1 relating to the first aspect, the control device 20 further includes a control unit 215 that performs control to change the opening degree based on a user's operation instruction or based on the temperature difference of the secondary side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the server 18 of the second branch pipe 173.

[0092] In this way, even if on-off valves 174, 175 that are not automatic valves are provided, for servers 18 that have no job assignment (processing load) and a small temperature difference, the on-off valves 174, 175 can be closed by user operation or by automatic control of the control unit 215 to stop the flow of the secondary side refrigerant.

[0093] (4) According to a fourth aspect, in the control system 1 relating to any one of the first to third aspects, the control device 20 further includes a second allocation unit 216 that allocates jobs to all servers 18 of all server groups G so as to distribute the processing load evenly based on schedule information and server information; a power calculation unit 214 that calculates a first predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 and a second predicted value of the power of the cooling system 10 according to the job allocation of the second allocation unit 216 based on information indicating the relationship between the allowable temperature, heat generation amount, flow rate of the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant of the server 18, and the total power of the cooling system 10 for supplying the primary side refrigerant and the secondary side refrigerant to the server 18; and a determination unit 217 that determines which job allocation of the first allocation unit 212 or the second allocation unit 216 to adopt based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value.

[0094] In this way, the control device 20 can select and control conditions (job allocation) that allow further power reduction, thereby enabling the power consumption of the cooling system 10 to be reduced even more effectively.

[0095] (5) According to the fifth aspect, in the control system 1 relating to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the facility R has multiple floors on which server groups G are installed, and the first allocation unit 212 allocates jobs in a concentrated manner to the server groups G on some of the floors so as to minimize the number of operating floors.

[0096] By doing so, the number of operating floors can be minimized, further reducing the power consumption of the entire facility R. Also, since it becomes possible to submit jobs from other clients to servers 18 on floors that are not in operation, the data center side can handle jobs from more clients.

[0097] (6) According to a sixth aspect, a control method is a control method for controlling a cooling system 10 that cools the servers 18 and the servers 18 in a facility R in which a plurality of server groups G, each consisting of a plurality of servers 18 arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the control method including: controlling a cooling system 10 that cools the servers 18 and the servers 18; and controlling the servers 18, the cooling system 10 including a cooling device 11 that cools a first-side refrigerant; a first-side pipe 15 provided with a first-side pump 13 that delivers the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device 11; a heat exchanger 14 that exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device 11 and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the servers 18; and a second-side pipe 17 provided with a second-side pump 16 that delivers the second-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger 14. The system includes a main pipe 171, a plurality of first branch pipes 172 branching from the main pipe 171 at branch positions corresponding to each server group G, and a plurality of second branch pipes 173 branching from the first branch pipe 172 to each server 18, and secondary side piping 17 having a flow path for each server group G, and on-off valves 174, 175 provided in each of the plurality of second branch pipes 173 of the secondary side piping 17, and the control method includes a step of concentrating and allocating jobs in order from the server group G with the shortest flow path distance based on schedule information for jobs that perform calculation processing on the server 18 and server information including the location of the server 18, and a step of changing the opening of the on-off valves 174, 175 according to the processing load of the server 18. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. Control System 10 Cooling System 11 Cooling device 12 Fans 13 Primary pump 14 Heat exchanger 15 Primary piping 16 Secondary pump 17 Secondary piping 171 Main pipe 172 First Branch Pipe 173 Second Branch Pipe 174, 175 On-off valve 18 Servers 19 CPU (heating element) 20 Control device 21 processors 211 Acquisition Department 212 1st Assignment Department 213 Heat generation estimation section 214 Power calculation section 215 Control Unit 216 Second Assignment Department 217 Decision Section 22 Memory 23 Storage 24 Communication Interface 25 Display section 26 Control section G Server Group

Claims

1. A facility in which a plurality of server groups, each consisting of a plurality of servers arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the facility comprising: a cooling system for cooling the servers; and a control device for controlling the servers and the cooling system; The cooling system comprises: a cooling device that cools the primary-side refrigerant; a primary-side pipe provided with a primary-side pump that delivers the primary-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device; a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the server; a secondary-side piping provided with a secondary-side pump that delivers the secondary-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger, the secondary-side piping having flow paths for each server group, each of which includes a main pipe, a plurality of first branch pipes branching from the main pipe at branch positions corresponding to each of the server groups, and a plurality of second branch pipes branching from the first branch pipe to each of the servers; an on-off valve provided in each of the plurality of second branch pipes of the secondary side pipe; and the control device has a first allocation unit that allocates the jobs in a concentrated manner in order from the server group having the shortest path distance based on schedule information of the jobs to be processed by the servers and server information including the locations of the servers; The opening degree of the on-off valve is changed in accordance with the processing load of the server. Control system.

2. The opening degree of the on-off valve is automatically changed based on a temperature difference of the secondary-side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the server of the second branch pipe. The control system of claim 1 .

3. The control device further includes a control unit that performs control to change the opening degree based on an operation instruction from a user or based on a temperature difference of the secondary-side refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the server of the second branch pipe. The control system of claim 1 .

4. The control device a second allocation unit that allocates the job to all of the servers in all of the server groups based on the schedule information and the server information so as to distribute the processing load evenly; a power calculation unit that calculates a first predicted value of the power of the cooling system according to the job allocation of the first allocation unit and a second predicted value of the power of the cooling system according to the job allocation of the second allocation unit, based on information indicating a relationship between the allowable temperature of the server, the heat generation amount, the flow rates of the primary-side refrigerant and the secondary-side refrigerant, and the total power of the cooling system for supplying the primary-side refrigerant and the secondary-side refrigerant to the server; a determination unit that determines whether to adopt a job allocation by the first allocation unit or the second allocation unit based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value; 4. The control system of claim 1, further comprising:

5. the facility has a plurality of floors on which the server groups are installed, the first allocation unit allocates the jobs in a concentrated manner to the server groups on some floors so as to minimize the number of floors in operation; A control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A control method for controlling a cooling system that cools servers in a facility in which a plurality of server groups, each consisting of a plurality of servers arranged in a first horizontal direction, are installed at intervals in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the method comprising: The cooling system comprises: a cooling device that cools the primary-side refrigerant; a primary-side pipe provided with a primary-side pump that delivers the primary-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device; a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the first-side refrigerant cooled by the cooling device and a second-side refrigerant used to cool the server; a secondary-side piping provided with a secondary-side pump that delivers the secondary-side refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger, the secondary-side piping having flow paths for each server group, each of which includes a main pipe, a plurality of first branch pipes branching from the main pipe at branch positions corresponding to each of the server groups, and a plurality of second branch pipes branching from the first branch pipe to each of the servers; an on-off valve provided in each of the plurality of second branch pipes of the secondary side pipe; and The control method includes a step of concentrating and allocating the jobs in order from the server group having the shortest path distance based on schedule information of the jobs to be processed by the servers and server information including the locations of the servers; changing the opening degree of the on-off valve in accordance with the processing load of the server; A control method comprising:

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