Unmount method and server device

Abstract

To provide an unmount method and a server device capable of easily taking out the server device from a liquid bath.SOLUTION: An unmount method S200 is the unmount method S200 of a server device 10 installed in a liquid bath 50 filled with a cooling liquid CL. The unmount method includes steps of unlocking the fixation of the server device 10 including buoyant material 20 accommodated in a case 19 to the liquid bath 50 S201 and taking out the unlocked server device 10 from the liquid bath 50 S202.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmounting method and a server device. [Background technology]

[0002] In some electronic devices, a cooling system in which the device is immersed in liquid (hereinafter referred to as "liquid cooling system") is adopted instead of the conventional air cooling system.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device including a box body, at least one heat-generating element, and a liquid immersion cooling module, where the box body has a storage space adapted to store a heat dissipation medium, and the heat-generating element is disposed in the storage space and immersed in the heat dissipation medium in a liquid state. In this electronic device, the heat-generating element is a heat-generating element on a main board, such as a central processing unit or other type of chip. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-205025 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Furthermore, for a server computer (hereinafter referred to as a "server device"), a method is known in which the entire server device is cooled by immersing the entire device, including its housing, in a liquid tank filled with a cooling liquid.

[0006] Generally, a server device is inserted vertically into a liquid tank that is filled with a cooling liquid and has an open top. Therefore, when removing the server device from the liquid tank, it is not easy to grab a part of the server device that is immersed in the cooling liquid and pull it up vertically. As a result, in the past, a crane or other device was used to lift the server device from the liquid tank, which made it difficult to do so.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide an unmounting method and a server device that can be easily removed from a liquid tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An unmounting method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for unmounting a server device installed in a liquid tank filled with a cooling liquid, and includes releasing the server device, which includes a buoyancy material contained within a housing, from the liquid tank, and removing the released server device from the liquid tank.

[0009] A server device according to one aspect of the present invention is a server device that is installed in a liquid tank filled with a cooling liquid, and includes a buoyancy material housed within a housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the liquid can be easily removed from the liquid bath. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a cooling system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the internal configuration of an air-cooled server device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the installation of a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the end of the rail shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the locking member shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a stopper included in a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for unmounting a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the unmounting method shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the unmounting method shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the unmounting method shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the unmounting method shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the unmounting method shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined in light of the following description. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the dimensional relationships and ratios of parts included in the drawings differ from one another. Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiment.

[0013] <Configuration> First, a schematic configuration of a cooling system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a cooling system 100 according to an embodiment.

[0014] 1, the cooling system 100 is a liquid-cooling system that cools the server device 10 by immersing it in a liquid. The cooling system 100 includes the server device 10 and a liquid tank 50.

[0015] The liquid tank 50 includes a housing 51 that houses the server device 10 therein, and a lid 55 that is provided so that the opening of the housing 51 can be opened and closed. The housing 51 has a box shape that includes an opening on a surface opposite the bottom. The interior of the housing 51 is filled with a cooling liquid (hereinafter referred to as "coolant CL"). The interior of the housing 51 also has a plurality of shelves (racks) that form spaces at predetermined intervals. Each shelf is configured so that the server device 10 can be installed by inserting the server device 10 into the space formed by dividing the interior of the housing 51. When the server device 10 is installed inside the housing 51, the server device 10 is placed in the coolant CL, that is, at a position lower than the liquid level of the coolant CL, and the entire server device 10 is immersed in the coolant CL.

[0016] The coolant CL in the liquid tank 50 may be managed by a management system (not shown). For example, the management system circulates the coolant CL by discharging and supplying the coolant CL inside the housing 51 with a pump or the like, and cools the coolant CL by exchanging heat with a heat exchanger or the like provided in the circulation path. In this way, the coolant CL in the liquid tank 50 can be controlled to a predetermined liquid amount and a predetermined temperature.

[0017] Next, a hardware configuration of a server device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of server device 10 in an embodiment.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the server device 10 includes, for example, a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage device 13, a communication device 14, an input device 15, and an output device 16.

[0019] The processor 11 is configured to control the operation of each part of the server device 10. The processor 11 is configured to include integrated circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an SoC (System-on-a-chip).

[0020] The memory 12 and the storage device 13 are configured to store programs, data, etc. The memory 12 is configured, for example, by a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and / or a random access memory (RAM). The storage device 13 is configured, for example, by a storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and / or an embedded multi media card (eMMC).

[0021] The communication device 14 is configured to communicate via a wired and / or wireless network. The communication device 14 includes, for example, a network card, a communication module, etc. Furthermore, if the server device 10 includes an antenna (not shown), the communication device 14 may include an amplifier, an RF (Radio Frequency) device that performs processing related to wireless signals, and a BB (BaseBand) device that performs baseband signal processing.

[0022] The RF device generates a radio signal to be transmitted from an antenna by, for example, performing D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion, modulation, frequency conversion, power amplification, etc. on a digital baseband signal received from the BB device. The RF device also performs frequency conversion, demodulation, A / D (Analog to Digital) conversion, etc. on the radio signal received from the antenna to generate a digital baseband signal and transmit it to the BB device. The BB device converts the digital baseband signal into an IP packet and converts the IP packet into a digital baseband signal.

[0023] The input device 15 is configured to allow a user to input information through an operation by the user. The input device 15 includes, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and / or a microphone.

[0024] The output device 16 is configured to output information and includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, and / or a speaker.

[0025] Although not shown, the server device 10 may further include at least one of various sensors such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a direction sensor, a gravity sensor, a temperature sensor, and an acceleration sensor; various biometric authentication functions such as fingerprints, retinas, irises, faces, and voiceprints; various devices such as cameras, microphones, speakers, and lights; and an input / output interface including a connection terminal. Furthermore, although not shown, the server device 10 may further include, for example, a power supply unit and / or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). These power sources may be shared by multiple server devices 10.

[0026] Next, the internal configuration of the server device according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the server device 10 in one embodiment.

[0027] 3, the server device 10 is a rack-mounted server device, and is a thin computer specialized for server functions. The server device 10 includes a buoyant material 20 housed in a case 19.

[0028] Generally, a rack-mounted server device 10 has a detachable panel (hereinafter referred to as a "top panel") on the top surface of a case 19. The server device 10 is designed so that the internal structure can be accessed by removing the top panel, and the top surface of the case 19 serves as a maintenance access. The example shown in FIG. 3 shows the server device 10 with the top panel of the case 19 removed, that is, with the maintenance access open. Note that the server device 10 is not limited to one with a maintenance access on the top surface, and may have a maintenance access on a side panel, as in a blade-type server device, for example. In the following example, a rack-mounted server device with a maintenance access on the top surface will be described. Note that the top surface of the case 19 in this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "main surface of the housing" in the present invention.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , a server device cooled by a liquid-cooling method using coolant CL is installed vertically relative to the ground, and multiple server devices are housed adjacently in a liquid tank 51. As described above, the server device has a maintenance port on the top surface. Therefore, when performing maintenance on a server device cooled by a liquid-cooling method, the server device must be pulled vertically out of the liquid tank, supported until the coolant CL that has entered the interior is drained, and then moved to a workbench or other platform that can be placed parallel to the ground. Because a server device filled with coolant CL is quite heavy, maintenance requires the use of equipment such as a crane and multiple personnel. On the other hand, server devices cooled by an air-cooling method are generally installed parallel to the ground, and maintenance can be easily performed by simply pulling them out parallel to the ground. Therefore, server devices cooled by an air-cooling method do not require equipment such as a crane, and can be easily maintained by a single person. Therefore, maintenance costs for server devices cooled by a liquid-cooling method are higher than those for server devices cooled by an air-cooling method.

[0030] In this application, "maintenance cost" refers not only to the cost required for maintaining server equipment (specifically, the cost of procuring replacement parts, etc.), but also to the financial, time, and human costs required when performing maintenance on server equipment cooled by a liquid-cooling system, such as the working time required for the maintenance work, the number of workers, the time required to acquire maintenance skills, and the skill to operate the equipment used for maintenance.

[0031] The buoyancy material 20 is configured to generate buoyancy in the server device 10, causing the server device 10 to float on the surface of the coolant CL in the liquid tank 50. More specifically, the buoyancy material 20 is configured to contain a material having a density that generates buoyancy relative to the coolant CL, and has a volume (amount) that generates buoyancy such that at least a portion of the server device 10 floats on the surface of the coolant CL when the server device 10 is immersed in the coolant CL. The material of the buoyancy material 20 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, polyethylene foam, urethane foam, or the like.

[0032] In this way, by providing the buoyancy material 20 housed in the case 19, at least a portion of the server device 10 floats above the liquid surface of the coolant CL due to the buoyancy of the buoyancy material 20. Therefore, the server device 10 can be pulled up by grasping the floated portion, and can be removed from the liquid tank 50 more easily than in the past.

[0033] The buoyancy F of the buoyancy material 20 is the weight N of the server device 10. SV and the weight of the coolant CL, N CL Here, the weight N of the server device 10 is SV is calculated using the following formula (1): N SV =W SV ×g …(1) However, W SV : weight of the server device 10, g: gravitational acceleration.

[0034] Also, the weight of the coolant CL is N CL is calculated using the following formula (2): N CL =m×H×W×ρ×g …(2) where m is the floating distance, H is the height of the server device 10, W is the width of the server device 10, and ρ is the density of the coolant CL.

[0035] The buoyancy F required to raise the server device 10 by a floating distance m [m] from the liquid surface is Total is calculated using the following formula (3): FTotal =N SV -N CL …(3)

[0036] Specifically, for example, the weight W of the server device 10 SV is 20 kg, and the gravitational acceleration g is 9.81 m / s 2 ], then the weight of the server device 10 (N SV ) is approximately 196.2 [N]. For example, if the server device 10 is to be floated 10 cm above the liquid surface of the coolant CL, the floating distance m is 0.1 [m]. Assuming that the dimensions of the server device 10 are, for example, a height H of 42.8 [mm] and a width W of 428.2 [mm], the height H of the server device 10 is 0.4282 [m] and the width W of the server device 10 is 0.0428 [m]. Here, for example, if the fluorine-based solvent AC6000 is used as the coolant CL, the density ρ of the coolant CL is 1556 [kg / m 3 ], so from equation (2), the weight of the coolant CL is N CL is approximately 27.97 [N]. Therefore, from equation (3), the required buoyancy F Total requires approximately 168.23[N].

[0037] Here, the buoyancy F generated in the server device 10 itself SV is calculated by the following formula (4). F SV =D×H×W×ρ×g …(4) where D is the depth of the server, H is the height of the server device 10, W is the width of the server device 10, and ρ is the density of the coolant CL.

[0038] Regarding the dimensions of the server device 10, for example, if the depth D is 808.4 [mm], the height H is 42.8 [mm], and the width W is 428.2 [mm], the depth D of the server device 10 is 0.8084 [m], the height H is 0.4282 [m], and the width W of the server device 10 is 0.0428 [m]. When AC6000 is used as the coolant CL, from equation (4), F SV However, the cooling liquid CL enters the inside of the server device 10, so the server device 10 is submerged in the cooling liquid CL.SV is F Total It is less than.

[0039] Actual F SV F Total The extent to which the cooling liquid CL is insufficient is determined by the volume of the cooling liquid CL that enters the server device 10. Total is F SV Since the volume of the cooling liquid CL entering the server device 10 is approximately 75% of the volume of the server device 10, the buoyancy material 20 is contained in the case 19 so that the volume of the cooling liquid CL entering the server device 10 is less than 25% of the volume of the server device 10, thereby making it possible to raise the server device 10 by 10 cm above the liquid surface of the cooling liquid CL.

[0040] In this way, since the buoyancy material 20 has a volume that generates a buoyancy such that at least a portion of the server device 10 floats on the surface of the coolant CL, it is easy to obtain a buoyancy such that at least a portion of the server device 10 floats above the surface of the coolant CL.

[0041] While Figure 3 shows an example in which three buoyancy materials 20 are arranged inside the case 19, this is not limiting. The number of buoyancy materials 20 may be one, two, or four or more. The arrangement, shape, and volume (amount) of the buoyancy materials 20 can be determined appropriately taking into account the relationship with other components, the required buoyancy, etc. The coolant CL is not limited to the fluorine-based solvent AC6000, and any material that satisfies conditions such as insulating properties, being liquid at room temperature, having no flash point, and undergoing little change in physical properties can be selected.

[0042] The server device 10 may be a server device configured for air-cooling cooling, but modified to use a liquid-cooling cooling system.

[0043] Here, the internal configuration of an air-cooled server device will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the internal configuration of an air-cooled server device 10'. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the main surface of the case of the server device 10' viewed from above. The example shown in Fig. 4 is in a state where the top panel of the case has been removed, similar to Fig. 3.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the server device 10′ is a rack-mounted server device configured for air-cooling. The server device 10′ includes a processor, memory, storage device, chipset, power supply unit, and other components (not shown) mounted on a motherboard. Heat sinks (not shown) are attached to components that generate heat due to the processing load of the processor, chipset, and other components. The server device 10′ also includes fans 17′ to blow air to the heat sinks and improve cooling efficiency. Specifically, seven fans 17′ are arranged on one side of the case (the left side in FIG. 4) and one fan 17′ is arranged on the other side of the case (the right side in FIG. 4). The server device 10′ may also include components other than those described above. For example, a processor unit for video output and a communication device for external communication may be attached. In other words, the server device 10′ may be a known server device and is not limited to a specific structure, product, or the like.

[0045] The server device 10 shown in FIG. 3 is a modified version of the server device 10′ shown in FIG. 4, modified for use with a liquid cooling system. Specifically, the server device 10 is obtained by removing the fan used to cool the CPU from the server device 10′ and replacing the thermal paste applied to the heat sinks used to cool heat-generating components such as the CPU and chipset with a heat dissipation material such as indium foil. Note that the components removed from the server device 10′ are not limited to those described above, and other components may be removed. Specifically, for example, a fan (not shown) used to cool the power supply unit and a rectifying material (not shown) that rectifies the airflow within the server device 10′ to improve cooling efficiency may be removed. Furthermore, the heat dissipation material to be replaced is not limited to indium foil. Other materials may be used that have properties such as thermal conductivity equal to or greater than that of the coolant CL, are thin films that can be placed between the CPU and the heat sink, and are insoluble in the coolant CL.

[0046] Here, the server device 10 cooled by a liquid cooling method using coolant CL includes both those designed for liquid cooling and those designed for air cooling but modified for liquid cooling. Of these, the latter air-cooled server device does not require components such as fans and / or thermal paste that are required for air cooling. Therefore, the server device 10′ modified for liquid cooling has space inside the case 19 for these components.

[0047] In this way, since the server device 10 is a server device 10' that was originally designed for air-cooling cooling but has been modified for liquid-cooling cooling, the buoyancy material 20 can be placed in the empty space inside the case 19 and housed within the case 19, making effective use of the space within the case 19.

[0048] Next, installation of a server device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of installation of a server device 10 in an embodiment. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing an end of rail 52 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing locking member 30 shown in Fig. 5.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 5, when installing the server device 10 in the liquid vat 50, first, mounting fixtures (not shown) provided on both side surfaces of the case 19 of the server device 10 are arranged along rails 52 provided on a desired rack of the housing 51. Next, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5, when the server device 10 is inserted perpendicularly to the opening surface of the housing 51 of the liquid vat 50, the mounting fixtures on the side surfaces of the server device 10 are guided by the rails 52. Then, by inserting the server device 10 up to one end of the rails 52 (the end on the bottom side of the housing 51 in Fig. 4), the server device 10 is installed in the liquid vat 50.

[0050] Here, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a fixing device 53 for fixing the server device 10 inserted into the housing 51 is provided at the other end of the rail 52 (the end on the opening side of the housing 51 in Figure 5).

[0051] 5 and 7, the server device 10 is provided with locking members 30 at both ends of the front surface (top surface in FIG. 5) of the case 19. The locking members 30 are configured to be switchable between being fixed to and released from the liquid tank 50.

[0052] Specifically, the locking member 30 includes a lever 31 fixed around one end (the left end in FIG. 7 ) as a pivot. The lever 31 is provided so as to be rotatable in both directions, that is, in the direction of lifting and the direction of pushing down, as indicated by the double-headed arrow in FIG. 7 . When the server device 10 is installed in the liquid vat 50, the server device 10 is inserted vertically into the housing 51 with the lever 31 of the locking member 30 in the lifted state. When the server device 10 is inserted up to one end of the rail 52, the locking member 30 is positioned so as to be engageable with a fixture 53 provided at the end of the rail 52. When the lever 31 is pressed down at this time, a portion of the lever 31 engages with a portion of the fixture 53. As a result, the server device 10 is fixed to the liquid vat 50.

[0053] On the other hand, when removing the server device 10 from the liquid tank 50, the lever 31 of the locking member 30 of the server device 10 fixed to the liquid tank 50 is pulled up. This releases the server device 10 from being fixed to the liquid tank 50.

[0054] In this way, by providing the locking member 30 that can be switched between being fixed to and released from the liquid tank 50, it is possible to easily fix and release the liquid tank 50.

[0055] In this embodiment, an example in which the lever 31 is used as the locking member 30 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the locking member 30 may be screwed to the liquid tank 50 to fix the server device 10, and the fixation to the liquid tank 50 may be released by removing the screw.

[0056] Next, a stopper provided in the server device according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of stopper 40 provided in server device 10 in one embodiment.

[0057] The server device 10 includes, for example, stoppers 40 at each of the four corners of the case 19. The stoppers 40 are configured to be able to be engaged with a holding member (described later) provided inside the liquid tank 50. As shown in FIG. 8 , the stoppers 40 include, for example, an annular portion 41, a shaft portion 42, a protective portion 43, a button portion 44, and a support portion 45.

[0058] As described above with reference to FIG. 3, server equipment cooled by an air-cooling system generally has a maintenance access port on the top surface. Therefore, when a server equipment designed for air-cooling is converted into a server equipment cooled by a liquid-cooling system, the maintenance access port interferes with other server equipment or the liquid tank installed nearby, making it difficult to open and close. Therefore, as described above, it was necessary to pull the server equipment out of the liquid tank and move it to a workbench or the like. On the other hand, a server equipment cooled by an air-cooling system can be supported in the pulled-out state from the server rack, and the interior can be easily accessed by removing the top panel. Therefore, maintenance can be performed on the spot without moving the server equipment from the server rack. Therefore, conventional server equipment cooled by a liquid-cooling system tends to have higher maintenance costs than server equipment cooled by an air-cooling system.

[0059] The annular portion 41 is formed at one end (the right end in FIG. 8 ) of the shaft portion 42. The diameter of the annular portion 41 is enlarged and larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 42. The protective portion 43 is a member for protecting the shaft portion 42 and for holding the shaft portion 42 in the case 19 of the server device 10. The button portion 44 is provided on the protective portion 43. When the button portion 44 is pressed, the annular portion 41 and the shaft portion 42 protrude by a predetermined length from one end (the right end in FIG. 8 ) of the protective portion 43. The example shown in FIG. 8 shows a state in which the button portion 44 is pressed, causing the annular portion 41 and the shaft portion 42 to protrude. Furthermore, when the protruding annular portion 41 and the shaft portion 42 are pushed in and the annular portion 41 comes close to one end of the protective portion 43, the button portion 44 becomes pressable. 8, the other end (left end in FIG. 8) of the shaft 42 housed inside the protective part 43 protrudes from the other end (left end in FIG. 8) of the protective part 43 and is housed in the support part 45. The protective part 43 and the support part 45 have screw holes, and the stopper 40 is installed in the server device 10 by screwing them into the case 19.

[0060] In this way, by providing stopper 40 that can be engaged with a holding member provided inside housing 51 of liquid tank 50, server device 10 can be easily held inside liquid tank 50.

[0061] <Processing Procedure> Next, a procedure for unmounting a server device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 14. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an unmounting method S200 of the server device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 10 to Fig. 14 are diagrams for explaining the unmounting method S200 shown in Fig. 9.

[0062] In this application, "unmounting" means putting the server device 10 into a state in which it can be disconnected from other hardware (devices) and software. Therefore, the "unmounting method" in this application may include not only removing the server device 10 from the liquid tank 50, but also performing maintenance such as servicing, inspection, repair, and replacement after removing the server device 10, as well as performing preparatory work for maintenance.

[0063] In addition, in the following embodiments, it is assumed that before the unmounting method S200, the server device 10 is installed in a state immersed in the cooling liquid CL in the liquid tank 50 and is fixed by the locking member 30.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, first, an operator releases the server device 10 installed in the liquid vat 50 from its fixed position in the liquid vat 50 (S101).

[0065] 5 and 7, when the server device 10 is secured to the liquid vat 50 by the locking member 30 provided on the server device 10, the operator pulls up the lever 31 of the locking member 30 to release the device from the liquid vat 50. In this way, by releasing the device from the liquid vat 50 using the locking member 30, which can be switched between securing and releasing the device from the liquid vat 50, the device can be easily secured to and released from the liquid vat 50.

[0066] As mentioned above, the server device 10 is equipped with a buoyancy material 20 housed within the case 19, so that when the server device 10 is released from its attachment to the liquid tank 50, it floats up due to the buoyancy of the buoyancy material 20, as shown in Figure 10, and part of the server device 10 protrudes above the liquid surface of the cooling liquid CL.

[0067] Next, the operator removes the released server device 10 from the liquid vat 50 (S202). Because a part of the server device 10 protrudes above the liquid surface of the coolant CL, the operator removes the server device 10 from the opening of the liquid vat 50, for example, by grasping and pulling up the protruding part.

[0068] In this way, by releasing the server device 10 from the liquid tank 50, at least a portion of the server device 10 rises above the surface of the coolant CL due to the buoyancy of the buoyancy material 20. Therefore, the server device 10 can be pulled up by grasping the raised portion, and can be more easily removed from the liquid tank 50 than in the past.

[0069] Here, a server apparatus 10 cooled by a liquid cooling system is immersed in a coolant CL during operation to cool the processor 11 and other components. Therefore, the interior of the server apparatus 10 is filled with the coolant CL. Therefore, as in the conventional method, when the server apparatus 10 is moved to a workbench or the like for maintenance, the coolant CL inside the server apparatus 10 must be drained. However, draining the internal coolant CL prevents the server apparatus 10 from being cooled, posing a risk of thermal runaway or the like. Therefore, it is necessary to shut down the server apparatus and disconnect its power before performing maintenance. On the other hand, a server apparatus 10 cooled by an air cooling system is designed so that maintenance can be performed while the server apparatus is operating. Therefore, when the conventional method is adopted, the maintenance costs for a liquid-cooled server apparatus 10 tend to be higher than for an air-cooled server apparatus 10.

[0070] At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the operator may press a button 44 against a stopper 40 provided at a corner of a case 19 of the server device 10 to cause a ring-shaped portion 41 to protrude while removing the server device 10.

[0071] Next, the operator holds the server device 10 removed from the liquid vat 50 inside the liquid vat 50 so that the main surface of the case 19 (the top surface in FIG. 11) faces the opening side of the liquid vat 50 (S203). This makes it possible to easily perform maintenance work.

[0072] 12, the operator engages the stopper 40 provided on the server device 10 with the holding member 54 provided inside the housing 51 of the liquid vat 50. This makes it easy to hold the server device 10 inside the liquid vat 50.

[0073] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, the operator inserts the annular portion 41 of the stopper 40 from above into the opening of the holding member 54 and passes between the protrusion 54a and the bottom surface. After passing through the gap between the protrusion 54a and the bottom surface, when the operator releases the server device 10, the buoyancy of the buoyancy material 20 provided in the server device 10 causes the annular portion 41 of the stopper 40 to float up and become engaged in contact with the upper surface of the holding member 54. Note that Fig. 13 is a diagram showing cross sections of the holding member 54 and the annular portion 41 of the stopper 40.

[0074] 14, the holding member 54 may be disposed at a position lower than the liquid level of the coolant CL in the liquid vat 50, that is, in the coolant CL. In this case, when an operator engages the four stoppers 40 with the holding member 54 so that the main surface of the case 19 (the top surface in FIG. 14) faces the liquid level of the coolant CL, the server device 50 is held in the coolant CL in the liquid vat 50. In this way, by holding the server device 10 removed from the liquid vat 50 in the coolant CL so that the main surface of the case 19 faces the liquid level of the coolant CL, it becomes possible to perform maintenance work while the server device 10 is being cooled by the coolant CL.

[0075] The order of the sequences and flowcharts described in this embodiment may be changed as long as no contradiction occurs.

[0076] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described above. According to the unmounting method S200 of this embodiment, the server device 10, including the buoyancy material 20 housed in the case 19, is released from the liquid tank 50. As a result, at least a portion of the buoyancy material 20 rises above the surface of the coolant CL due to its buoyancy. Therefore, the server device 10 can be pulled up by grasping the raised portion, making it easier to remove from the liquid tank 50 compared to conventional methods. Therefore, the technology according to this embodiment can contribute to achieving Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure and promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization."

[0077] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents are also included within the scope of the present invention. In other words, designs modified by those skilled in the art as appropriate are also encompassed within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the characteristics of the present invention. For example, the elements of the embodiments, their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those illustrated and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are merely examples, and partial substitution or combination of the configurations shown in different embodiments is, of course, possible. These are also encompassed within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the characteristics of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10, 10'...server device, 11...processor, 12...memory, 13...storage device, 14...communication device, 15...input device, 16...output device, 17'...fan, 19...case, 20...buoyancy material, 30...locking member, 31...lever, 40...stopper, 41...annular portion, 42...shaft portion, 43...protective portion, 44...button portion, 45...support portion, 50...liquid tank, 51...housing, 52...rail, 53...fixing device, 54...holding member, 54a...protrusion, 55...lid body, 100...cooling system.

Claims

1. A method for unmounting a server device installed in a liquid tank filled with a cooling liquid, comprising: Releasing the server device, including the buoyancy material housed in the housing, from the liquid tank; and removing the released server device from the liquid tank. How to unmount.

2. the releasing includes releasing the fixation by a locking member that is provided in the server device and that can be switched between fixation and release from the liquid tank. The unmounting method according to claim 1 .

3. and holding the server device removed from the liquid vat inside the liquid vat so that the main surface of the housing faces an opening of the liquid vat. The unmounting method according to claim 1 .

4. the holding includes engaging a stopper provided in the server device with a holding member provided inside the liquid tank. The unmounting method according to claim 3 .

5. the step of holding the server device includes holding the server device removed from the liquid bath in the cooling liquid. The unmounting method according to claim 3 .

6. and further comprising: holding the server device removed from the liquid tank in the liquid coolant so that the main surface of the housing faces the liquid surface of the liquid coolant. The unmounting method according to claim 1 .

7. A server device installed in a liquid tank filled with a cooling liquid, a buoyant material contained within the housing; Server device.

8. Further provided is a locking member that can be switched between being fixed to and being released from the liquid tank. The server device according to claim 7.

9. The liquid tank further includes a stopper that can be engaged with a holding member provided inside the liquid tank. The server device according to claim 7.

10. the buoyancy material has a volume that generates buoyancy such that at least a portion of the server device floats on the surface of the coolant when the server device is immersed in the coolant; The server device according to claim 7.

11. The server device is a server device configured for air cooling that has been modified to be liquid cooled. The server device according to claim 7.

Images