Application-Aware Thermal Throttling for Shared Heat-Rejecting Media

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Solution Overview

Problem

Information handling systems with shared heat-rejection media often experience performance degradation due to thermal throttling, where temperature limits are exceeded, affecting all components cooled by the shared media, leading to inefficient resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

A thermal management driver is implemented to determine the workload of each information handling resource and adjust their operating frequencies based on the temperature of the shared heat-rejection media, allowing for individual control to maintain performance while adhering to thermal constraints.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If multiple components share heat-rejecting media to improve cooling efficiency, then heat rejection capability is improved, but temperature limits are exceeded leading to blind throttling of all components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat rejection efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the thermal control of multiple components by introducing application identifiers that allow the system to distinguish between different applications using shared heat-rejecting media. This enables selective throttling of individual applications rather than blind throttling of all components, maintaining performance of critical applications while managing thermal constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes operational parameters by adjusting the throttling behavior based on application identifiers and temperature conditions. The thermal management driver modifies frequency scaling policies selectively for different applications, changing the operational state from uniform throttling to application-specific frequency adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Temperature

If operating frequencies are reduced to prevent overheating, then temperature control is improved, but performance of all components is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat-rejecting media temperatureVSAvoidinformation handling resource performance

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing differential frequency scaling policies for different applications based on their thermal contribution and importance. Critical applications maintain higher operating frequencies while non-critical applications experience greater frequency reduction, creating localized thermal management rather than uniform system-wide throttling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts operating frequencies based on real-time temperature conditions and application identifiers. The thermal management driver continuously monitors temperature and modifies frequency scaling policies on-the-fly, transitioning from static frequency settings to dynamic application-aware frequency adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If uniform throttling is applied to all components to manage thermal constraints, then thermal control simplicity is maintained, but resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal control mechanismVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the thermal management driver receives temperature information from the heat-rejecting media and application identifiers from the operating system. This feedback loop enables the system to adjust frequency scaling policies based on actual thermal conditions and application priorities, improving resource utilization while maintaining manageable thermal control complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution reduces thermal control-related disadvantages by dynamically managing the operating frequencies of resources, optimizing performance and preventing overheating, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of information handling systems.

Implementation Method 1

heat-rejecting media for transferring heat from the plurality of information handling resources

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9606571B2Systems and methods for application-aware information handling resource throttling

Publication Date: 2017.03.28 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a plurality of information handling resources having shared heat-rejecting media for transferring heat from the plurality of information handling resources and a thermal management driver. The thermal management driver may comprise a program of instructions embodied in computer-readable media and executable by a processor, the thermal management driver configured to determine a respective workload associated with each of the plurality of information handling resources and control individual operating frequencies of the plurality of information handling resources based on the respective workloads and a temperature associated with the heat-rejecting media.