Central Power Management Module for Aggregate Power Throttling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in managing computer power consumption to prevent oversubscription of power circuits, which can lead to excessive energy expenditure and safety violations, as they often lack effective mechanisms to monitor and regulate aggregate power usage across multiple computers.
Innovation Solution
A central power management module monitors aggregate power consumption and adjusts the power usage of multiple computers through a power management network, throttling down when exceeding a predetermined threshold and throttling up when below a minimum threshold to maintain power within safe and subscribed limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If computers are configured to maximize power consumption, then computational performance is improved, but power consumption exceeds circuit power availability and violates safety regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the power consumption of computers based on real-time monitoring of aggregate power usage. When power consumption approaches the maximum threshold, the system automatically throttles computer performance to reduce power usage, and when power usage is below the threshold, computers can operate at higher performance levels. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maximizing computational performance and staying within power limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the central power management module continuously monitors aggregate power consumption and sends control signals back to individual computers to adjust their power usage. This closed-loop feedback system enables the computers to adapt their performance based on overall power availability, resolving the contradiction between high performance and power constraints.
2Reliability
If a strict maximum power threshold is enforced, then safety regulations are met, but system productivity is reduced due to conservative power allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows partial exceedance of the maximum power threshold by enabling computers to operate above the threshold when aggregate power consumption provides headroom. The threshold is not strictly enforced at all times but rather serves as a guiding parameter, allowing the system to achieve higher productivity while maintaining acceptable safety margins through dynamic adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The power threshold enforcement is dynamic rather than static. The system adjusts power allocation in real-time based on actual power availability and consumption patterns, allowing productivity to be maximized when power is available while ensuring safety compliance when power constraints are active.
3Loss of energy
If power consumption is continuously monitored and adjusted, then power optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases due to additional management infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The central power management module serves multiple functions: it monitors aggregate power consumption, communicates with individual computers, adjusts power allocation, and enforces threshold policies. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional component, the system achieves power optimization without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a central power management module as an intermediary between the power supply infrastructure and the computers. This intermediary component simplifies the overall architecture by centralizing power management tasks, rather than requiring complex distributed power management across all computers, thus reducing overall system complexity while achieving energy optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for managing computer power among a plurality of computers so that the aggregate power consumption does not exceed a maximum subscription amount, the maximum subscription amount comprising the maximum amount of power that can be supplied to the plurality of computers. Embodiments include monitoring, by a central power management module, aggregate power consumption of the plurality of computers; the central power management module and the computers coupled for data communications through a power management network; determining, by the central power management module, whether the aggregate power consumption exceeds a predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold, the maximum aggregate power threshold less than the maximum subscription amount; if the aggregate power consumption exceeds the predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold, throttling-down the plurality of computers, reducing the aggregate power consumption to a level below the predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold. Typical embodiments also include determining, by a central power management module, whether the aggregate power consumption is below a predetermined minimum aggregate power threshold; and if the aggregate power consumption is below a predetermined minimum aggregate power threshold, throttling-up the plurality of computers increasing the aggregate power consumption to a level that exceeds the predetermined minimum threshold.