Chassis Manager Airflow Control for Modular Server Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airflow cooling systems in information handling systems (IHS) face inefficiencies due to centralized fan speed management, which can lead to delays and increased message traffic, resulting in potential overcooling or undercooling, especially when fan requests are delayed or fail to be received from all components.
Innovation Solution
A method where a chassis manager sets an initial fan speed and broadcasts it to IHSs, allowing individual BMCs to determine their fan speed needs and broadcast requests, with the BMC requesting the highest speed being designated as dominant, thereby decentralizing fan speed adjustments and reducing message traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized controller manages fan speed adjustments by collecting requests from all components, then comprehensive cooling control is achieved, but message traffic increases and delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized cooling control function into distributed segments where each blade server independently determines its cooling requirements and broadcasts requests. The chassis manager processes these segmented requests in parallel rather than sequentially collecting them, reducing overall decision latency while maintaining comprehensive cooling coverage across all components.
2Reliability
If fan requests are collected from all components before adjustment, then adequate ventilation is ensured, but message traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling control functions of multiple blade servers into a unified broadcast-based system. Instead of individual point-to-point requests to the chassis manager, all cooling requests are merged into broadcast messages that can be processed efficiently, reducing the total message traffic while ensuring all components' ventilation needs are considered.
3Reliability
If auction process is used to determine dominant BMC, then coordination between multiple BMCs is achieved, but complexity and delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having each BMC independently evaluate its own cooling requirements and determine its dominance status before actual fan speed adjustment is needed. BMCs pre-calculate their cooling requests based on current temperature conditions and broadcast them proactively, eliminating the need for complex real-time auction processes and reducing control algorithm complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and devices are provided for configuring an airflow cooling system shared by a plurality of IHSs (Information Handling Systems). An initial fan speed is set by a chassis manager that controls airflow cooling shared by the IHSs. The chassis manager broadcasts the initial fan speed to the plurality of IHSs. Each IHS receives the initial fan speed broadcast and determines its own fan speed requirements. If an IHS requires a fan speed greater than the initial fan speed, the IHS broadcasts a fan speed request. Each IHS continues to monitor fan speed broadcasts and broadcasts a request if its determined fan speed is greater than the most recent broadcast. The IHS that broadcasts the greatest fan speed request is designated as the dominant IHS. The chassis manager sets the airflow cooling system fan speed based on the fan speed requests broadcast by the dominant IHS.