Datacenter Resource Management System for Byproduct Utilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Datacenters face challenges in efficiently managing physical resources such as power, water, and carbon dioxide, leading to increased environmental impact due to inefficient use and production of byproducts, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.

Innovation Solution

A resource management system that utilizes Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to quantify, allocate, and manage physical resources within datacenters, including byproduct management interfaces, power management systems, and operations optimization, allowing for the efficient generation, reservation, and distribution of resources, thereby reducing waste and environmental impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If datacenters increase physical resource consumption to maintain productivity, then operational capacity is improved, but environmental impact and resource waste worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedatacenter operational capacityVSAvoidresource waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts harmful byproducts (excess heat, CO2, water) into beneficial resources by integrating them with external facilities. Excess heat is transferred to district heating systems or greenhouses, CO2 is supplied to algae farms or greenhouses, and water is provided to cooling towers or irrigation systems. This transforms environmental liabilities into valuable resources, reducing waste while maintaining datacenter productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The resource management system enables datacenter physical resources to serve multiple functions simultaneously. The same infrastructure that supports datacenter operations also provides heating, cooling, power, and other resources to external facilities. This multi-functional approach maximizes resource utilization and reduces overall resource consumption and waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If datacenters produce more byproducts to support operations, then operational flexibility is improved, but environmental harm worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidenvironmental impact

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent systematically converts harmful byproducts into beneficial resources through integrated management systems. Excess heat is transferred to district heating networks or greenhouse heating systems, CO2 emissions are supplied to algae farms or greenhouse plant growth, and water byproducts are provided to cooling towers or irrigation systems. This transformation eliminates environmental harm while maintaining operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The resource management system implements continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms to track byproduct generation and utilization. The system adjusts operations to optimize the balance between datacenter needs and byproduct utilization, ensuring environmental sustainability while maintaining operational adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If datacenters reserve more physical resources for operations, then reliability is improved, but allocable resource quantity worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidallocable resource quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a resource pool that serves both datacenter operations and external facilities. The same physical resources (heat, power, water, CO2) are allocated dynamically based on demand, with reserves maintained for datacenter reliability while excess resources are made allocable to external users through the resource management system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The resource management system automatically manages resource allocation and tracking between datacenter operations and external facility utilization. The system monitors resource consumption, maintains necessary reserves for operational reliability, and automatically makes excess resources available for allocation without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10419320B2Infrastructure resource management system

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Various methods and systems for implementing resource management for an infrastructure are provided. Resource management includes datacenter byproduct management interfaces, datacenter power management, datacenter operations optimization and infrastructure resource management. Resource management facilitates using and distributing physical resources, including incidental physical resources that are generated during operation of an infrastructure, based on a minimum threshold reserve of the physical resource associated with the operating the infrastructure. Resource management can include controlling an amount of the physical resource that is generated and an amount the physical resource that is reserved. The minimum threshold reserve in combination with the control over generating and reserving the physical resource help identify an allocable amount of the physical resource. Physical resources of an infrastructure are quantified to support resource management. Quantifying physical resources is associated with devices of the infrastructure and requests for physical resources in the infrastructure to perform different types of operations.