Multimode Gaming Server Mode Transition for Data Center Heat Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Servers in data centers often inefficiently perform specialized computing tasks, such as video encoding, and general computing tasks, due to their specific design focusing on either gaming or video rendering, leading to suboptimal resource utilization and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing multimode gaming servers with CPUs, GPUs, and video encoders that can transition between game mode and video render mode based on demand, allowing for efficient resource allocation and power management by monitoring gaming demand and switching servers from game mode to video render mode during off-peak hours to handle video rendering jobs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If servers are designed for specialized computing tasks (video encoding or gaming), then task-specific efficiency is improved, but resource utilization and adaptability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetask-specific efficiencyVSAvoidresource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements servers capable of operating in multiple modes (game mode and video render mode) by dynamically configuring hardware resources. The server can switch between executing games and performing video encoding tasks, allowing a single server to fulfill multiple functions and adapt to different workload demands, thereby improving both task-specific efficiency and resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts server mode based on real-time demand monitoring. When gaming demand is high, servers operate in game mode; when video rendering demand is high, servers transition to video render mode. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to optimize performance for the current workload while improving overall resource utilization across the data center.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If dedicated gaming servers are deployed, then gaming performance is improved, but power consumption and heat generation during off-peak hours worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegaming performanceVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system recovers computational resources during off-peak gaming hours by transitioning servers from game mode to video render mode. Instead of leaving gaming servers idle and consuming power, the system repurposes them for video rendering tasks, thereby reducing wasted energy and improving overall power utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

Servers are designed to perform both gaming and video rendering functions, allowing them to be utilized for different tasks based on demand. This multi-functionality ensures that servers remain productive during off-peak gaming hours by switching to video rendering workloads, thereby reducing idle power consumption and improving energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If more servers are deployed to handle peak demand, then service availability is improved, but device complexity and management overhead worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidmanagement overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a pool of multimode servers that can dynamically serve different functions based on demand. Rather than maintaining separate dedicated server pools for gaming and video rendering, the system uses a unified pool of servers that can switch modes, thereby reducing the total number of servers needed and simplifying management overhead while maintaining service availability during peak demands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges gaming servers and video rendering servers into a single multimode server pool. By combining previously separate infrastructure into unified servers that can operate in different modes, the system reduces device complexity and management overhead while ensuring adequate capacity is available to handle peak gaming or video rendering demands as needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3161636B1Data center management of multimode servers
Publication Date: 2021.05.26 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3161636B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3161636B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3161636B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the present invention relate to a multimode gaming server that can run in game mode and video encode mode. Aspects of the invention can monitor demand for different computing projects in a data center and change the gaming servers into different modes to meet the demand. The arrangement of gaming servers in the different modes can be established to balance heat generation evenly throughout a data center.