Process Power Quotas for Balancing Computer System Performance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power management systems in computer systems, particularly battery-powered devices, lack the ability to effectively balance performance and power consumption, and do not adequately utilize user-defined power management strategies.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a power management component that creates groups of processes with defined power usage criteria, monitors power usage, and adjusts resource allocation to enforce power quotas, including switching to lower-power states and reallocating resources to maintain power consumption within allowable limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the computer system operates at high performance, then the system performance is improved, but the power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem performanceVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The power management component dynamically adjusts resource allocation and power states based on real-time monitoring of power consumption and system performance requirements. The system transitions between different power states (C-states for CPU, power modes for other components) to optimize the balance between performance and power consumption, allowing the system to adapt its operational characteristics to current conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as CPU frequency, voltage levels, and component power states to control power consumption. By adjusting these parameters based on monitored power usage and performance requirements, the system can operate at high performance when needed while reducing power consumption during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of energy

If the power management component monitors and adjusts resource allocation frequently, then the power usage optimization is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower usage optimizationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The power management component implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors power consumption of individual processes and system components. Based on this feedback, the component automatically adjusts resource allocation and power states to maintain power usage within defined criteria, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes power efficiency without requiring manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The power management component operates autonomously to monitor, analyze, and adjust power consumption without requiring external control. It self-manages the allocation of computational resources, automatically transitions components between power states, and enforces power usage criteria, reducing the need for complex external management infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12535873B2Optimized power management for computer systems

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 RED HAT INC

AI summary

A method includes: associating, by a processing device, a process running on a computing system with a first power usage control group of a plurality of power usage control groups, wherein each power usage control group is associated with a respective power usage quota to be shared by a plurality of processes associated with the power usage control group; determining an amount of available power supply in the computing system; and throttling, for each process of a first plurality of processes associated with the first power usage control group, a corresponding power consumption based on a first power usage quota associated with the first power usage control group.