Programmable Chip Wakeup Control for Storage Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage systems consume excessive electricity when transitioning hard disk enclosures from a sleep state to a working state due to the need for expander chips and system fans to remain powered on for heat dissipation and command reception.
Innovation Solution
A storage system utilizing programmable chips connected in series to send and receive wake-up instructions, allowing the system to transition between sleep and working states without activating expander chips or fans, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If expander chip and system fan are kept powered on to receive wakeup commands and dissipate heat, then the storage device can be woken up from sleep state, but electricity consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wakeup command reception function from the expander chip and implements it in the BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) instead. This allows the expander chip to be powered down during sleep state while the BMC remains powered and can receive wakeup commands independently, thus reducing electricity consumption while maintaining wakeup functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic power management where the expander chip and system fan are powered on only when needed (working state) and powered off during sleep state. The BMC dynamically controls the power state of these components based on system conditions, optimizing energy consumption while ensuring reliable operation when required.
2Reliability
If expander chip is powered on to receive wakeup instructions, then the storage device can respond to wake-up commands, but heat dissipation requirements force system fan to remain on, increasing power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wakeup command reception burden from the expander chip and assigns it to the BMC. This extraction allows the expander chip to enter low-power state during sleep while the BMC, which has lower power consumption characteristics, handles the wakeup command reception, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining wake-up response capability.
3Reliability
If multiple components remain powered during sleep state for heat dissipation and command reception, then system reliability is maintained, but energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power management where components transition between powered-on and powered-off states based on operational requirements. During sleep state, the BMC remains powered while expander chip and system fan are powered off. When wakeup is needed, the BMC receives the command and dynamically powers on the necessary components, optimizing the balance between reliability and energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The BMC serves as a self-managing controller that can independently receive wakeup commands and manage the power states of other components without requiring them to remain powered. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain reliability through intelligent power management while minimizing energy loss by powering off non-essential components during sleep state.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system includes a first storage device and a second storage device, a first programmable chip of the first storage device and a second programmable chip of the second storage device are connected in series, and the second storage device is in a sleep state. The first programmable chip sends a wakeup instruction to the second programmable chip to instruct the second storage device to enter a working state. In this way, the second storage device is switched from the sleep state to the working state by using a programmable chip of the storage device.