Storage Expander Power Management via Register and Interrupt Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage systems consume significant power even in power-saving modes due to the expander's continuous power usage, despite hard disk drives (HDDs) being powered off or in a low-power state.
Innovation Solution
A method where a storage system, connected to a server host, includes an expander and a power supply that can switch between normal and power-saving states, with the expander outputting a register value and interrupt signal to a processing unit, which then controls the power supply to output standby electricity, reducing overall power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the expander continues to operate in normal mode to maintain wake-up functionality, then the storage system can respond to wake-up commands, but power consumption remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The expander dynamically switches between normal operation mode and power-saving mode based on system state. During power-saving mode, the expander enters a low-power state but can still be awakened by specific commands, allowing the system to adapt power consumption to actual operational needs rather than maintaining constant high-power operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the expander by transitioning from normal mode to a power-saving state with different electrical characteristics. The expander receives wake-up commands through specific pins (e.g., Q28 pin) that trigger parameter changes to return to normal operation, enabling power savings while maintaining responsiveness
2Use of energy by moving object
If the expander enters power-saving mode to reduce power consumption, then energy usage decreases, but the ability to wake up reliably may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration by setting specific register values in the expander before transitioning to power-saving mode. These pre-configured register values establish wake-up conditions and thresholds, ensuring that the expander can reliably wake up from power-saving state when appropriate conditions are met, without requiring full normal-mode operation
3Speed
If the storage system maintains full operational readiness, then response time to commands is fast, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic or event-driven wake-up mechanisms where the expander transitions between sleep and active states based on incoming commands. Rather than maintaining continuous high-speed readiness, the system uses periodic polling or interrupt-based wake-up triggers that activate the expander only when necessary, reducing average power consumption while maintaining acceptable response times
Data Source
AI summary
A method of power management includes steps of: in response to receiving from a server host a sleep command, an expander first outputting a predetermined register value to a processing unit in a normal state, and then switching to a power-saving state and outputting an interrupt signal to the processing unit; the processing unit determining whether both the predetermined register value and the interrupt signal are received; and when it is determined that both the predetermined register value and the interrupt signal have been received, the processing unit controlling a power supply to output standby electricity, making the expander and the processing unit operate based on the standby electricity.