Workload Allocation for Data Center Power and Cooling Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current operations management methods for data centers focus on localized or sequential energy saving measures, failing to comprehensively consider power distribution and facility arrangements, leading to suboptimal reduction of total power consumption in information-processing systems.
Innovation Solution
An operations management method and device that allocates workloads to devices in a consolidated and dispersed manner, utilizing layout and environmental information to minimize total power consumption by optimizing power supply and cooling efficiency across the entire system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If workload allocation focuses on localized energy saving measures for individual devices, then device-level power consumption is reduced, but total system power consumption including facilities remains suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges device-level workload management with facility-level power management into a unified system. The workload allocation device considers both device power consumption and facility power consumption (cooling, power supply) simultaneously, optimizing the total system power consumption rather than treating them as separate concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of heat generation from device operation into a beneficial optimization opportunity. By considering facility power consumption (particularly cooling requirements) in the workload allocation decision, the system optimizes total power consumption by strategically placing workloads on devices that generate less heat or are better positioned for heat dissipation.
2Loss of energy
If workload allocation considers facility environmental information and layout, then total power consumption is minimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The workload allocation device performs multiple functions: it allocates workloads to devices, calculates device power consumption, calculates facility power consumption based on environmental information and layout, and determines optimal allocation to minimize total power consumption. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single coordinating device rather than requiring complex interactions between multiple independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The workload allocation device acts as an intermediary that receives environmental information and layout data from facilities, processes this information along with device workload requirements, and generates optimized workload allocation decisions. This intermediary role simplifies the system by centralizing the complexity of coordinating device and facility operations in a single management point.
Data Source
AI summary
Total power consumption of information-processing devices and power supply/cooling facilities is reduced to realize energy saving operation of information-processing system. The information-processing system includes information-processing devices, power supply facilities, cooling facilities and an operations management device. The operations management device is connected to the devices and the facilities and includes layout information constituted of locations and operating information of the devices and locations and environmental information of the facilities. Also, the operations management device obtains the power consumption of the devices, the power supply loss of the power supply facilities and the cooling power of the cooling facilities by using the layout information, and then allocates the workloads to the devices so as to reduce the total sum of power consumption, supply loss and cooling power.