Data Center Workload Allocation for Power and Cooling Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current operational management methods for data centers fail to comprehensively reduce the total power consumption of information processing devices and facilities, as they primarily focus on localized or sequential power saving strategies without considering the overall power distribution and variation among devices and facilities.
Innovation Solution
A power-saving control method and device that monitor and optimize the allocation of workloads across information processing devices and cooling facilities, using arrangement information to minimize the total power consumption by calculating tentative power consumptions and arranging workloads to minimize the sum total of device and cooling facility powers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If workloads are concentrated on specific devices to save device power, then information processing device power is reduced, but cooling facility power increases due to uneven heat distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct workload allocation strategies for different spatial regions. The management device divides the data center into multiple regions and allocates workloads differently in each region based on local conditions such as device characteristics, cooling capacity, and heat distribution patterns. This allows concentration of workloads in regions where it benefits device power savings while preventing excessive heat concentration in other regions, thereby balancing device power reduction with cooling facility power management.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If workloads are decentralized to reduce cooling power, then cooling facility power is reduced, but information processing device power increases due to inefficient utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing dynamic workload allocation that adapts to changing conditions in real-time. The management device continuously monitors device status, workload characteristics, and cooling facility performance, then dynamically adjusts workload distribution across devices and regions. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize the balance between device power and cooling facility power based on current conditions, rather than using a static allocation strategy.
3Loss of energy
If comprehensive power optimization is implemented considering both device and facility power, then total power is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management device as an intermediary between information processing devices and cooling facilities. This management device serves as a central coordinator that receives information from both devices and cooling facilities, performs comprehensive power optimization calculations considering multiple factors including device power consumption, cooling facility power consumption, workload characteristics, and spatial distribution, then generates and implements optimized workload allocation decisions. By concentrating the complexity in a dedicated management intermediary, the system achieves comprehensive power optimization without excessively complicating the individual components.
Data Source
AI summary
Pieces of working information on workloads, positions of the workloads, pieces of environmental information on cooling facilities, and positions of the cooling facilities are stored as arrangement information. The pieces of working information on the workloads are estimated, and allocation of tentative workloads is deduced for fear the pieces of working information may exceed the performances of a group of information processing devices. Tentative power consumptions and arrangement information resulting from the allocation of the tentative workloads, and tentative power consumptions and arrangement information necessary for the allocation of the tentative workloads are calculated. Tentative cooling powers required to control the cooling facilities are calculated. Allocation of the tentative workloads minimizing the sum total of the tentative power consumptions of the information processing devices and the tentative cooling powers of the cooling facilities is searched. Based on the searched allocation, the workloads are allocated to the information processing devices.