초록 ▼

An energy management control method and controller reduce power supply current and/or subsystem cooling overhead that reduces system efficiency, may reduce system reliability and may increase ambient noise. Multiple device connectors are supplied from corresponding soft switches that are programmed

An energy management control method and controller reduce power supply current and/or subsystem cooling overhead that reduces system efficiency, may reduce system reliability and may increase ambient noise. Multiple device connectors are supplied from corresponding soft switches that are programmed to provide a current level that is sufficient to supply the maximum current for the device installed in the corresponding device connector. The current level may be determined from device information provided from the device during initialization, which may directly specify a maximum current requirement. Alternatively, the maximum current requirement can be determined from other device-identifying information such as a unique device identifier. As a result a guaranteed maximum current or power and power dissipation can be determined, and multiple power supplies and/or cooling devices such as air movement devices (AMDs) may be enabled, disabled or otherwise controlled accordingly.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of managing current supplied to a power distribution bus in a subsystem having multiple device connectors for attaching multiple corresponding devices, the method comprising: enumerating devices connected to the subsystem to determine individual multiple devices that are connected to the

1. A method of managing current supplied to a power distribution bus in a subsystem having multiple device connectors for attaching multiple corresponding devices, the method comprising: enumerating devices connected to the subsystem to determine individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem;responsive to determining the individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem, determining maximum current consumption values for the individual multiple devices, wherein the maximum current consumption values indicate the maximum current that can be required by the corresponding individual multiple devices;programming current limit values that control the current supplied to corresponding ones of the multiple devices in conformity with the corresponding maximum current consumption values;adding the maximum current limit values to obtain an indication of a total maximum current or power required by the power distribution bus; andadjusting one or both of a power supply current overhead of the power distribution bus or a cooling overhead of the subsystem according to the indication of the total maximum current or power, such that a current supply capability of the power distribution bus meets or exceeds the total maximum current computed by the adding. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming adjusts current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining retrieves a device-specified maximum current consumption value obtained from each of the multiple devices during initialization of the devices. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the multiple device connectors are peripheral component interconnect (PCI) connectors and wherein the device-specified maximum current consumption value is a vital product data value. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming adjusts current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling a power supply connected to the power distribution bus in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the power supply in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling an air movement device of the subsystem in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the air movement device in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value. 8. A computer subsystem including comprising a processor for executing program instructions forming a energy management module stored in a memory coupled to the processor, the energy management module for managing current supplied to a power distribution bus in a subsystem having multiple device connectors for attaching multiple corresponding devices, the program instructions comprising: program instructions for enumerating devices connected to the subsystem to determine individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem;program instructions for, responsive to determining the individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem, program instructions for determining maximum current consumption values for the individual multiple devices, wherein the maximum current consumption values indicate the maximum current that can be required by the corresponding individual multiple devices;program instructions for programming current limit values that control the current supplied to corresponding ones of the multiple devices in conformity with the corresponding maximum current consumption values;program instructions for adding the maximum current limit values to obtain an indication of a total maximum current or power required by the power distribution bus; andprogram instructions for adjusting one or both of a power supply current overhead of the power distribution bus or a cooling overhead of the subsystem according to the indication of the total maximum current or power, such that a current supply capability of the power distribution bus meets or exceeds the total maximum current computed by the adding. 9. The computer subsystem of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for programming adjust current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 10. The computer subsystem of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for determining retrieve a device-specified maximum current consumption value obtained from each of the multiple devices during initialization of the devices. 11. The computer subsystem of claim 10, wherein the multiple device connectors are peripheral component interconnect (PCI) connectors and wherein the device-specified maximum current consumption value is a vital product data value. 12. The computer subsystem of claim 11, wherein the program instructions for programming adjusts current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 13. The computer subsystem of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for adjusting comprise program instructions for: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling a power supply connected to the power distribution bus in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the power supply in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value. 14. The computer subsystem of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for adjusting comprise program instructions for: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling an air movement device of the subsystem in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the air movement device in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value. 15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device storing program instructions for execution by a processor, the program instructions forming a energy management module, the power management module for managing current supplied to a power distribution bus in a subsystem having multiple device connectors for attaching multiple corresponding devices, the program instructions comprising program instructions for: enumerating devices connected to the subsystem to determine individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem;responsive to determining the individual multiple devices that are connected to the subsystem, determining maximum current consumption values for the individual multiple devices, wherein the maximum current consumption values indicate the maximum current that can be required by the corresponding individual multiple devices;programming current limit values that control the current supplied to corresponding ones of the multiple devices in conformity with the corresponding maximum current consumption values;adding the maximum current limit values to obtain an indication of a total maximum current or power required by the power distribution bus; andadjusting one or both of a power supply current overhead of the power distribution bus or a cooling overhead of the subsystem according to the indication of the total maximum current or power, such that a current supply capability of the power distribution bus meets or exceeds the total maximum current computed by the adding. 16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for programming adjust current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for determining retrieve a device-specified maximum current consumption value obtained from each of the multiple devices during initialization of the devices. 18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the multiple device connectors are peripheral component interconnect (PCI) connectors and wherein the device-specified maximum current consumption value is a vital product data value. 19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions for programming adjusts current limit values of soft switches that couple corresponding ones of the multiple device connectors to the power distribution bus. 20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for adjusting comprise program instructions for: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling a power supply connected to the power distribution bus in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the power supply in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value. 21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for adjusting comprise program instructions for: determining whether or not the total maximum current or power is less than a threshold value;disabling an air movement device of the subsystem in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is less than the threshold value; andenabling the air movement device in response to determining that the total maximum current or power is not less than the threshold value.