Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090135514 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING COUPLED HARD DISK DRIVE VIBRATION - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that includes a first hard disk drive (HDD) and a second HDD. Within this system, the first HDD is coupled to the second HDD in a non-parallel configuration, which reduces rotational vibration transmitted between the first HDD and the second HDD. | 05-28-2009 |
20090195922 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVELY CANCELING VIBRATIONS IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - One embodiment of the present invention provides a system actively cancels vibrations in a computer system. During operation, the system monitors vibrations in the computer system. Next, the system analyzes the vibrations to identify one or more harmonics in the vibrations. The system then actively cancels one or more of the identified harmonics. | 08-06-2009 |
20090271145 | DETERMINING A CENTER OF ROTATION FOR A COMPONENT IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that determines a center of rotation for a component in a computer system. During operation, the system measures a first acceleration of a first location on the component and a second acceleration of a second location on the component, wherein the first location and the second location are separated by a predetermined distance. Then, the system determines the center of rotation using the first acceleration, the second acceleration, and the predetermined distance. | 10-29-2009 |
20090300244 | MONITORING A CONNECTION IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that monitors a connection in a computer system between a connector and a component coupled to the connector. During operation, a first motion parameter of the connector, and a second motion parameter of the component are measured. Then, the connection is monitored by comparing information related to the first motion parameter and information related to the second motion parameter. | 12-03-2009 |
20090303632 | SCHEDULING SPIN-UP OPERATIONS FOR A SET OF HARD DISK DRIVES - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system for scheduling spin-up operations for a set of hard disk drives (HDDs) in a computer system. During operation, the system determines an available power of the computer system. Next, one or more HDDs are selected from the set of HDDs to be spun-up based on the available power and the power required to spin up each HDD. Then, spin-up operations are scheduled for the selected HDDs. | 12-10-2009 |
20100004900 | ROTATIONAL VIBRATION MEASUREMENTS IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS - Embodiments of a mechanical device to facilitate in-situ measurements of vibration associated with a corresponding component in a computer system are described. This mechanical device includes a housing that has approximately a same mass as the component, approximately a same distribution of mass about a geometric center of the component, and approximately a same form factor as the component. Moreover, the mechanical device includes one or more vibration sensors, which are mechanically coupled to the housing, and which are configured to perform the in-situ vibration measurements. | 01-07-2010 |
20100005237 | SCHEDULING READ OPERATIONS DURING DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION IN AN ARRAY OF REDUNDANT DISK DRIVES - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that schedules read operations for disk drives in a set of disk drives. During operation, the system monitors a write rate for write operations to a given disk drive in the set of disk drives, wherein vibrations generated by the read operations directed to disk drives in the set of disk drives are transmitted to the given disk drive. Then, the read operations for disk drives in the set of disk drives are scheduled based on the write rate for the given disk drive, thereby limiting interference between the write operations and the vibrations generated by the read operations. | 01-07-2010 |
20100023280 | Characterizing the response of a device in a computer system to vibration over a frequency range - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes a response of a device in a computer system to vibration over a frequency range. During operation, the device is vibrated at each frequency in a set of frequencies in the frequency range, wherein the device is vibrated at each frequency, one frequency at a time, until a stabilized response of the device is determined. The response of the device to vibration over the frequency range is then characterized based on information related to the stabilized response at each frequency in the set of frequencies. | 01-28-2010 |
20100036620 | SIMULATING A VIBRATION PATTERN IN A COMPUTER SUBSYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that generates a simulated vibration pattern in a computer subsystem. During operation, a vibration pattern is monitored at a location in the computer subsystem, wherein the vibration pattern is monitored while the computer subsystem is incorporated into the computer system and the computer system is operating. Then, the vibrations of the computer subsystem are mimicked by generating the simulated vibration pattern at the same location in the computer subsystem based on the monitored vibration pattern. | 02-11-2010 |
20100036621 | Characterizing the response of a computer system component to vibrations - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes a response of a component in a computer system to vibrations generated by the computer system. First, the system measures the response of the component to vibrations in a frequency range while the component is located outside of the computer system. The system also measures vibrations generated by the computer system in the frequency range during operation of the computer system, wherein the vibrations are measured at a location in the computer system which is configured to receive the component. The system then characterizes the response of the component to vibrations generated by the computer system based on the measured response of the component to vibrations in the frequency range and the measured vibrations in the frequency range at the location. | 02-11-2010 |
20100037078 | TECHNIQUE FOR REGULATING POWER-SUPPLY EFFICIENCY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Embodiments of a system for regulating an efficiency of a power supply in a computer system are described. During operation, the system measures an output load of the power supply using one or more telemetry monitors in the computer system. Then, the system determines if an efficiency of the power supply corresponding to the measured output load is within a predetermined range that includes an optimal efficiency of the power supply. If the efficiency is outside of the predetermined range, the system performs remedial action so that the power supply operates at an adjusted efficiency that falls within the predetermined range. | 02-11-2010 |
20100057383 | GENERATING A COMPOSITE VIBRATION PROFILE FOR A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that generates a composite vibration profile in a frequency range for a computer system. First, a vibration spectrum in the frequency range is measured for a test computer system in each configuration in a set of configurations. Then, the composite vibration profile for the computer system is generated based on the measured vibration spectra. | 03-04-2010 |
20100058092 | METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING THE HEALTH OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM POWER SUPPLY - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a device that characterizes the health of a computer system power supply. During operation, a signature for the power supply is generated based on measurements of a set of performance parameters for the power supply. Then, the health of the power supply is characterized based on a comparison between the signature for the power supply and signatures for one or more other power supplies. | 03-04-2010 |
20100064170 | PROLONGING THE REMAINING USEFUL LIFE OF A POWER SUPPLY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that prolongs a remaining useful life of a power supply in a computer system. First, performance parameters of the power supply are monitored. Next, the remaining useful life of the power supply is predicted based on the monitored performance parameters. Then, an operational regime of the power supply is adjusted based on the predicted remaining useful life to prolong the remaining useful life. | 03-11-2010 |
20100070210 | DETECTING CONSTRAINED MOTION OF A COMPONENT IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that detects the presence of constrained motion in one or more components in a computer system. First, a vibrational spectrum of the computer system is monitored while the computer system operates. Then, the vibrational spectrum is analyzed using a pattern-recognition model to detect constrained motion in one or more components in the computer system, wherein the pattern-recognition model classifies the vibrational spectrum as indicating constrained motion or as not indicating constrained motion. | 03-18-2010 |
20100110857 | CHARACTERIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF A DISK DRIVE ACROSS A RANGE OF VIBRATION FREQUENCIES - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the performance of a disk drive at frequencies in a set of frequencies in a frequency range. First, the disk drive is vibrated at each frequency in the set of frequencies, one frequency at a time. During this process, a disk drive performance metric is monitored. Next, the performance of the disk drive is characterized by determining the parameter related to acceleration due to the vibrations for each frequency at which a disk drive performance metric degrades by a predetermined amount from a baseline. | 05-06-2010 |
20100142136 | METHOD AND APPARATUS THAT ISOLATES A COMPUTER SYSTEM FROM VIBRATIONS GENERATED BY INTERNAL FANS - Some embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus that isolates a computer system from vibrations generated by one or more fans inside the computer system. The apparatus includes a fan deck upon which the one or more fans are mounted inside the computer system, and three spring assemblies. Each spring assembly includes: a pin that extends through a clearance hole in the fan deck, wherein a first end of the pin is rigidly coupled to the computer system; a lower spring that extends between a first side of the fan deck and a lower spring mount coupled to the pin; and an upper spring that extends between a second side of the fan deck and a upper spring mount coupled to the pin. | 06-10-2010 |
20100217543 | GENERATING A VIBRATION PROFILE FOR A ROTATING COOLING DEVICE IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that generates a vibration profile for a rotational device in a computer system. During operation, the system sequentially sweeps a rotation speed of a rotational device over a range of rotation speeds. While driving the rotational device at each rotation speed, the system collects a time-domain vibration signal produced by the rotational device and subsequently computes a frequency spectrum of the time-domain vibration signal. In this way, the system generates a set of frequency spectra associated with the range of rotation speeds. Next, the system combines the set of frequency spectra to generate a composite vibration profile for the rotational device. | 08-26-2010 |
20100290144 | INVARIANT MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VIBRATION-RESILIENCE-SIGNATURE GENERATION SYSTEM - One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that generates vibration-resistance signatures for hard disk drives (HDDs). In this system, a set of HDDs is mechanically affixed to a disk enclosure. The system additionally includes a vibration generator which is mechanically coupled to the disk enclosure and can apply a translational vibration profile to the disk enclosure. The system further includes a coupling mechanism between the set of HDDs and the disk enclosure which translates the translational vibration profile into both translational and rotational vibrations for the set of HDDs in multiple dimensions. The system additionally includes a monitoring mechanism which monitors an HDD performance metric from the set of HDDs while the HDDs are subject to the translational and rotational vibrations. The system also includes a signature-generation mechanism which uses the monitored HDD performance metric to generate vibration-resistance signatures for the set of HDDs. | 11-18-2010 |
20100324882 | ESTIMATING BALL-GRID-ARRAY LONGEVITY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - A method for generating a service action for a computer system is described. During the method, a longevity index value for a packaging technology (such as solder joints in a BGA) in the computer system is calculated using thermal and vibration telemetry data (which is collected in the computer system) and a longevity model. This longevity model may be based on accelerated failure testing of the packaging technology, field failures of the packaging technology in a group of computer systems (which includes the computer system) and/or thermal and vibration telemetry data for the group of computer systems. Furthermore, using the longevity index value, the service action for the computer system is determined. Based on the longevity index value, remedial action (such as repairs to the computer system) may be scheduled and performed. | 12-23-2010 |
20100326193 | System and Method for Characterizing Vibration of a Rack Structure - A system for characterizing vibration of a rack structure having at least one hard disk drive disposed therein and a vibration exciter operatively associated with the rack structure includes one or more computers. The one or more computers are configured to command the vibration exciter to provide vibration input to the rack structure and to command a plurality of reads from the at least one hard disk drive such that, for each of the plurality of reads, data stored on the at least one hard disk drive is retrieved from the at least one hard disk drive. The one or more computers are also configured to obtain read rate information related to the plurality of reads and to identify at least one resonant frequency of the rack structure based on the read rate information. | 12-30-2010 |
20100332185 | ANALYTICAL BANDWIDTH ENHANCEMENT FOR MONITORING TELEMETRIC SIGNALS - Some embodiments provide a system that analyzes telemetry data from a monitored system. During operation, the system obtains the telemetry data as a set of telemetric signals from the monitored system and groups the telemetry data into one or more clusters of correlated telemetric signals from the telemetric signals. Next, the system increases a bandwidth associated with monitoring the telemetric signals. To increase the bandwidth, the system omits one or more of the correlated telemetric signals from each of the clusters during sampling of the telemetric signals and estimates the omitted correlated telemetric signals by applying a nonlinear, nonparametric regression technique to the sampled telemetric signals. | 12-30-2010 |
20100332189 | EMBEDDED MICROCONTROLLERS CLASSIFYING SIGNATURES OF COMPONENTS FOR PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IN COMPUTER SERVERS - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that analyzes data from a computer system. During operation, the system obtains the sensor data from a component in the computer system using a set of sensors. Next, the system transmits the sensor data to a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the sensors and stores the sensor data in internal memory of the MCU. Finally, the system assesses the integrity of the component by analyzing the sensor data using a pattern-recognition apparatus in the MCU. | 12-30-2010 |
20110208678 | MECHANICAL SHOCK FEATURE EXTRACTION FOR OVERSTRESS EVENT REGISTRATION - An electronic system includes an accelerometer. A method for excessive mechanical shock feature extraction for overstress event registration and cumulative tracking includes obtaining a sample from the accelerometer. Feature extraction is performed on the sample using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to produce a plurality of modes. A pattern classifier is utilized for processing the plurality of modes to determine if the sample classifies as a shock event. If the sample classifies as a shock event, a shock event counter is incremented. If the shock event counter reaches a specified count, an indication to a user is generated. | 08-25-2011 |
20110255768 | Method and System for Automated Ball-Grid Array Void Quantification - A method and system for identifying voids in solder balls in a ball-grid array (BGA) using an image of the BGA include localizing an image of a solder ball on the BGA image, the solder ball image having a radius and having multiple points each having an image intensity, and producing a void-free model image of the solder ball based on the radius of the solder ball image, the void-free model image having multiple points each having an image intensity. The method and system also include computing a difference between the image intensities of the points of the solder ball image and the image intensities of the points of the void-free model image to produce a residual image, and identifying a void using the residual image. | 10-20-2011 |
20120131007 | System and Method for Publishing - Computer implemented system and method for publishing evaluated information comprising collecting one or more sets of data from one or more users, generating one or more sets of augmented collected data by augmenting the one or more sets of data collected from the one or more users, wherein the augmenting the one or more sets of data includes implementing a typesetting function configured to associate identifier information with the collected one or more sets of data, detecting a request from the one or more users, providing at least one additional user at least a portion of the augmented collected data, wherein at least a portion of the provided augmented collected data includes identifier data associated with the one or more users, and assigning a recognized number to the augmented collected data. | 05-24-2012 |
20120232843 | METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING VIBRATION OF A RACK STRUCTURE - A system for characterizing vibration of a rack structure having at least one hard disk drive disposed therein and a vibration exciter operatively associated with the rack structure includes one or more computers. The one or more computers are configured to command the vibration exciter to provide vibration input to the rack structure and to command a plurality of reads from the at least one hard disk drive such that, for each of the plurality of reads, data stored on the at least one hard disk drive is retrieved from the at least one hard disk drive. The one or more computers are also configured to obtain read rate information related to the plurality of reads and to identify at least one resonant frequency of the rack structure based on the read rate information. | 09-13-2012 |
20120272019 | SCHEDULING READ OPERATIONS DURING DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION IN AN ARRAY OF REDUNDANT DISK DRIVES - Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that schedules read operations for disk drives in a set of disk drives. During operation, the system monitors a write rate for write operations to a given disk drive in the set of disk drives, wherein vibrations generated by the read operations directed to disk drives in the set of disk drives are transmitted to the given disk drive. Then, the read operations for disk drives in the set of disk drives are scheduled based on the write rate for the given disk drive, thereby limiting interference between the write operations and the vibrations generated by the read operations. | 10-25-2012 |
20130054809 | PREVENTING OSCILLATORY LOAD BEHAVIOR IN A MULTI-NODE DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM - The disclosed embodiments provide a system that prevents oscillatory load behavior for a multi-node distributed system. During operation, the system uses a load-balancing policy to distribute requests to nodes of the distributed system. The system determines operational characteristics for the nodes as they process a set of requests, and then uses these operational characteristics to compute machine queuing models that describe the machine state of each node. The system then uses this machine state for the nodes to determine whether the load-balancing policy and the distributed system are susceptible to oscillatory load behavior. | 02-28-2013 |
20130138419 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF COMPUTER SYSTEM RELIABILITY USING QUANTITATIVE CUMULATIVE STRESS METRICS - The disclosed embodiments provide a system that analyzes telemetry data from a computer system. During operation, the system obtains the telemetry data as a set of telemetric signals using a set of sensors in the computer system. Next, for each component or component location from a set of components in the computer system, the system applies an inferential model to the telemetry data to determine an operating environment of the component or component location, and uses the operating environment to assess a reliability of the component. Finally, the system manages use of the component in the computer system based on the assessed reliability. | 05-30-2013 |
20140109674 | METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING VIBRATION OF A RACK STRUCTURE - A system for characterizing vibration of a rack structure having at least one hard disk drive disposed therein and a vibration exciter operatively associated with the rack structure includes one or more computers. The one or more computers are configured to command the vibration exciter to provide vibration input to the rack structure and to command a plurality of reads from the at least one hard disk drive such that, for each of the plurality of reads, data stored on the at least one hard disk drive is retrieved from the at least one hard disk drive. The one or more computers are also configured to obtain read rate information related to the plurality of reads and to identify at least one resonant frequency of the rack structure based on the read rate information. | 04-24-2014 |