Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080239648 | DESIGN STRUCTURE FOR AN ADAPTER BLADE FOR A BLADE SERVER SYSTEM CHASSIS - A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for at least one of designing, manufacturing, and testing a system chassis is provided. The system chassis includes multiple chassis bays configured for receiving either a single, conventional server blade or an adapter blade. The adapter blade can selectively secure a plurality of compact blades. The adapter blade includes a blade latch for selectively releasing the adapter blade from the chassis bay, wherein the presence of a compact blade enclosure within any of the plurality of adapter bays of the adapter blade prevents the latch from being operable to release the adapter blade. The compact blade includes a latch disposed along an upper or lower edge of the blade for selectively releasing the compact blade enclosure from the adapter bay. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239649 | Design structure for an interposer for expanded capability of a blade server chassis system - A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a system chassis includes multiple chassis bays configured for receiving either of a single, conventional server blade or an adapter blade is provided. The adapter blade can selectively secure a plurality of compact blades, such as a blade PC. The adapter blade includes an interposer disposed for electronically communicating each compact blade with a server interface as a separate node upon securing a compact blade within any of the adapter bays. Each compact blade may be configured as a server, a “client blade” or “blade PC”, or a companion blade providing application-specific features. Therefore, the use of an adapter blade increases the flexibility of and capability of the processor system. | 10-02-2008 |
20080256370 | Intrusion Protection For A Client Blade - Receiving, by a blade management module from a client blade, notification of a loss of communications between a remote desktop apparatus and the client blade; responsive to the notification, accepting, by the blade management module from the remote desktop apparatus, an instruction to alter a power setting of the client blade; and; responsive to the instruction, altering, by the blade management module, the power setting of the client blade. | 10-16-2008 |
20090064338 | PROXIMITY SENSITIVE BLADE SERVER SECURITY - Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to blade server security and provide a method, system and computer program product for proximity sensitive blade server security. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for proximity sensitive blade server security can be provided. The method can include sensing proximity of a systems administrator relative to a blade center, detecting a loss of proximity of the systems administrator, and triggering automated securing of at least one blade server in the blade server in response to detecting the loss of proximity. For example, sensing proximity of a systems administrator relative to a blade center can include establishing a wireless radio connection with a personal article associated with the systems administrator, and determining a loss of proximity when the connection is lost. | 03-05-2009 |
20090157867 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL-TIME GRAPHIC MONITORING OF DIFFERING GRAPHICS RESOLUTIONS USING A SINGLE GRAPHICS BUFFER - A system and method automatically scale the resolution of video output of a selected workstation blade so that an administrator can view the video output by the selected workstation blade in the same format as it is displayed at the user terminal associated with the selected workstation blade. The video is automatically scaled to the administrator's VGA resolution while maintaining the same end-user DVI resolution and displaying the video so that the administrator may see the video output regardless of display format at the end user. This system and method allows the administrator to see the entire display. | 06-18-2009 |
20100214733 | AIRFLOW BYPASS DAMPER - Airflow bypass dampers made from a resilient material and systems including the resilient dampers. The dampers are secured in a chassis and extend into a deployed position to obstruct airflow through a component bay of a chassis in the absence of a component, such as a sever blade, within the selected bay. The airflow bypass damper bends into a retracted position in response to installing a component into the bay. It returns to its original shape and position when the component is removed. An air moving device moves air through a component installed in the chassis. A plurality of the resilient airflow bypass dampers may be secured in a plurality of bays of a chassis, each resilient damper moving independently of the others. The resilient material bends without permanent deformation. For example, the resilient material may include, without limitation, natural polymers, synthetic polymers and metals. A preferred damper has a curved cross-sectional shape. | 08-26-2010 |
20100306560 | Power Management in a Virtual Machine Farm at the Local Virtual Machine Platform Level by a Platform Hypervisor Extended with Farm Management Server Functions - Power management for a virtual machine farm in which each hypervisor respectively serving each virtual machine platform in the farm is provided with an extended hypervisor function coacts with functions provided by the connection broker and the manual configuration interface of the virtual machine farm management server for managing each respective virtual machine platform to maximize the time that each platform is in the reduced power state. | 12-02-2010 |
20110066871 | Multiple Power Supplies Providing Enhanced Power Efficiency - Method and computer program product for supplying power in a computing system, and computer program product implementing the method. The method comprises monitoring power consumption of the computing system, supplying power to the computing system using only a first power supply over a first range of power consumption, and supplying power to the computing system using a combination of the first power supply and a second power supply over a second range of power consumption. The first power supply provides greater efficiency than the combination of the first and second power supplies over the first lower range of power consumption, the combination of the first and second power supplies provides greater efficiency than the first power supply over the second higher range of power consumption. | 03-17-2011 |
20110078679 | PROVISIONING VIRTUAL MACHINE PLACEMENT - Virtual machines are provisioned computers in a computer environment based on input/output (I/O) requirements of software tasks. A workload request, requesting the execution of a software task on a virtual machine, is received. The I/O requirements of the software task are matched to an optimal computer, in the computer environment, that has an I/O bandwidth capability that best matches the I/O requirements of the software task. The software task is then routed to a virtual machine, on the optimal computer, for execution of the software task. | 03-31-2011 |
20110134761 | DYNAMICALLY PROVISIONING VIRTUAL MACHINES - Method and computer program for managing the network response times experienced by virtual machines. Traffic is routed within an Ethernet network through a network switch according to IP addresses identified within Ethernet frames. A plurality of compute nodes are each coupled to the network switch via a separate Ethernet link. A response time is determined for each virtual machine running on the compute nodes, wherein the response time for a particular virtual machine is the difference between a time stamp in a TCP/IP Request message and a time stamp in a TCP/IP Response message for an IP address assigned to the particular virtual machine. The particular virtual machine may then be migrated to a target compute node in response to a particular one of the virtual machines on a particular one of the compute nodes having a response time that exceeds a response time setpoint. | 06-09-2011 |
20110138384 | DYNAMICALLY PROVISIONING VIRTUAL MACHINES - Virtual machines are managed on the basis of data obtained from a management information database of a network switch having a plurality of Ethernet links coupled to compute nodes running a plurality of virtual machines. A management entity, such as a provisioning manager, determines the amount of network bandwidth being utilized through each of the first and second Ethernet links and the amount of network bandwidth being utilized by the Internet Protocol addresses attributable to each of the virtual machines. Accordingly, one of the virtual machines may be migrated from one compute node to another compute node coupled to an Ethernet link having a greater amount of unutilized network bandwidth. Virtual machines may be dynamically migrated in order to provide each virtual machine with a required amount of network bandwidth. | 06-09-2011 |
20110182299 | LIMITING TRANSMISSION RATE OF DATA - An improved solution for limiting the transmission rate of data over a network is provided according to an aspect of the invention. In particular, the transmission rate for a port is limited by rate limiting one of a plurality of queues (e.g., class/quality of service queues) for the port, and directing all data (e.g., packets) for transmission through the port to the single rate limited queue. In this manner, the transmission rate for the port can be effectively limited to accommodate, for example, a lower transmission rate for a port on a destination node. | 07-28-2011 |
20120069032 | Optimizing Virtual Graphics Processing Unit Utilization - Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for optimizing virtual graphics processing unit utilization. Embodiments include assigning a computing intensity level to each virtual machine of a plurality of virtual machines; assigning a priority level to each virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines; determining for each server of a plurality of servers whether the server includes a virtual graphics processing unit (VGPU) that is available to perform compute intensive tasks for the plurality of virtual machines; and assigning one or more VGPUs to a virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines in dependence upon the computing intensity level and the priority level of the virtual machine and the number of VGPUs available to perform the compute intensive tasks. | 03-22-2012 |
20120096473 | MEMORY MAXIMIZATION IN A HIGH INPUT/OUTPUT VIRTUAL MACHINE ENVIRONMENT - A computer implemented method is provided, including monitoring the utilization of resources available within a compute node, wherein the resources include an input/output capacity, a processor capacity, and a memory capacity. The method further comprises allocating virtual machines to the compute node to maximize use of a first one of the resources; and then allocating an additional virtual machine to the compute node to increase the utilization of the resources other than the first one of the resources without over-allocating the first one of the resources. In a web server, the input/output capacity may be the resource to be maximized. However, unused memory capacity and/or processor capacity of the compute node may be used more effectively by identifying an additional virtual machine that is memory intensive or processor intensive to be allocated or migrated to the compute node. The additional virtual machine(s) may be identified in new workload requests or from analysis of virtual machines running on other compute nodes accessible over the network. | 04-19-2012 |
20120102190 | INTER-VIRTUAL MACHINE COMMUNICATION - A computer implemented method is provided, including monitoring network traffic among virtual machines that are allocated to a plurality of compute nodes on a network, and identifying first and second virtual machines having inter-virtual machine communication over the network in an amount that is greater than a threshold amount of the network traffic. The method further comprises migrating at least one of the first and second virtual machines so that the first and second virtual machines are allocated to the same compute node and the inter-virtual machine communication between the first and second virtual machines is no longer directed over the network. In one embodiment, each compute node is coupled to an Ethernet link of a network switch, and data is obtained from a management information database of the network switch to determine the amount of network bandwidth that is being utilized for communication between the first and second virtual machines. | 04-26-2012 |
20120137289 | PROTECTING HIGH PRIORITY WORKLOADS IN A VIRTUALIZED DATACENTER - A computer program product is provided, including computer usable program code for running a plurality of virtual machine workloads across a plurality of servers within a common power domain, and computer usable program code for setting an operating level for each of a plurality of hardware resources within the common power domain in response to receiving an early power off warning from a power source that supplies power to the common power domain, wherein the operating level for each of the hardware resources is determined as a function of the priority of the virtual machine workloads that are utilizing each of the hardware resources. | 05-31-2012 |
20120221887 | Migrating Virtual Machines Among Networked Servers Upon Detection Of Degrading Network Link Operation - Migrating virtual machines among networked servers, the servers coupled for data communications with a data communications network that includes a networking device, where migrating includes: establishing, by a virtual machine management module (‘VMMM’), one or more virtual machines on a particular server; querying, by the VMMM, the networking device for link statistics of a link coupling the network device to the particular server for data communications; determining, by the VMMM in dependence upon the link statistics, whether the link coupling the network device to the particular server is degrading; and if the link coupling the network device to the particular server is degrading, migrating a virtual machine executing on the particular server to a destination server. In some embodiments, migrating occurs is carried out only if non-degrading link is available. If no non-degrading links are available, the network device, rather than the link, may be failing. | 08-30-2012 |
20120226866 | DYNAMIC MIGRATION OF VIRTUAL MACHINES BASED ON WORKLOAD CACHE DEMAND PROFILING - A computer-implemented method comprises obtaining a cache hit ratio for each of a plurality of virtual machines, and identifying, from among the plurality of virtual machines, a first virtual machine having a cache hit ratio that is less than a threshold ratio. The identified first virtual machine is then migrated from the first physical server having a first cache size to a second physical server having a second cache size that is greater than the first cache size. Optionally, a virtual machine having a cache hit ratio that is less than a threshold ratio is identified on a class-specific basis, such as for L1 cache, L2 cache and L3 cache. | 09-06-2012 |
20120233368 | AUTOMATED PROTOCOL SELECTION FOR HOST ADAPTER CARD - A networking system includes a host adapter card including a card connector having four transceiver pairs and a mechanical connector configuration, and a controller having control logic for detecting whether a single-channel connection or a four-channel connection is made to the card connector. The controller further includes control logic for communicating over a network using a default, four-channel-protocol in response to detecting the four-channel connection or using an alternative, single-channel-protocol in response to detecting the single-channel connection. The system further includes an alternative-network compatibility device including a first connector configured for releasably mating with the card connector and a second connector having a different mechanical connector configuration than the card connector. The alternative-network compatibility device includes a transceiver lane from the first connector end to the second connector end, which transceiver lane is placed in connection with one of the four transceiver pairs when mated with the card connector. | 09-13-2012 |
20120240117 | Virtual Machine Management Among Networked Servers - Virtual machine management among networked servers coupled for data communications with a data communications network that includes a network device and a Virtual Machine Management Module (‘VMMM’), where VM management includes: monitoring, by the network device, network traffic of applications executing in virtual machines of the servers; determining, in dependence upon the monitored network traffic, whether a particular application's network traffic exceeds a predetermined threshold, the particular application executing in a particular virtual machine of a particular server; if the particular application's network traffic exceeds the predetermined threshold, allocating, by the VMMM, an additional virtual machine in a different server; and instantiating, by the VMMM, in the additional virtual machine at least one application. | 09-20-2012 |
20120254860 | VIRTUAL MACHINE PLACEMENT TO IMPROVE MEMORY UTILIZATION - Virtual machines having a high amount of identical memory pages are grouped under a common hypervisor to enable greater memory savings as the result of transparent page sharing. One embodiment provides a computer program product including computer usable program code for performing a method that comprises analyzing the software image content of a plurality of virtual machines running on a plurality of hypervisors in a common migration domain, identifying two or more of the virtual machines having greater than a threshold amount of common memory pages, placing the two or more virtual machines under a common hypervisor, and sharing the common memory pages among the two or more virtual machines. Optionally, the identifying of two or more of the virtual machines may include identifying two or more of the virtual machines having the same software image content classifications; thereby, identifying images with a greater affinity for common memory pages. | 10-04-2012 |
20120254868 | Optimizing Virtual Graphics Processing Unit Utilization - Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for optimizing virtual graphics processing unit utilization. Embodiments include assigning a computing intensity level to each virtual machine of a plurality of virtual machines; assigning a priority level to each virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines; determining for each server of a plurality of servers whether the server includes a virtual graphics processing unit (VGPU) that is available to perform compute intensive tasks for the plurality of virtual machines; and assigning one or more VGPUs to a virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines in dependence upon the computing intensity level and the priority level of the virtual machine and the number of VGPUs available to perform the compute intensive tasks. | 10-04-2012 |
20120266163 | Virtual Machine Migration - Virtual machine migration, including: monitoring, by a management agent, the utilization of a system resource in a computing system; determining, by the management agent, a rate of change in the utilization of the system resource over a predetermined period of time; comparing, by the management agent, the rate of change in the utilization of the system resource over a predetermined period of time to a predetermined maximum allowable rate of change in the utilization of the system resource over the predetermined period of time; and taking, by the management agent, corrective action upon determining that the rate of change in the utilization of the system resource over the predetermined period of time exceeds the predetermined maximum allowable rate of change in the utilization of the system resource over the predetermined period of time. | 10-18-2012 |
20120271961 | AUTOMATED PROTOCOL SELECTION FOR HOST ADAPTER CARD - A method is disclosed, wherein a host adapter is selectively connected to a network using either a four-channel connection or a single-channel connection. Whether the four-channel connection or the single-channel connection has been made to the host adapter is automatically detected. A default four-channel protocol is automatically invoked in response to detecting the four-channel connection has been made. An alternative single-channel protocol is automatically invoked, instead, in response to detecting the single-channel connection has been made. The host adapter communicates over the network using the selected one of the default, four-channel protocol and the alternative, single-channel connection using the same host adapter. | 10-25-2012 |
20120272243 | PROTECTING HIGH PRIORITY WORKLOADS IN A VIRTUALIZED DATACENTER - A method includes running a plurality of virtual machine workloads across a plurality of servers within a common power domain, and setting an operating level for each of a plurality of hardware resources within the common power domain in response to receiving an early power off warning from a power source that supplies power to the common power domain, wherein the operating level for each of the hardware resources is determined as a function of the priority of the virtual machine workloads that are utilizing each of the hardware resources. | 10-25-2012 |
20120272244 | VIRTUAL MACHINE PLACEMENT TO IMPROVE MEMORY UTILIZATION - Virtual machines having a high amount of identical memory pages are grouped under a common hypervisor to enable greater memory savings as the result of transparent page sharing. One method comprises analyzing the software image content of a plurality of virtual machines running on a plurality of hypervisors in a common migration domain, identifying two or more of the virtual machines having greater than a threshold amount of common memory pages, placing the two or more virtual machines under a common hypervisor, and sharing the common memory pages among the two or more virtual machines. Optionally, the identifying of two or more of the virtual machines may include identifying two or more of the virtual machines having the same software image content classifications; thereby, identifying images with a greater affinity for common memory pages. | 10-25-2012 |
20120284398 | INTER-VIRTUAL MACHINE COMMUNICATION - A computer implemented method is provided, including monitoring network traffic among virtual machines allocated to a plurality of compute nodes on a network, and identifying first and second virtual machines having inter-virtual machine communication over the network in an amount that is greater than a threshold amount of the network traffic. The method further comprises migrating at least one of the first and second virtual machines so that the first and second virtual machines are allocated to the same compute node and the inter-virtual machine communication between the first and second virtual machines is no longer directed over the network. In one embodiment, each compute node is coupled to an Ethernet link of a network switch, and data is obtained from a management information database of the network switch to determine the amount of network bandwidth that is being utilized for communication between the first and second virtual machines. | 11-08-2012 |
20120289068 | MITIGATING ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE USING DUMMY PLUGS - A system and method for mitigating EMI in an electronic device rely on a set of foam dummy plugs specially configured for insertion into socket connectors according to connector type. The foam plugs have no electrical terminals or wiring, but are made from a foam composite material that attenuates electromagnetic radiation by absorption. The foam composite material includes a foam matrix and electrically conductive particles impregnated within the foam matrix. A handle may be unitarily formed with the foam plug. The handle may include a stamped through-hole, forming a ring, to facilitate insertion and removal of the dummy plugs by hand. | 11-15-2012 |
20120331468 | DYNAMICALLY PROVISIONING VIRTUAL MACHINES - Virtual machines are managed on the basis of data obtained from a management information database of a network switch having a plurality of Ethernet links coupled to compute nodes running a plurality of virtual machines. A management entity, such as a provisioning manager, determines the amount of network bandwidth being utilized through each of the Ethernet links. Accordingly, an additional virtual machine may be provisioned to the compute node that is coupled to an Ethernet link identified as having the greatest amount of unutilized network bandwidth. | 12-27-2012 |
20130042778 | PRINTING ON USED SHEETS OF PAPER - A method of printing on a sheet of paper comprises drawing a first sheet of paper from a first paper source into a printer having an optical scanner and a print head, scanning a first face of the first sheet to determine the presence or absence of print thereon. In response to detecting print on the first face, the print head is caused to print an obstruction on the first face. In response to detecting no print on the first face, the print head is caused to print new matter on the first face. The method enables a printer to accept used paper while eliminating confusion over which face contains the new matter. | 02-21-2013 |
20130073730 | VIRTUAL MACHINE PLACEMENT WITHIN A SERVER FARM - Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computer program products for the placement of a virtual machine within a plurality of cache-coherent NUMA servers. According to an aspect, an example method includes determining a resource requirement of the virtual machine. The example method may also include determining a resource availability of one or more nodes of the plurality of servers. Further, the example method may include selecting placement of the virtual machine within one or more nodes of the plurality of cache-coherent NUMA servers based on the determined resource requirement and the determined resource availability. | 03-21-2013 |
20130111470 | Duration Sensitive Scheduling In A Computing Environment | 05-02-2013 |
20130115869 | DIRECTED SERVER RACK AIR FLOW - A user-customizable air guide comprises a duct having four side panels, an open front end, an open back end, and a flange extending from at least two of the side panels at the front end. The four side panels have a plurality of frangible links that are generally parallel and spaced apart along the rectangular duct between the front end and the back end, wherein each frangible link extends around the four side panels of the rectangular duct. The frangible links are manually breakable to customize the length of the duct extending from the open front end. | 05-09-2013 |
20130212867 | MITIGATING ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE USING DUMMY PLUGS - A method of mitigating EMI in an electronic device includes selecting a subset of surface-mount socket connectors on an electronic device to be connected with corresponding working plug connectors and connecting the working plug connectors with the selected subset of socket connectors by inserting the working plug connectors into the selected subset of socket connectors. The method further includes positioning a dummy plug in each of the unselected surface-mount socket connectors, the dummy plug comprising a flexible foam material configured to attenuate electromagnetic radiation by absorption and having a dummy plug profile generally matched to a socket profile of the corresponding socket connector. | 08-22-2013 |
20130238313 | DOMAIN SPECIFIC NATURAL LANGUAGE NORMALIZATION - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the domain specific normalization of a corpus of text. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for domain specific normalization of a corpus of text is provided, including an industrial, organization, demographic or geographic domain. The method includes loading a corpus of text in memory of a computer and determining a domain for the corpus of text. The method also includes retrieving a lexicon of replacement words for the determined domain. Finally, the method includes text simplifying the corpus of text using the retrieved lexicon. In one aspect of the embodiment, the domain is determined through inference based upon words already presence in the corpus of text. In another aspect of the embodiment, the domain is determined based upon meta-data provided with the corpus of text. | 09-12-2013 |
20140013093 | PINOUT ADJUSTMENT RESPONSIVE TO SYSTEM ORIENTATION - A unit of information technology equipment (ITE), such as a compute node or a network switch, comprises a system board in communication with network connectors that selectively connect to a network interconnect, a gravity sensor for detecting a first orientation and a second orientation of the system board, and a basic input/output system (BIOS) in communication with the gravity sensor to receive a signal identifying whether the system board is in the first or second orientation. The ITE further comprises a network ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) that inverts the pinout of transmit and receive signals in the network connectors in response to a command from the BIOS indicating that the system board is in the second orientation. A system may comprise a first ITE in a first orientation that interlocks with a second ITE in a second orientation that is inverted 180 degrees from the first orientation. | 01-09-2014 |
20140020003 | DYNAMIC BANDWIDTH REDUCTION OF TRANSMISSION STREAMS - A processor implemented method conserves bandwidth capacity by reducing the amount of bandwidth that is used in a communication channel between a content transmitting server and a content receiving client computer while streaming multimedia content. A content receiving client computer receives a multimedia streaming content from a content transmitting server. The multimedia streaming content has a video component and an audio component. In response to determining that a user of the content receiving client computer is no longer watching the video component of the multimedia streaming content, a processor generates and transmits an inattention alert to the content transmitting server. The inattention alert directs the content transmitting server to stream only the audio component of a remaining portion of the multimedia streaming content to the content receiving client computer. | 01-16-2014 |
20140029193 | COMPUTER SYSTEM COOLING USING AN EXTERNALLY-APPLIED FLUID CONDUIT - A computer system includes a rack-mountable server unit with a closed server housing. The server housing has a channel with a recessed channel wall in conductive thermal communication with a processor or other heat-generating component. An elongate conduit is received into the channel of the server housing in conductive thermal communication with an external surface of the server housing. The server is cooled by conductive fluid flow through the conduit, with no appreciable airflow through the server housing. The system may be operated in an optional burst cooling mode, wherein a volume of cooling fluid is trapped in the conduit for a period of time before being quickly released. | 01-30-2014 |
20140032628 | DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION OF COMMAND ISSUANCE IN A COMPUTING CLUSTER - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic optimization of command sequencing in a computing cluster. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic optimization of command sequencing in a computing cluster can include selecting a set of nodes in the computing cluster to receive a single command and probing the nodes of the set to compute a computer communications latency for each of the nodes. Thereafter, the single command can be transmitted to the nodes in the set according to a sequence determined by the computed computer communications latency for each of the nodes. | 01-30-2014 |
20140069680 | EXTENDABLE COMPONENT POWER CABLE - A component power cable having a pair of elongate conductive members each connected at a first end to a power distribution unit connector and at a second end to a component power supply connector, wherein the cable has sufficient resilience to impart a generally collapsed configuration to the component power cable, with the first end generally proximal to the second end. The component power cable is extendable from the collapsed configuration to an extended configuration by displacement of the first end to a position distal to the second end, wherein energy stored in the resilient cable by such displacement restores the component power cable to the collapsed configuration upon return of the first end to a position proximal the second end. The resilience may be provided by a spring element or by an elastomeric sheath. | 03-13-2014 |
20140071602 | POWER CABLE MANAGEMENT IN AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT STORAGE RACK - A computer storage rack has vertically arranged bays for receiving electrical power-consuming components, an elongate electrical power distribution unit (PDU) having power distribution sockets vertically spaced along the length of the PDU, and a hinge pivotally coupling the PDU to the rack along a vertical axis. The PDU pivots about the hinge between a position proximal to the bays and a position distal to the bays. The apparatus further comprises a component power supply cables that are resiliently extendable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. Each of the component power supply cables is connected between one of the power distribution sockets and an adjacent one of the electrical power-consuming components, and each is resiliently extendable in response to pivoting the PDU to the distal position and resiliently collapsed in response to pivoting the PDU to the proximal position. | 03-13-2014 |
20140096139 | WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT CONSIDERING HARDWARE RELIABILITY - A method identifies uptime for each of a plurality of components within a cluster of nodes, and determines a reliability level for each of the plurality of components, where the reliability level of each component is determined by comparing the identified uptime for the component with mean-time-between-failure data for components of the same component type. The method also determines a priority level and a job type for a job to be scheduled. Then, at least one target component type is selected in consideration of the job type, and a target reliability level for the at least one target component type is selected in consideration of the priority level. The job is then scheduled on one of the nodes that includes a component of the at least one target component type having the target reliability level. | 04-03-2014 |
20140164794 | SEQUENTIAL POWER UP OF DEVICES IN A COMPUTING CLUSTER BASED ON RELATIVE COMMONALITY - A computer program product includes computer usable program code for: identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source and includes a circuit breaker; identifying a plurality of devices disposed in the rack, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are selected from server nodes, network switches and external data storage devices; obtaining vital product data from a service processor in each device, wherein the vital product data identifies the device by a model identification code; and powering on, for each of the PDUs, the plurality of devices that are connected to the PDU in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on devices in order of ascending commonality of the model identification code. | 06-12-2014 |
20140164811 | SEQUENTIAL POWER UP OF DEVICES IN A COMPUTING CLUSTER BASED ON DEVICE FUNCTION - A computer program product includes computer usable program code embodied on a tangible computer usable storage medium for: identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source, and wherein each PDU includes a circuit breaker; identifying a plurality of devices disposed in the rack, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are selected from server nodes, network switches and external data storage devices; and powering on, for each of the PDU, the plurality of devices that are connected to the PDU in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on the devices identified as network switches and external data storage devices prior to powering on the devices identified as server nodes. | 06-12-2014 |
20140164812 | SEQUENTIAL POWER UP OF DEVICES IN A COMPUTING CLUSTER BASED ON DEVICE FUNCTION - A method of powering on a plurality of devices includes identifying a plurality of power distribution units disposed in a rack, wherein each power distribution units is connected to receive power from a main power source, and wherein each power distribution unit includes a circuit breaker. The method further includes identifying a plurality of devices disposed in the rack, wherein each device is connected to receive power from one of the power distribution units, and wherein the plurality of devices are selected from server nodes, network switches and external data storage devices. For each of the power distribution units, the plurality of devices that are connected to the power distribution unit are powered on in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the power distribution unit. The sequence powers on the devices identified as network switches and external data storage devices prior to powering on the devices identified as server nodes. | 06-12-2014 |
20140164813 | SEQUENTIAL POWER UP OF DEVICES IN A COMPUTING CLUSTER BASED ON RELATIVE COMMONALITY - A method of powering on a plurality of devices includes identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source and includes a circuit breaker. A plurality of devices disposed in the rack are identified, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are server nodes, network switches or external data storage devices. Vital product data (VPD) is obtained from a service processor in each device, wherein the VPD identifies the device by a model identification code. For each PDU, the plurality of devices connected to the PDU are powered on in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on devices in order of ascending commonality of the model identification code. | 06-12-2014 |
20140173156 | CABLE ADAPTER CORRELATION IN A CLUSTER - A verified cluster configuration is collected and stored by a central management entity. Servers within the cluster are connected to network cables, where each of the servers has at least one network port and memory storing a port identification code for each network port, and where each network cable has memory storing a cable identification code. For each verified connection between a network cable and a network port, the port identification code is stored in the memory of the network cable and the cable identification code is stored in the memory of the corresponding server. The data identifying each connection is stored by the central management entity and includes the port identification code for a particular network port in association with the network cable identification code for the corresponding network cable. Any miswiring of the configuration is identified by the central management entity and easily corrected by the administrator. | 06-19-2014 |
20140177736 | POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM UTILIZING DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS TO DETERMINE THE CONFIGURATION THEREOF - Three-phase electrical power is used to distribute electrical power to electronic devices in a cluster. A power distribution system includes circuit breaker panels and power distribution units for providing electrical power to the electronic devices. The electrical connections within the power distribution system form a digital communication network that communicates identification codes for the purpose of identifying each electrical connection in the power distribution system. A cluster management entity may then collect the identification codes associated with each electrical connection in order to detect the actual configuration of the power distribution system. By further knowing the load of each electronic device and their association with entities of the power distribution system, the cluster management entity may determine the load on each phase and take steps to balance the load. | 06-26-2014 |
20140177738 | DETERMINING THE CONFIGURATION OF A POWER DISTRIBUTION SYTEM - A method provides digital communication over an electrical power supply cable between a management processor in a circuit breaker panel (CBP) and a management processor in a power distribution unit (PDU), wherein the CBP has a CBP identification code (ID) and the PDU has a PDU ID. The digital communication provides the CBP management processor with the PDU ID for the PDU that is connected through the electrical power supply cable to the CBP, or the digital communication provides the PDU management processor with the CBP ID for the CBP that is connected through the electrical power supply cable to the PDU. The method further comprises identifying the electrical power supply cable connection by communicating first and second endpoints of the electrical power cable connection to a cluster management entity, wherein the first endpoint is identified by the CBP ID and the second endpoint is identified by the PDU ID. | 06-26-2014 |
20140181564 | DETERMINING REDUNDANCY IN A POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A computer-implemented method identifies the path of a first power circuit to a first power supply that is connected to supply power to an electronic device, and identifies the path of a second power circuit to a second power supply that is connected to supply power to the electronic device. The method then compares the path of the first power distribution circuit with the path of the second power distribution circuit to determine a measure of redundancy in the first and second distribution paths. A measure of redundancy may then be output to a user. | 06-26-2014 |
20140240919 | TARGETED COOLING TO SPECIFIC OVERHEATING RACK-MOUNTED SERVERS - A system selectively cools a set of at least one rack-mounted server in a chassis. The system comprises: a chassis; a chassis manager; a set of at least one thermal sensor coupled to each rack-mounted server in the chassis; a cold air source; a cold air conduit coupled to the cold air source; a plurality of cold air valves coupled to the cold air conduit; and an expandable tube of flexible memory material coupled to each of the plurality of cold air valves, where the expandable tube inflates with cold air from the cold air source to expose directional holes, and thus cold air, across a specific predetermined sub-area of a particular overheating rack-mounted server in response to the chassis manager detecting that the particular overheating rack-mounted server is exceeding a predetermined temperature. | 08-28-2014 |
20140327538 | CABLE TRACING IN A DATACENTER - A cable detection system may be implemented in a datacenter to locate the path of a cable. The cable detection system includes a signal generator and driver circuit having its output in communication with a transformer, wherein the transformer has a first output coupled to a cable shield of an elongated cable and a second output coupled to a dedicated transmission wire extending lengthwise with the cable and exterior to the cable shield. The cable detection system further includes a plurality of detection circuits, wherein each detection circuit includes an electromagnetically-powered receiver coupled to a light emitting diode, and wherein radio frequency signals emitted from the transmission wire activate the light emitting diodes of the detection circuits within a detection distance of the cable. | 11-06-2014 |
20140327539 | CABLE TRACING IN A DATACENTER - Embodiments of the invention provide a method of tracing cable through a datacenter. The method causes a cable to emit a radio frequency signal along the length of the cable. One or more structural members have a detection circuit that will illuminate in response to detecting the radio frequency signal with greater than a threshold signal strength, such that the one or more structural members are easy to identify when the detection circuit is illuminated. The one or more structural members may be removed to gain physical access to the cable. | 11-06-2014 |
20140355201 | PROTECTING DEVICES AGAINST HOT AIR BACKFLOW IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM RACK HAVING A REAR DOOR HEAT EXCHANGER - A rear door heat exchanger is used to cool exhaust air as it exits a rack containing a plurality of computing devices. An air flow rate is determined for each of the plurality of computing devices within the rack, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices includes a fan drawing air through the computing device. The position of a baffle or louver is controlled to allow exhaust air to bypass the rear door heat exchanger in response to determining that the total air flow rate through the plurality of computing devices exceeds a predetermined air flow capacity threshold of the rear door heat exchanger. | 12-04-2014 |
20140360696 | DYNAMIC SURFACE AREA EXPANSION IN A REAR DOOR HEAT EXCHANGER - A rear door heat exchanger includes a door frame have opposing first and second edges, a fluid supply manifold secured along the first edge of the door frame, a fluid return manifold secured along the second edge of the door frame, a fin tube assembly including a plurality of fin tubes extending across a central region of the rear door heat exchanger and forming an air flow pathway through the fin tube assembly, and an actuator for controllably moving the fin tube assembly between retracted and extended positions. The rear door heat exchanger further comprises a plurality of supply pipe coupling assemblies and a plurality of return pipe coupling assemblies, each pipe coupling assembly providing fluid communication between one of the manifolds and one of the fin tubes. | 12-11-2014 |
20140362520 | DYNAMIC SURFACE AREA EXPANSION IN A REAR DOOR HEAT EXCHANGER - A method comprising flowing a liquid through supply pipe couplings to a fin tube assembly of an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and through the fin tube assembly to return pipe couplings, wherein the fin tube assembly forms a central air flow pathway. The method further comprises passing air through components within a rack secured to the rear door heat exchanger and through the fin tube assembly and detecting an operating condition within the rack. The method then automatically moves the fin tube assembly from a retracted position to an extended position in response to the operating condition, wherein the retracted position directs substantially all of the air to exit the rack through the central air flow pathway, and wherein the extended position allows the air to exit through the central air flow pathway and also through first and second side air flow pathways. | 12-11-2014 |
20150019851 | STATE DEPENDENT OPTIMIZATION FOR SEQUENTIAL BOOTING OF HETEROGENEOUS SYSTEMS - A method and computer program product for implementing the method, where the method comprises obtaining boot dependencies among a plurality of systems, wherein a boot dependency identifies a dependent system, a service system that provides a service to the dependent system, a provide state of the service system, and a need state of the dependent system that requires the service system to have reached the provide state. The method further comprises obtaining historical measurements of the time periods between states for each of the systems. Then, during a process of booting the plurality of systems, the method initiates boot of each dependant system at a time that is determined, based on the historical measurements, to allow the dependent system to reach the need state no earlier than the time at which the service system is determined, based on the historical measurements, to reach the provide state. | 01-15-2015 |
20150050905 | URGENT CALL-BACK FEATURE THAT LOCKS-OUT NON-URGENT CALLS - A computer program product includes computer readable program code embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The computer program product include computer readable program code for receiving input from a user of a first communication device identifying a second communication device and initiating a call to the second communication device, computer readable program code for receiving further input from the user of the first communication device indicating that an incoming call from the identified second communication device is an urgent call, and computer readable program code for, in response to receiving the further input from the user of the first communication device, blocking any incoming call that is not identified as an urgent call is blocked. | 02-19-2015 |
20150050920 | URGENT CALL-BACK FEATURE THAT LOCKS-OUT NON-URGENT CALLS - A method includes receiving input from a user of a first communication device, the input identifying a second communication device and initiating a call to the second communication device. Further input is received from the user of the first communication device indicating that an incoming call from the identified second communication device is an urgent call. In response to receiving the further input from the user of the first communication device, any incoming call that is not identified as an urgent call is blocked. | 02-19-2015 |
20150077271 | CONTROLLING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON A ONE-WAY ROADWAY - A method controls vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway. A hardware sensor detects vehicular traffic on a roadway. A hardware traffic control device determines whether the vehicular traffic on the roadway has been moving exclusively in a first direction during a preceding period of time, such that the roadway is a one-way roadway on which current vehicular traffic is authorized to travel only in the first direction. The hardware sensor detects an errant vehicle that is traveling on the one-way roadway in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. In response to determining that the errant vehicle is traveling in the second direction on the one-way roadway, a warning signal is transmitted to vehicles, other than the errant vehicle, on the one-way roadway. | 03-19-2015 |
20150077273 | CONTROLLING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON A ONE-WAY ROADWAY - A hardware traffic control device controls vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway. A hardware sensor detects vehicular traffic on a roadway in order to enable a hardware traffic control device to determine that the vehicular traffic on the roadway has been moving exclusively in a first direction during a preceding period of time, thus identifying the roadway as a one-way roadway in which current vehicular traffic is authorized to travel only in the first direction. The hardware sensor then detects an errant vehicle that is traveling in the opposite direction on the one-way roadway. A disabling electronic signal is then transmitted from the hardware traffic control device to disable a distracting electronic device within the errant vehicle. | 03-19-2015 |
20150085882 | REDUCTION OF ON-HOLD CALL BANDWIDTH CONSUMPTION - A computer processor determines that a call has been placed on hold. The computer processor sends a first packet to a local exchange carrier (LEC) of the calling device, wherein the first packet includes instructions to release the bandwidth of the call placed on-hold, between the LEC and a recipient of the call. The computer processor sends a second packet intermittently to the LEC, wherein the second packet maintains a connection between the calling device of the call and the LEC. The computer processor determines that a representative is available, wherein the representative is the recipient of the call, and in response to determining the representative that is available responds to the call, the computer processor sending a third packet to connect the calling device of the call to the representative that is available. | 03-26-2015 |