Air re-circulation index

An index of air re-circulation in a data center having one or more racks is determined to identify the level of heated air re-circulation into cooling fluid delivered to the one or more racks. The one or more racks comprise inlets and outlets and are positioned along a cool aisle and a hot aisle. The index is calculated by dividing the enthalpy rise due to infiltration of heated air into the cool aisle and the total enthalpy rise of the heated air from the outlets of the one or more racks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A data center may be defined as a location, e.g., room, that houses computer systems arranged in a number of racks. A standard rack, e.g., electronics cabinet, is defined as an Electronics Industry Association (EIA) enclosure, 78 in. (2 meters) wide, 24 in. (0.61 meter) wide and 30 in. (0.76 meter) deep. These racks are configured to house a number of computer systems, e.g., about forty (40) systems, with future configurations of racks being designed to accommodate up to eighty (80) systems. The computer systems typically include a number of components, e.g., one or more of printed circuit boards (PCBs), mass storage devices, power supplies, processors, micro-controllers, semi-conductor devices, and the like, that may dissipate relatively significant amounts of heat during the operation of the respective components. For example, a typical computer system comprising multiple microprocessors may dissipate approximately 250 W of power. Thus, a rack containing forty (40) computer systems of this type may dissipate approximately 10 KW of power.

The power required to transfer the heat dissipated by the components in the racks to the cool air contained in the data center is generally equal to about 10 percent of the power needed to operate the components. However, the power required to remove the heat dissipated by a plurality of racks in a data center is generally equal to about 50 percent of the power needed to operate the components in the racks. The disparity in the amount of power required to dissipate the various heat loads between racks and data centers stems from, for example, the additional thermodynamic work needed in the data center to cool the air. In one respect, racks are typically cooled with fans that operate to move cooling fluid, e.g., air, conditioned air, etc., across the heat dissipating components; whereas, data centers often implement reverse power cycles to cool heated return air. The additional work required to achieve the temperature reduction, in addition to the work associated with moving the cooling fluid in the data center and the condenser, often add up to the 50 percent power requirement. As such, the cooling of data centers presents problems in addition to those faced with the cooling of the racks.

Conventional data centers are typically cooled by operation of one or more air conditioning units. For example, compressors of air conditioning units typically require a minimum of about thirty (30) percent of the required operating energy to sufficiently cool the data centers. The other components, e.g., condensers, air movers (fans), etc., typically require an additional twenty (20) percent of the required cooling capacity. As an example, a high density data center with 100 racks, each rack having a maximum power dissipation of 10KW, generally requires 1 MW of cooling capacity. Air conditioning units with a capacity of 1 MW of heat removal generally requires a minimum of 300 KW input compressor power in addition to the power needed to drive the air moving devices, e.g., fans, blowers, etc. Conventional data center air conditioning units do not vary their cooling fluid output based on the distributed needs of the data center. Instead, these air conditioning units generally operate at or near a maximum compressor power even when the heat load is reduced inside the data center.

The substantially continuous operation of the air conditioning units is generally designed to operate according to a worst-case scenario. For example, air conditioning systems are typically designed around the maximum capacity and redundancies are utilized so that the data center may remain on-line on a substantially continual basis. However, the computer systems in the data center typically utilize around 30–50% of the maximum cooling capacity. In this respect, conventional cooling systems often attempt to cool components that are not operating at a level which may cause their temperatures to exceed a predetermined temperature range. Consequently, conventional cooling systems often incur greater amounts of operating expenses than may be necessary to sufficiently cool the heat generating components contained in the racks of data centers.

Another factor that affects the efficiency of the cooling systems is the level of air re-circulation present in the data center. That is, conventional cooling systems are not designed to reduce mixing of the cooling fluid with heated air. Thus, cooling fluid delivered to the racks generally mixes with air heated by the components thereby decreasing the efficiency of heat transfer from the components to the cooling fluid. In addition, heated air mixes with the cooling fluid thereby decreasing the temperature of the air returning to the air conditioning unit and thus decreases the efficiency of the heat transfer at the air conditioning unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment, the present invention pertains to a method for determining an index of air re-circulation in a data center having one or more racks. The one or more racks comprise inlets and outlets and are positioned along a cool aisle and a hot aisle. In the method, an enthalpy rise due to infiltration of heated air into the cool aisle and a total enthalpy rise of the heated air from the outlets of the one or more racks are determined. In addition, a first index value is generated by dividing the enthalpy rise due to infiltration of heated air into the cool aisle by the total enthalpy rise of the heated air from outlets of the one or more racks.

According to another embodiment, the present invention relates to a system for determining a re-circulation index value of airflow in a data center. The system includes a controller having a metrics module configured to determine an index value of air re-circulation in one or more locations of the data center.

According to a further embodiment, the present invention pertains to a method for controlling air re-circulation in a data center. In the method, inlet temperatures and outlet temperatures for one or more racks and a reference temperature are received. In addition, a first index value of air re-circulation is calculated based on the inlet and outlet temperatures and the reference temperature. Moreover, one or more actuators are manipulated in response to the calculated first index value of air re-circulation to thereby control air re-circulation in the data center.

According to a yet further embodiment, the present invention pertains to a method for controlling air re-circulation in a data center. In the method, a workload placement request is received and servers capable of performing the requested workload are identified. In addition, an index of air re-circulation is calculated on the identified servers and the workload is placed on the servers having the lowest index of air re-circulation.

According to a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for designing a data center. In the method, a data center configuration received and an index of air re-circulation for the data center configuration is calculated. In addition, the data center is re-configured to minimize values of the index of air re-circulation.

According to another embodiment, the present invention pertains to a system for controlling air re-circulation in a data center. The system includes means for calculating an index of air re-circulation in one or more areas of the data center and means for reducing air re-circulation in the one or more areas of the data center.

According to yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to a computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs. The one or more computer programs implement a method of controlling re-circulation of air in a data center. The one or more computer programs include a set of instructions for: receiving inlet temperatures and outlet temperatures for one or more racks; receiving a reference temperature; calculating a first index value of air re-circulation based on the inlet and outlet temperatures and the reference temperature; and manipulating one or more actuators in response to the calculated first index value of air re-circulation to thereby control air re-circulation in the data center.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout the present disclosure, reference is made to “cooling fluid” and “heated air”. For purposes of simplicity, “cooling fluid” may generally be defined as air that has been cooled by a cooling device, e.g., an air conditioning unit. In addition, “heated air” may generally be defined as air, or cooling fluid, that has been heated, e.g., cooling fluid, that has received heat from a heat generating/dissipating component. It should be readily apparent, however, that the terms “cooling fluid” are not intended to denote air that only contains cooled air and that “heated air” only contains air that has been heated. Instead, embodiments of the invention may operate with air that contains a mixture of heated air and cooling fluid. In addition, cooling fluid and heated air may denote gases other than air, e.g., refrigerant and other types of gases known to those of ordinary skill in the art that may be used to cool electronic components.

According to an embodiment of the invention, dimensionless, scalable parameters may be calculated according to various environmental conditions within a data center. These parameters may be implemented to control one or more of cooling fluid delivery, heated air removal, and workload placement to provide efficient cooling of components in the data center. In one regard, cooling efficiency may be improved by reducing the amount of air re-circulation in the data center. That is, by reducing the re-circulation of heated air with cooling fluid and vice versa, the potential of the cooling fluid to cool the components in the data center may be improved over known cooling systems. One result of the efficiency improvement attainable through operation of embodiments of the invention is that the amount of energy required to operate cooling systems in the data center may be reduced, thereby reducing associated operating costs.

The non-dimensional parameters may be used to determine a scalable “index of performance” for the data center cooling system. In addition, the index of performance may quantify the amount of re-circulation occurring at various locations of the data center. In this regard, the parameters are disclosed throughout the present disclosure as a supply heat index (SHI) and a return heat index (RHI). The SHI and RHI may act as indicators of thermal management and energy efficiency of one or more components, a rack, a cluster of racks, or the data center as a whole.

The SHI and RHI are calculated based upon temperatures measured at various locations throughout the data center. For example, the temperature of the cooling fluid supplied by a computer room (e.g., data center) air conditioning unit may be implemented to determine SHI and RHI. The temperature of the cooling fluid supplied by the air conditioning unit may be considered as a reference temperature because the temperature of the cooling fluid at this point may substantially be controlled.

In addition, the indices may be based upon the temperatures at various inlets and outlets. By way of example, the temperatures may be measured at the inlet of a supply vent, the inlet of a rack, the outlet of a rack, the inlet of a return vent, etc. As will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, the temperatures at these various locations are functions of the geometrical layout of the data center. In addition, the temperatures may be varied according to various manipulations of the supply vents as well as the rack inlets and outlets.

According to further embodiments of the invention, the SHI and RHI may be computed with computional fluid dynamics modeling. This modeling may be performed to determine substantially optimized data center layouts. Thus, according to this embodiment of the invention, the layout of the data center may be designed for substantially optimal cooling system energy use. This may entail positioning the racks into predetermined configurations with respect to the supply vents and the air conditioning units. This may also entail use of racks having differing configurations for controlling airflow therethrough.

The SHI and RHI may be implemented in operating a data center cooling system. For example, the SHI and RHI may be used to control cooling fluid delivery to and/or heated air removal from the racks. As another example, the SHI and RHI may be used to determine substantially optimal computational load distribution among the racks. That is, based upon the SHI and RHI calculations, computing workload performed by one or more components, e.g., servers, computers, etc., located in the racks may be shared by one or more other components. Alternatively, the computing workload distributed among a lesser number of components.

With reference first toFIG. 1A, there is shown a simplified perspective view of a data center100according to an embodiment of the invention. The terms “data center” are generally meant to denote a room or other space where one or more components capable of generating heat may be situated. In this respect, the terms “data center” are not meant to limit the invention to any specific type of room where data is communicated or processed, nor should it be construed that use of the terms “data center” limits the invention in any respect other than its definition hereinabove.

It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the data center100depicted inFIG. 1Arepresents a generalized illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the data center100may include any number of racks and various other components. In addition, it should be understood that heat generating/dissipating components may be located in the data center100without being housed in racks.

The data center100is depicted as having a plurality of racks102–108, e.g., electronics cabinets, aligned in parallel rows. Each of the rows of racks102–108is shown as containing four racks (a–d) positioned on a raised floor110. A plurality of wires and communication lines (not shown) may be located in a space112beneath the raised floor110. The space112may also function as a plenum for delivery of cooling fluid from an air conditioning unit114to the racks102–108. The cooling fluid may be delivered from the space112to the racks102–108through vents116located between some or all of the racks102–108. The vents116are shown as being located between racks102and104and106and108.

The racks102–108are generally configured to house a plurality of components capable of generating/dissipating heat (not shown), e.g., processors, micro-controllers, high-speed video cards, memories, semi-conductor devices, and the like. The components may be elements of a plurality of subsystems (not shown), e.g., computers, servers, etc. The subsystems and the components may be implemented to perform various electronic, e.g., computing, switching, routing, displaying, and the like, functions. In the performance of these electronic functions, the components, and therefore the subsystems, may generally dissipate relatively large amounts of heat. Because the racks102–108have generally been known to include upwards of forty (40) or more subsystems, they may transfer substantially large amounts of heat to the cooling fluid to maintain the subsystems and the components generally within predetermined operating temperature ranges.

Although the data center100is illustrated as containing four rows of racks102–108and an air conditioning unit114, it should be understood that the data center100may include any number of racks, e.g., 100 racks, and air conditioning units, e.g., four or more. The depiction of four rows of racks102–108and an air conditioning unit114is for illustrative and simplicity of description purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention in any respect.

With reference now toFIG. 1B, there is shown a simplified illustration of a side elevational view of the data center100shown inFIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the invention. InFIG. 1B, racks102a,104a,106a, and108aare visible. A more detailed description of the embodiments illustrated with respect toFIG. 1Bmay be found in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/970,707, filed on Oct. 5, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As shown inFIG. 1B, the areas between the racks102and104and between the racks106and108may comprise cool aisles118. These aisles are considered “cool aisles” because they are configured to receive cooling fluid from the vents116. In addition, the racks102–108generally receive cooling fluid from the cool aisles118. The aisles between the racks104and106, and on the rear sides of racks102and108, are considered hot aisles120. These aisles are considered “hot aisles” because they are positioned to receive air heated by the components in the racks102–108. By substantially separating the cool aisles118and the hot aisles120, e.g., with the racks102–108, the cooling fluid may substantially be prevented from re-circulating with the heated air prior to delivery into the racks102–108.

The sides of the racks102–108that face the cool aisles118may be considered as the fronts of the racks and the sides of the racks102–108that face away from the cool aisles118may be considered as the rears of the racks. For purposes of simplicity and not of limitation, this nomenclature will be relied upon throughout the present disclosure to describe the various sides of the racks102–108.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the racks102–108may be positioned with their rear sides adjacent to one another (not shown). In this embodiment, vents116may be provided in each aisle118and120. In addition, the racks102–108may comprise outlets on top panels thereof to enable heated air to flow out of the racks102–108.

As described hereinabove, the air conditioning unit114receives heated air and cools the heated air. In addition, the air conditioning unit114supplies the racks102–108with air that has been cooled, e.g., cooling fluid, through, for example, a process as described below. The air conditioning unit114generally includes a fan122for supplying cooling fluid (e.g., air) into the space112(e.g., plenum) and/or drawing air from the data center100(e.g., as indicated by the arrow124). In operation, the heated air enters into the air conditioning unit114as indicated by the arrow124and is cooled by operation of a cooling coil126, a compressor128, and a condenser130, in a manner generally known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In terms of cooling system efficiency, it is generally desirable that the return air is composed of the relatively warmest portion of air in the data center100.

Although reference is made throughout the present disclosure of the use of a fan122to draw heated air from the data center100, it should be understood that any other reasonably suitable manner of air removal may be implemented without departing from the scope of the invention. By way of example, a fan (not shown) separate from the fan122or a blower may be utilized to draw air from the data center100.

In addition, based upon the cooling fluid needed to cool the heat loads in the racks102–108, the air conditioning unit114may be operated at various levels. For example, the capacity (e.g., the amount of work exerted on the refrigerant) of the compressor128and/or the speed of the fan122may be modified to thereby control the temperature and the amount of cooling fluid flow delivered to the racks102–108. In this respect, the compressor128may comprise a variable capacity compressor and the fan122may comprise a variable speed fan. The compressor128may thus be controlled to either increase or decrease the mass flow rate of a refrigerant therethrough.

Because the specific type of compressor128and fan122to be employed with embodiments of the invention may vary according to individual needs, the invention is not limited to any specific type of compressor or fan. Instead, any reasonably suitable type of compressor128and fan122that are capable of accomplishing certain aspects of the invention may be employed with the embodiments of the invention. The choice of compressor128and fan122may depend upon a plurality of factors, e.g., cooling requirements, costs, operating expenses, etc.

It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the invention may be operated with constant speed compressors and/or constant speed fans. In one respect, control of cooling fluid delivery to the racks102–108may be effectuated based upon the pressure of the cooling fluid in the space112. According to this embodiment, the pressure within the space112may be controlled through operation of, for example, a plurality of vents116positioned at various locations in the data center100. That is, the pressure within the space112may be kept essentially constant throughout the space112by selectively controlling the output of cooling fluid through the vents116. By way of example, if the pressure of the cooling fluid in one location of the space112exceeds a predetermined level, a vent located substantially near that location may be caused to enable greater cooling fluid flow therethrough to thereby decrease the pressure in that location. A more detailed description of this embodiment may be found in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/303,761, filed on Nov. 26, 2002 and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/351,427, filed on Jan. 27, 2003, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

In addition, or as an alternative to the compressor128, a heat exchanger (not shown) may be implemented in the air conditioning unit114to cool the fluid supply. The heat exchanger may comprise a chilled water heat exchanger, a centrifugal chiller (e.g., a chiller manufactured by YORK), and the like, that generally operates to cool air as it passes over the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may comprise a plurality of air conditioners. The air conditioners may be supplied with water driven by a pump and cooled by a condenser or a cooling tower. The heat exchanger capacity may be varied based upon heat dissipation demands. Thus, the heat exchanger capacity may be decreased where, for example, it is unnecessary to maintain the cooling fluid at a relatively low temperature.

In operation, cooling fluid generally flows from the fan122into the space112as indicated by the arrow132. The cooling fluid flows out of the raised floor110and into various areas of the racks102–108through the plurality of vents116as indicated by the arrows134. The vents116may comprise the dynamically controllable vents disclosed and described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/970,707. As described in that application, the vents116are termed “dynamically controllable” because they generally operate to control at least one of velocity, volume flow rate and direction of the cooling fluid therethrough. In addition, specific examples of dynamically controllable vents116may be found in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/375,003, filed on Feb. 28, 2003, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As the cooling fluid flows out of the vents116, the cooling fluid may flow into the racks102–108. The racks102–108generally include inlets (not shown) on their front sides to receive the cooling fluid from the vents116. The inlets generally comprise one or more openings to enable the cooling fluid to enter the racks102–108. In addition, or alternatively, the front sides of some or all of the racks102–108may comprise devices for substantially controlling the flow of cooling fluid into the racks102–108. Examples of suitable devices are described in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos., 10/425,621 and 10/425,624, both of which were filed on Apr. 30, 2003, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The cooling fluid may become heated by absorbing heat dissipated from components located in the racks102–108as it flows through the racks102–108. The heated air may generally exit the racks102–108through one or more outlets located on the rear sides of the racks102–108. In addition, or alternatively, the rear sides of some or all of the racks102–108may comprise devices for substantially controlling the flow of cooling fluid into the racks102–108and/or controlling the flow of heated air out of the racks102–108. Again, examples of suitable devices are described in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos., 10/425,621 and 10/425,624.

The flow of air through the racks102–108may substantially be balanced with the flow of air through the vents116through operation of the above-described devices in manners consistent with those manners set forth in the above-identified co-pending applications. In addition, a proportional relationship may be effectuated between the airflow through the racks102–108and the vents116. By virtue of controlling the airflow in the manners described in those co-pending applications, the level of re-circulation between the heated air flow and the cooling fluid may substantially be reduced or eliminated in comparison with known cooling systems.

The air conditioning unit114may vary the amount of cooling fluid supplied to the racks102–108as the cooling requirements vary according to the heat loads in the racks102–108, along with the subsequent variations in the volume flow rate of the cooling fluid. As an example, if the heat loads in the racks102–108generally increases, the air conditioning unit114may operate to increase one or more of the supply and temperature of the cooling fluid. Alternatively, if the heat loads in the racks102–108generally decreases, the air conditioning unit114may operate to decrease one or more of the supply and temperature of the cooling fluid. In this regard, the amount of energy utilized by the air conditioning unit114to generally maintain the components in the data center100within predetermined operating temperature ranges may substantially be optimized.

As an alternative, there may arise situations where the additional cooling fluid flow to the racks102–108causes the temperatures of the components to rise. This may occur, for example, when a relatively large amount of heated air is re-circulated into the cooling fluid. In this situation, and as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, cooling fluid delivery may be reduced in response to increased component temperatures. In addition, cooling fluid delivery may be increased in response to decreased component temperatures. It should therefore be understood that the present invention is not limited to one operational manner as temperatures in the data center100vary.

Through operation of the vents116, the above-described devices, and the air conditioning unit114, global and zonal control of the cooling fluid flow and temperature may be achieved. For instance, the vents116and the above-described devices generally provide localized or zonal control of the cooling fluid flow to the racks102–108. In addition, the air conditioning unit114generally provides global control of the cooling fluid flow and temperature throughout various portions of the data center100. By virtue of the zonal and global control of the cooling fluid, the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioning unit114in maintaining the components of the racks102–108within predetermined operating temperature ranges may substantially be reduced in comparison with conventional data center cooling systems.

A plurality of temperature sensors136–144, e.g., thermistors, thermocouples, etc., may be positioned at various locations throughout the data center100. By way of example, temperature sensors136may be provided at the inlets of the racks102–108to detect the temperature of the cooling fluid delivered into the racks102–108. Temperature sensors138may be provided at the outlets of the racks102–108to detect the temperature of the heated air exhausted from the racks102–108. Temperature sensors140may further be located at the vents116to detect the temperature of the cooling fluid supplied from the space112. In addition, temperature sensors142,144may respectively be positioned near the inlet and outlet of the air conditioning unit114to respectively detect the temperatures of the heated air entering the air conditioning unit114and the cooling fluid delivered to the space112.

The temperature sensors136–144may communicate with one another and/or a computer configured to control operations of the data center cooling system (e.g., air conditioning unit114, vents116, etc.). The communication may be effectuated via a wired protocol, such as IEEE 802.3, etc., wireless protocols, such as IEEE 801.11b, 801.11g, wireless serial connection, Bluetooth, etc., or combinations thereof. In addition, or alternatively, one or more of the temperature sensors136–144may comprise location aware devices as described in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/620,272, filed on Jul. 9, 2003, entitled “LOCATION AWARE DEVICES”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As described in that application, these devices are termed “location aware” because they are operable to determine their general locations with respect to other sensors and/or devices and to communicate with one another through wireless communications.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a mobile device146may be provided to gather or measure at least one environmental condition (e.g., temperature, pressure, air flow, humidity, location, etc.) in the data center100. More particularly, the mobile device146may be configured to travel around the racks102–108to determine the one or more environmental conditions at various locations throughout the data center100. In this regard, the mobile device146may enable temperatures in the data center100to be detected at various locations thereof while requiring substantially fewer temperature sensors. A more detailed description of the mobile device146and its operability may be found in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 10/157,892, filed on May 31, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As described in the Ser. No. 10/157,892 application, the mobile device146may be a self-propelled mechanism configured for motivation around the racks102–108of the data center100. In addition, the mobile device146generally includes a plurality of sensors configured to detect one or more environmental conditions at various heights. The mobile device146may transmit the environmental condition information to an air conditioning unit controller (not shown) which may utilize the information in determining delivery of cooling fluid to the racks102–108in the data center100. In addition, the mobile device146may transmit the environmental condition information to vent controllers (not shown) configured to operate the vents116. According to another embodiment, the mobile device146may receive environmental information from temperature sensors comprising configurations similar to the location aware device described hereinabove. For example, the sensors may transmit a temperature measurement to the mobile device146indicating a hot spot, e.g., a location where the temperature is substantially above normal. The mobile device146may alter its course to travel to the detected hot spot to verify the temperature measurement by the sensors.

FIG. 1Cis a cross-sectional side view of an upper portion of a data center100according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated inFIG. 1C, heat exchanger units (HEU's)150and152may be provided in the data center100. The HEU's150and152are disclosed and described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/210,040, filed on Aug. 2, 2002, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As described in the Ser. No. 10/210,040 application, the HEU's150and152generally operate to receive heated air from the racks102–108, cool the received air, and deliver the cooled air back to the racks102a–108ain a substantially controlled manner. The HEU's150and152are configured to have refrigerant flow therethrough from the air conditioning unit114to cool the heated air they receive. The HEU's150and152generally include an opening to receive the heated air and one or more fans to return the cooled air back to the racks102–108. In addition, the HEU's150and152may also include temperature sensors (not shown) or temperature sensors may be located in the vicinities of the HEU's150and152.

The temperatures detected by the sensors136–144, the mobile device146, and/or the temperature sensors located near the HEU's150and152, may be implemented to determine metrics of re-circulation in the data center100. The metrics may be defined as a supply heat index (SHI) and a return heat index (RHI). The SHI may be defined as a measure of the infiltration of heated air into the cooling fluid and may be determined according to the following equation:

equation  (1):SHI=δ⁢⁢QQ+δ⁢⁢Q
Where Q represents the total heat dissipation from all the components in the racks102–108of the data center100and δQ represents the rise in enthalpy of the cooling fluid before entering the racks102–108.

The total heat dissipation may be determined by averaging the values obtained from subtracting the temperatures at the outlets of the racks102–108as detected by the temperature sensors138from the temperatures at the inlets of the racks102–108as detected by the temperature sensors140. The total heat dissipation Q and the rise in enthalpy δQ of the cooling fluid may be determined by the following equations:

The numerator in equation 1 denotes the sensible heat gained by the air in the cool aisles before entering the racks while the denominator represents the total sensible heat gain by the air leaving the rack exhausts. Because the sum of the mass flow rates is equal for equations 2 and 3, SHI may be written as a function of rack inlet, rack outlet and air conditioning unit114outlet temperatures. Thus, SHI may be represented as follows:

SHI may also be calculated for a cluster of racks in an aisle to evaluate the infiltration of heat into specific cool aisles. Moreover, SHI may be calculated for individual racks to isolate areas susceptible to hot spots. Equations 1 and 3 indicate that higher δQ leads to higher (Trin)i,jand hence, a higher SHI. When the inlet temperature Trinto the rack rises relative to Tref, systems become more vulnerable to failure and reliability problems. Increased Trinalso signifies increased entropy generation due to mixing and reduced energy efficiency for the data center100. Therefore SHI can be an indicator of thermal management and energy efficiency in a rack, a cluster of racks, or the data center.

An SHI of zero indicates a prefect system with no re-circulation of heated air into the cooling fluid. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the invention, one goal in operating the components of a data center cooling system is to minimize SHI.

The heated air from the rack102–108exhausts is drawn up into the ceiling space of the data center100. The heated air then flows into the inlet of the air conditioning unit114. During this flow, the heated air may mix with the cooling fluid from the cool aisles118and may thus lose some of its heat. The quantity of heat loss in this process is equal to the secondary heat acquired by the air in the cool aisles118. From overall heat balance in the data center100, the total heat dissipation (Q) from all the racks102–108should be equal to the total cooling load of the air conditioning unit114. Therefore, the heat balance in the data center between the rack exhausts and the air conditioning unit114inlet may be written as follows:

In equation 5, the first term in the right hand side denotes the total enthalpy (Q+δQ) of the heated air exhausted from the racks102–108. The second term denotes the decrease in enthalpy due to mixing of heated air and cooling fluid air streams. Normalizing equation 5 with respect to the total exhaust air enthalpy and rearranging yields:
SHI+RHI=1  equation (6)
Where RHI is the return heat index and is defined by the following equation:

An increase in Tringenerally results in a rise in Trouton the return side of the racks, provided the heat load in the racks is constant. For equation 7, it is apparent that this change in temperature would reduce RHI, indicating that the air undergoes a higher degree of mixing before reaching the air conditioning unit(s)114. Heated air from the rack exhausts may mix with cooling fluid inside the hot aisle, in the ceiling space, or in the space between the racks and the walls. To investigate local mixing in each row, RHI can be evaluated in an aisle-based control volume between the aisle exhaust and the rack exhaust or it can be inferred from calculation of SHI through known temperature data and equation 6. Higher values of RHI generally indicate better aisle designs with low mixing levels.

According to an embodiment of the invention, data center cooling systems components may be operated in manners to generally increase RHI values.

A more detailed description of the equations above along with examples in which SHI and RHI may be used in the context of data centers may be found in a pair of articles published by the inventors of the present invention. The first article was published in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics on Jun. 24, 2002, and is entitled “Dimensionless Parameters for Evaluation of Thermal Design and Performance of Large-Scale Data Centers.” The second article was published in the April 2003 edition of the International Journal of Heat, Ventilating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Research, and is entitled “Efficient Thermal Management of Data Centers—Immediate and Long-Term Research Needs.” The disclosures contained in these articles are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIG. 2is an exemplary block diagram200for a cooling system202according to an embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the following description of the block diagram200is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which such a cooling system202may be operated. In addition, it should be understood that the cooling system202may include additional components and that some of the components described may be removed and/or modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

The cooling system202includes a controller204configured to control the operations of the cooling system202. By way of example, the controller204may control actuators206a,206bfor a first rack222and a second rack224, a vent actuator208a, and/or a HEU actuator208bto vary airflow characteristics in the data center100. As another example, the controller204may control the workload placed on various servers220in the data center100. The controller204may comprise a microprocessor, a micro-controller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like.

The first rack actuator206aand the second rack actuator206bmay be configured to manipulate an apparatus configured to vary the airflow through the racks, e.g., racks102–108. Examples of suitable actuators206a,206band apparatus may be found in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/425,621 and 10/425,624. As described in those patent applications, a louver assembly or an angled panel may be provided on a rack and may be operated to vary the airflow through the racks.

The vent actuator208amay comprise an actuator configured to vary the airflow through the vent. Examples of suitable vent actuators208aand vents configured to vary the airflow therethrough may be found in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/375,003, filed on Feb. 28, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. A discussion of various operational modes for these types of vents is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/970,707.

The HEU actuator208bmay comprise an actuator configured to vary the airflow into and out of the HEU's150and152. For instance, the actuator208bmay be configured to operate the one or more fans of the HEU's150and152. Examples of suitable HEU actuators208bmay be found in the above-identified application Ser. No. 10/210,040. Interface electronics210may be provided to act as an interface between the controller204and the first rack actuator206a, second rack actuator206b, the vent actuator208a, and the HEU actuator208b. The interface electronics210may instruct the first rack actuator206a, second rack actuator206b, and/or the vent actuator208ato vary its configuration to thereby vary the airflow therethrough and thus through the racks. By way of example, the interface electronics210may vary the voltage supplied to the vent actuator208ato vary the direction and/or magnitude of rotation of a drive shaft of the vent actuator208ain accordance with instructions from the controller204.

The controller204may also be interfaced with a memory212configured to provide storage of a computer software that provides the functionality of the cooling system202. The memory212may be implemented as a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, EEPROM, flash memory, and the like. The memory212may also be configured to provide a storage for containing data/information pertaining to the manner in which the rack actuators206aand206b, the vent actuator208a, and the HEU actuator208bmay be manipulated in response to, for example, calculated SHI determinations.

The controller204may contain a cooling system module214configured to transmit control signals to the interface electronics210. The cooling system module214may receive instructions from a metrics module216configured to calculate one or both of SHI and RHI. SHI and RHI may be calculated in manners set forth hereinabove with respect toFIG. 1B. The controller204may also comprise a workload module218configured to communicate with the metrics module216. The workload module218may operate to distribute workload between a plurality of servers220in response to the calculated one or both of SHI and RHI.

In one respect, the cooling system module214may transmit instructions for the rack actuators206aand206b, the vent actuator208a, and/or the HEU actuator208bto become manipulated in a manner to generally reduce SHI. In addition, these instructions may be directed to generally increasing RHI. In addition, or in the alternative, the workload module218may distribute the workload among various servers220to generally reduce SHI values and/or generally increase RHI values.

As described hereinabove, the SHI values and RHI values may be calculated based upon the temperatures of cooling fluid and heated air at various locations of the data center. In one regard, the temperatures implemented in calculating SHI may be detected at the rack inlets and outlets, vents, and the air conditioning unit inlet and outlet.

FIG. 2illustrates two racks222and224, a vent temperature sensor226, and an air conditioning unit228for purposes of simplicity of description and not of limitation. It should, however, be understood that the following description of the block diagram200may be implemented in data centers having any number of racks, vents and air conditioning units without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The first rack222is illustrated as having a first inlet temperature sensor230and a first outlet temperature sensor232. The second rack224is illustrated as having a second inlet temperature sensor234and a second outlet temperature sensor236. The temperature sensors230–236are illustrated as communicating with the controller204, and more particularly, the metrics module216. The vent temperature sensor226is also illustrated as communicating with the metrics module216. In addition, the air conditioning unit228is depicted as comprising an inlet temperature sensor238and an outlet temperature sensor240, which are in communication with the metrics module216.

The temperature sensors226,230–240may comprise thermocouples, thermistors, or are otherwise configured to sense temperature and/or changes in temperature. The first and second inlet temperature sensors230and234are configured to detect temperatures of the cooling fluid entering through an inlet(s) of the first and second racks222,224, respectively. The first and second outlet temperature sensors232,236are configured to detect temperatures of the heated air exhausting through the outlet(s) at various locations of the first and second racks222,224, respectively. The vent temperature sensor226is configured to detect the temperature of the cooling fluid delivered through a vent, e.g., vent116. The inlet temperature sensor238and the outlet temperature sensor240are configured to detect the respective temperatures of heated airflow into and cooling fluid out of the air conditioning unit228.

The controller204may receive detected temperatures from the sensors226and230–240through wired connections or through wireless protocols, such as IEEE 801.11b, 801.11g, wireless serial connection, Bluetooth, etc., or combinations thereof. The metrics module216may calculate one or both of the SHI and RHI values based upon the received detected temperatures. In one regard, the metrics module216may determine the SHI values and/or the RHI values at various locations of the data center100. For example, the metrics module216may determine the SHI values and/or the RHI values for one or more components, one rack, a cluster of racks, multiple clusters of racks, or the entire data center. The metrics module216may also provide the SHI values and/or RHI values to the cooling system module214and the workload module218.

According to an embodiment of the invention, and as described hereinabove with respect to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/620,272, the temperature sensors226,230–240may comprise location aware devices. Through use of location aware devices as described in that application, the controller204may determine and store the locations of the various sensors. In addition, the controller204may wirelessly receive temperature information from the sensors and may be configured to substantially automatically determine the sensor locations in the event the data center is re-configured.

FIG. 3illustrates an exemplary computer system300, according to an embodiment of the invention. The computer system300may include the controller204shown inFIG. 2. In this respect, the computer system300may be used as a platform for executing one or more of the modules contained in the controller204.

The computer system300includes one or more controllers, such as a processor302. The processor302may be used to execute modules (e.g., modules216–218of the cooling system202). Commands and data from the processor302are communicated over a communication bus304. The computer system300also includes a main memory306, e.g., memory212, such as a random access memory (RAM), where the program code for the cooling system202may be executed during runtime, and a secondary memory308. The secondary memory308includes, for example, one or more hard disk drives310and/or a removable storage drive312, representing a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, etc., where a copy of the program code for the provisioning system may be stored.

The removable storage drive310reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit314in a well-known manner. User input and output devices may include a keyboard316, a mouse318, and a display320. A display adaptor322may interface with the communication bus304and the display320and may receive display data from the processor302and convert the display data into display commands for the display320. In addition, the processor302may communicate over a network, e.g., the Internet, LAN, etc., through a network adaptor324.

It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other known electronic components may be added or substituted in the computer system300. In addition, the computer system300may include a system board or blade used in a rack in a data center, a conventional “white box” server or computing device, etc. Also, one or more of the components inFIG. 3may be optional (e.g., user input devices, secondary memory, etc.).

FIGS. 4A and 4Billustrate exemplary flow diagrams of operational modes400and450of a cooling system, e.g., cooling system202, according to embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the following description of the operational modes400and450are but to manners of a variety of different manners in which embodiments of the invention may be operated. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the operational modes400and450represent generalized illustrations and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. The description of the operational modes400and450are made with reference to the block diagram200illustrated inFIG. 2, and thus makes reference to the elements cited therein.

The operations illustrated in the operational modes400and450may be contained as a utility, program, or a subprogram, in any desired computer accessible medium. In addition, the operational modes and400and450may be embodied by a computer program, which can exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, they can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form.

Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the computer program can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of the programs on a CD ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. It is therefore to be understood that any electronic device capable of executing the above-described functions may perform those functions enumerated below.

The controller204may implement the operational mode400to control airflow through the data center100based upon calculated SHI values. The operational mode400may be initiated in response to a variety of stimuli at step402. For example, the operational mode400may be initiated in response to a predetermined lapse of time, in response to receipt of a transmitted signal, and/or in response to a detected change in an environmental condition (e.g., temperature, humidity, location, etc.).

At step404, the controller204may receive rack inlet temperature measurements from the inlet temperature sensors230and234. The controller204may also receive rack outlet temperature measurements from the outlet temperature sensors232and236. It should be understood that the controller204may receive the inlet and outlet temperature measurements from any number of racks, e.g., racks102–108, at step404.

At step406, the controller204may receive a reference temperature Treffrom one or both of the vent temperature sensor226and the air conditioning unit outlet temperature sensor240. Under ideal conditions, e.g., no heat transfers into the cooling fluid as it travels from the air conditioning unit outlet to the vent, the temperature of the cooling fluid at the air conditioning unit outlet and the vent are identical. The reference temperature Trefmay be considered as either the temperature of the cooling fluid at the outlet of the air conditioning unit or at the vent. It should be understood that either temperature may be used in determining the SHI values.

In addition, when HEU's150and152are used in the data center100to supply the racks102–108with cooling fluid, the reference temperature Trefmay be considered as a temperature of the cooling fluid at the outlet of the HEU's150and152. It should therefore be understood that this temperature may be used in determining the SHI values.

The controller204may initiate a timer at step408to track when the SHI value is calculated, as indicated at step410. The timer may also be initiated prior to receipt of the temperature measurements at steps404and406to track when those measurements are received. At step410, the controller204, and more particularly, the metrics module216may perform the calculations listed hereinabove to determine the SHI values for the ith rack in the jth row. As stated hereinabove, the SHI values may be calculated based upon the rack inlet temperatures, the rack outlet temperatures, and the reference temperatures. In addition, step410and the steps that follow may be performed for individual racks, clusters of racks (e.g., all the racks in a particular row), or all of the racks in a data center.

At step412, the metrics module216may determine whether the calculated SHI values exceed or equal a maximum set SHI value (SHImax,set). The maximum set SHI value may be stored in the memory212and may be defined as a threshold SHI value that the controller204may use in determining whether to manipulate actuators that affect airflow through the racks. The maximum set SHI value may be selected according to a plurality of factors. These factors may include, for example, acceptable re-circulation levels, functional limits of the data center configuration, etc. In addition, the maximum set SHI values may vary from one rack to another or from one cluster of racks to another.

In addition, the metrics module216may determine the level of rise in SHI values. This determination may be made based upon, for example, previous SHI value calculations for a given component, rack, and/or clusters of racks. If an above-normal rise in SHI value is determined, the controller204may operate to cause an alarm to be sounded or otherwise signal that such a rise in SHI value has occurred. The level at which a SHI value is determined to be above-normal may depend upon a plurality of factors and may vary from component to component, rack to rack, and/or clusters of racks to other clusters of racks. Some of these factors may include, the positioning of the components or racks, the airflow characteristics in the locations of the components for the racks, acceptable heat dissipation characteristics, etc.

Thus, some of the racks or areas of the data center may have SHI values that are below the maximum set SHI value whereas other racks or areas of the data center may have SHI values that exceed their respective maximum set SHI values. For those racks or rack clusters having SHI values that fall below the maximum set SHI value, steps404–412may be repeated. These steps may be repeated in a substantially continuous manner. Alternatively, the controller204may enter into an idle or sleep state as indicated at step402and may initiate the control scheme400in response to one or more of the conditions set forth above.

For those racks or rack clusters that have SHI values that equal or exceed the maximum set SHI value, the controller204may manipulate one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto increase the airflow through one or more of those racks or rack clusters at step414. As stated hereinabove, the actuators206aand206bmay be configured to vary the flow of air through respective racks222and224. In this regard, the actuators206aand206bmay control operation of movable louvers as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/425,621 and/or angled panels as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/425,624. In addition the vent actuator208amay control delivery of cooling fluid to the cool aisles118to be supplied to the racks222and224as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/970,707 and 10/375,003.

Also, at step414, the controller204, and more specifically, the metrics module216, may determine the level to which one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bis to be manipulated. This determination may be based upon past performance considerations. For example, the controller204may store in the memory212, calculated SHI values for various actuator206a,206b,208a,208bmanipulations for a given component, rack, and/or clusters of racks. The metrics module216may utilize this information in determining the level of actuator206a,206b,208a,208bmanipulation.

At step416, the controller204may receive temperature measurements again from the sensors226,230–236,240at a later time than at step404, e.g., at time t+1. These temperature measurements are used to calculate the SHI values at time t+1, as indicated at step418. The SHI values calculated at time t are compared with the SHI values calculated at time t+1 to determine whether the manipulation(s) performed at step414produced the intended effect of reducing SHI and therefore reducing re-circulation of heated air into the cooling fluid, at step420.

If the SHI value has been reduced, i.e., the SHI value at time t exceeds the SHI value at time t+1, the controller204may repeat steps404–420. These steps may be repeated according to a pre-set time schedule, or they may be repeated for so long as the data center and therefore the cooling system, is operational. Alternatively, the controller204may enter into an idle or sleep state as indicated at step402and may initiate the operational mode400in response to one or more of the conditions set forth above.

If the SHI value has not been reduced, i.e., the SHI value at time t is less than or equal to the SHI value at time t+1, it may be determined that the manipulation of the actuator(s)206a,206b,208a,208bactually caused a rise in the SHI value. Thus, at step422, the controller204may manipulate one or more of the actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto decrease the airflow through the racks. In one respect, the rise in SHI values could be an indication that re-circulation of the heated air with the cooling fluid may have increased due to the increased airflow through the racks. In this case, a second scheme (operational mode450) may be invoked as illustrated inFIG. 4B, which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

According to the operational mode400illustrated inFIG. 4A, which will be considered as the first scheme, when the SHI values exceed or equal the maximum set SHI value, cooling fluid delivery to the racks may be increased (steps404–414).

FIG. 4Billustrates the second scheme, operational mode450, in the situation where the first scheme does not produce the intended effect of reducing SHI values. The second scheme may be initiated after step422of the first control scheme. In general, according to the second scheme, the controller204operates in a substantially opposite manner to that of the first scheme. That is, for example, under the second scheme, the controller204may manipulate the actuator(s)206a,206b,208a,208bto decrease the cooling fluid flow to the racks in response to the SHI values at time t exceeding or equaling the maximum set SHI value.

As illustrated inFIG. 4B, at steps452and454, the controller204may again receive temperature information from the sensors226,230–236,240. In addition, the controller204may initiate a timer prior to calculating the SHI values for the ith rack in the jth row from the detected temperature information or the controller204may initiate the timer when it receives the temperature information at step456. At step456, the controller204, and more particularly, the metrics module216may perform the calculations listed hereinabove to determine the SHI values. In addition, step456and the steps that follow may be performed for individual racks, clusters of racks (e.g., all the racks in a particular row), or all of the racks in a data center. At step460, the controller204may compare the calculated SHI values with the maximum set SHI value to determine whether the SHI values are below a desired value.

For those racks or rack clusters having SHI values that fall below the maximum set SHI value, steps452–460may be repeated. These steps may be repeated in a substantially continuous manner. Alternatively, the controller204may enter into an idle or sleep state, e.g., step402, and may initiate the operational mode450in response to one or more of the conditions set forth above with respect to step402.

For those racks or rack clusters that have SHI values that equal or exceed the maximum set SHI value, the controller204may manipulate one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto decrease the airflow through one or more of those racks or rack clusters at step462. As stated hereinabove, the actuators206aand206bmay be configured to vary the flow of air through respective racks222and224. In this regard, the actuators206aand206bmay control operation of movable louvers as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/425,621 and/or angled panels as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/425,624. In addition the vent actuator208amay control delivery of cooling fluid to the cool aisles18to be supplied to the racks222and224as set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/970,707 and 10/375,003.

At step464, the controller204may receive temperature measurements again from the sensors226,230–236,240at a later time than at step452, e.g., at time t+1. These temperature measurements are used to calculate the SHI values at time t+1, as indicated at step466. The SHI values calculated at time t are compared with the SHI values calculated at time t+1 to determine whether the manipulation(s) performed at step462produced the intended effect of reducing SHI and therefore re-circulation of heated air into the cooling fluid, at step468.

If the SHI has been reduced, that is, the SHI value at time t exceeds the SHI value at time t+1, the controller204may repeat steps452–468. These steps may be repeated according to a pre-set time schedule, or they may be repeated for so long as the data center and therefore the cooling system, is operational. Alternatively, the controller204may enter into an idle or sleep state, e.g., step402, and may initiate the operational mode450in response to one or more of the conditions set forth above with respect to step402.

If the SHI has not been reduced, i.e., the SHI value at time t is less than or equal to the SHI value at time t+1, it may be determined that the manipulation of the actuator(s)206a,206b,208a,208bactually caused a rise in the SHI value. Thus, at step470, the controller204may manipulate one or more of the actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto increase the airflow through the racks. In one respect, the rise in SHI values could be an indication that re-circulation of the heated air with the cooling fluid may have been increased due to the decreased airflow through the racks. In this case, the first scheme (operational mode400) may be invoked as illustrated inFIG. 4A.

Through implementation of the operational mode450in response to the first scheme producing an undesirable result and implementation of the operational mode450in response to the second scheme producing an undesirable result, the controller204may substantially learn an optimized manner of operating the actuators206a,206b,208a, and208bin response to various SHI value calculations. In this regard, the controller204may substantially adapt to changing conditions in the data center that may cause changing SHI values.

The first and second schemes may be repeated any number times, e.g., as long as the data center is operational, at predetermined time intervals, etc. Thus, the controller204may vary the cooling fluid delivery into the racks as SHI values change for various sections of the data center. In addition, the controller204may vary the airflow through the racks according to an iterative process. That is, the controller204may alter the airflow by a predetermined amount each time a change is warranted and repeat this process until the SHI values are below the maximum set SHI value.

In one regard, by controlling the cooling fluid delivery to reduce the SHI values and therefore to reduce re-circulation of heated air into the cooling fluid, the amount of energy required to maintain the temperatures of the components in the racks within predetermined ranges may substantially be optimized.

FIGS. 4C and 4Dillustrate optional steps of the operational modes illustrated inFIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, according to alternative embodiments of the invention. With reference first toFIG. 4C, there is shown steps424and426that may be performed in place of steps414–420. According to this embodiment, following step412, the settings of the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bmay be determined at step424. The actuator settings may be based upon, for example, the degree to which a supply vent is open, the angle of an angled panel, the angles of movable louvers, etc. Thus, for example, the airflow through the vent and one or more racks may be determined according to the actuator settings.

At step426, the determined actuator settings are compared to predetermined maximum actuator settings. The predetermined maximum actuator settings may be based upon a plurality of factors. For instance, the predetermined maximum actuator settings may correlate to the maximum open position of the above-described airflow devices. Alternatively, the predetermined maximum actuator settings may correlate to a desired level of airflow through the airflow devices. That is, for example, the predetermined maximum actuator settings may be set to substantially prevent potentially damaging levels of airflow through the one or more racks, such as, a situation where there is little or no airflow through the one or more racks.

If the determined actuator settings are greater than the predetermined maximum actuator settings, the controller204may manipulate the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto decrease the airflow to the one or more racks at step422. Alternatively, if the determined actuator settings are below the predetermined maximum actuator settings, the controller204may manipulate the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto increase the airflow to the one or more racks at step414.

With reference now toFIG. 4D, there is shown steps472and474that may be performed in place of steps462–468. According to this embodiment, following step460, the settings of the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bmay be determined at step472. The actuator settings may be based upon, for example, the degree to which a supply vent is open, the angle of an angled panel, the angles of movable louvers, etc. Thus, for example, the airflow through the vent and one or more racks may be determined according to the actuator settings.

At step474, the determined actuator settings are compared to predetermined minimum actuator settings. The predetermined minimum actuator settings may be based upon a plurality of factors. For instance, the predetermined minimum actuator settings may correlate to the minimum open position of the above-described airflow devices. Alternatively, the predetermined minimum actuator settings may correlate to a desired level of airflow through the airflow devices. That is, for example, the predetermined minimum actuator settings may be set to substantially prevent potentially damaging levels of airflow through the one or more racks, such as, a situation where there is little or no airflow through the one or more racks. If the determined actuator settings are less than the predetermined minimum actuator settings, the controller204may manipulate the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto increase the airflow to the one or more racks at step470. Alternatively, if the determined actuator settings are above the predetermined minimum actuator settings, the controller204may manipulate the one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto decrease the airflow to the one or more racks at step462.

After performing the steps indicated in the operational modes400and450, the controller204may determine which of the operational modes400and450to perform when changes to SHI are detected. For example, the controller204may implement operational mode400when a prior performance of operational mode400, e.g., steps402–420, resulted in a reduction in SHI for a component, rack, or cluster of racks. Alternatively, the controller204may implement operational mode450when a prior performance of operational mode450, e.g., steps452–468, resulted in a reduction in SHI for a component, rack, or cluster of racks. In addition, the controller204may implement either operational mode400or450in response to SHI determinations for various components, racks, or clusters of racks. In one regard, the controller204essentially learns which operational mode400or450to perform, e.g., manipulating the one or more actuators to increase or decrease airflow in response to calculated SHI's exceeding the predetermined maximum set SHI.

FIG. 5illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of an operational mode500of a cooling system, e.g., cooling system202, according to an embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the following description of the operational mode500is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which an embodiment of the invention may be operated. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the operational mode500represents a generalized illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. The description of the operational mode500is made with reference to the block diagram200illustrated inFIG. 2, and thus makes reference to the elements cited therein.

The operations illustrated in the operational mode500may be contained as a utility, program, or a subprogram, in any desired computer accessible medium. In addition, the operational mode500may be embodied by a computer program, which can exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, they can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form.

Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the computer program can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of the programs on a CD ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. It is therefore to be understood that any electronic device capable of executing the above-described functions may perform those functions enumerated below.

The controller204may implement the operational mode500to control workload through various servers220based upon calculated SHI values. The operational mode500may be initiated in response to receipt of a workload placement request at step502. For example, the operational mode500may be initiated in response to a request for work to be performed by one or more servers220.

At step504, the controller204, and more particularly the workload module218may identify equipment, e.g., one or more servers220, that have excess capacity that the meets specified performance policies. For example, the workload module218may determine which servers220are capable of performing the requested task.

At step506, the workload module218may receive SHI values for the equipment identified in step504. The workload module218may receive this information from the metrics module218which may calculate the SHI values in the manners described hereinabove. In addition, the workload module218may request that the workload module218perform the SHI calculations in response to receipt of the workload request.

The workload module218may place the workload on one or more equipment having the lowest SHI value at step508. In this regard, the efficiency of the heat transfer from the equipment in the racks to the cooling fluid may substantially be optimized.

FIG. 6illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of an operational mode600for designing and deploying a data center layout according to an embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the following description of the operational mode600is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which an embodiment of the invention may be operated. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the operational mode600represents a generalized illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

Some of the steps outlined in the operational mode600may be performed by software stored, for example, in the memory212, and executed by the controller204. The software may comprise a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool designed to calculate airflow dynamics at various locations of a proposed data center based upon inputted temperatures. The CFD tool may be programmed to determine SHI values for various sections of the data center according to predicted temperatures at rack inlets and outlets, as well as predicted reference temperatures.

At step602, based upon the proposed layout or configuration of the data center as well as the proposed heat generation in the racks, SHI values may be calculated. According to the calculated SHI values, the layout or configuration of the data center may be re-configured to minimize SHI values at step604. Step604may comprise an iterative process in which various data center configurations are inputted into the tool to determine which layout results in the minimal SHI values. Once the layout is determined with the minimized SHI value configuration, the data center having this layout may be deployed at step606.

As described in greater detail in the co-pending applications listed hereinabove, the CFD tool may be implemented to monitor the temperature of air as well as the airflow in the data center100. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the CFD tool may be implemented to calculate SHI values for various sections of the data center100to thus determine the level of heated air re-circulation in the data center100. For example, the temperatures of the cooling fluid delivered into the racks, the temperatures of the heated air exhausted from the racks, and the reference temperature may be inputted into the CFD tool. The CFD tool may calculate the SHI values with the inputted temperature information in a manner similar to the equations set forth hereinabove. The CFD tool may further create a numerical model of the SHI values in the data center400. The numerical model of the SHI values may be used in creating a map of the SHI values throughout various sections of the data center100.

By comparing the numerical models of SHI values throughout the data center100at various times, the CFD tool may determine changes in SHI values in the data center100. If the numerical models of the SHI values indicate that the cooling fluid is re-circulating with the heated air, the controller204may manipulate one or more actuators206a,206b,208a,208bto reduce or eliminate the re-circulation in the manners described hereinabove with respect toFIGS. 4A and 4B.

As described in co-pending and commonly assigned Application Ser. No. 10/345,723, filed on Jan. 16, 2003 and entitled “Agent Based Control Method and System for Energy Management” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, the actuator206a,206b,208a,208bmovements may be considered as resources that may be traded or allocated among rack agents to distribute cooling fluid. These resources may be at the lowest tier of the resource pyramid and may be allocated first in response to a control signal. The multi-tiered and multi-agent control system may be driven by appropriate temperature conditions, deviations, and the rack operating parameters.

By virtue of certain embodiments of the present invention, the amount of energy, and thus the costs associated with maintaining environmental conditions within a data center within predetermined operating parameters, may be substantially reduced. In one respect, by operating the cooling system in manners that substantially reduce SHI values, the cooling system may be operated at a relatively more efficient manner in comparison with conventional cooling systems.