Patent ID: 8694279

Claim:
A method for controlling a system that includes a first computing component and a second computing component, the method implemented by one or more processing devices and comprising: receiving a first measurement indicative of a temperature of a first computing device in a data center; receiving a second measurement indicative of a temperature of a second computing device in the data center; calculating a thermal value indicating a risk of failure due to thermal influences for the first computing device in the data center, wherein calculation of the thermal value is based on the first measurement, the second measurement, a configuration of the first computing device in the data center, and one or more thermal influence coefficients, wherein the thermal influence coefficients relate the second measurement to an effect of heat generated by the second computing device in the data center on thermal properties of the first computing device in the data center; determining that the calculated thermal value exceeds a threshold; and in response to determining that the calculated thermal value exceeds the threshold, modifying an operational or physical parameter of the system.