Abstract: The driveway edge illumination system may comprise one or more edge lights, one or more sensors, and at least one controller. The one or more edge lights may be positioned along one or more edges of a driveway and may be illuminated to mark the one or more edges of the driveway at night. The at least one controller may illuminate the one or more edge lights based upon one or more sensor signals received from the one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may inform the at least one controller of activity within one or more monitored zones via the one or more sensor signals. As non-limiting examples, the activity may be the presence or movement of a person or a vehicle within the one or more monitored zones. The at least one controller may be operable to extinguish the one or more edge lights.

Abstract: The driveway edge illumination system may comprise one or more edge lights, one or more sensors, and at least one controller. The one or more edge lights may be positioned along one or more edges of a driveway and may be illuminated to mark the one or more edges of the driveway at night. The at least one controller may illuminate the one or more edge lights based upon one or more sensor signals received from the one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may inform the at least one controller of activity within one or more monitored zones via the one or more sensor signals. As non-limiting examples, the activity may be the presence or movement of a person or a vehicle within the one or more monitored zones. The at least one controller may be operable to extinguish the one or more edge lights.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for autonomously determining a set of destinations. A landmark module stores a plurality of landmarks from a database. An identification module identifies a first current location and direction of the vehicle. In response to receiving a help command from the help button, a destination module determines a first set of destinations from the plurality of landmarks, the first current location, and the first current direction. A prompt module audibly prompts a driver to navigate the vehicle to the first set of destinations. A navigation module determines if the driver is navigating towards the first direction. In response to the driver not navigating the vehicle toward at least one destination of the first set of destinations, the navigation module may direct the identification module to identify a second current location and direction of the vehicle and the destination module to determine a second set of destinations.

Abstract: Power supply to system resources is managed by implementing a hardware hook. System resources that should be reconfigured for an application workload are identified. A present power profile in a non-volatile memory is then updated. The present power profile is updated according to the application workload. During a system restart, the present power profile is retrieved from the non-volatile memory. Power is applied to system resources through the hardware hook based on the present power profile.

Abstract: A fan controller causes a fan assembly to flow air through a computer system at a variable airflow rate to cool the computer system. The ambient air temperature to the computer system is detected, and the controller varies the airflow rate as a function of the ambient temperature within an ambient temperature range having an upper limit. The upper limit on the defined ambient temperature range that is used by a fan speed control algorithm may be selectively reduced from a default value in response to electronic input, such from a user or a software object. Correspondingly, the controller limits the air flow rate to a reduced value corresponding to the reduced upper limit. The reduction in stranded power that results from reducing the upper limit on the ambient temperature may be re-allocated, such as to other racks in the data center.

Abstract: Thermal diagnostic systems and methods are provided for improved detection of airflow anomalies in a computer system. In particular, processor load is selectively increased to amplify the effects caused by any airflow anomaly that may be present in the computer system. Workload migration may be used to shift processor load from another node to a target node. Artificial load may also be generated on the target node. The processor load increased to a level sufficient that an airflow anomaly would cause a detectable temperature difference at the selected node. The processor load may be increased by an amount computed to generate this detectable temperature difference. Alternatively, the processor load may be increased by a predetermined amount of between 40% and 100% of full processor utilization. While at the increased processor load, actual temperature sensed by temperature sensors may be compared to temperatures predicted from the model to detect the presence or absence of an airflow anomaly.

Abstract: 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 switched from a multi-screen display to a single-screen display for both the user and the administrator so that the administrator may see the video output regardless of differences between the displays the user and the administrator each have.

Abstract: A variable group power limit is enforced to limit the net power consumption of a group of devices in a computer system, and a variable device power limit enforced on each device is independently adjustable to satisfy the current group power limit. The device power limits are dynamically selected according to a power management method that selectively reduces the device power limits of lower-utilization devices and increases the device power limits of higher-utilization devices.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for analyzing the layout of computer equipment racks in a datacenter. One embodiment involves obtaining the position relative to the computer room of each of a plurality of temperature sensors distributed among a plurality of computer components mounted between opposing intake and exhaust ends of each computer equipment rack. The layout of the computer equipment racks is automatically determined from the positions of the temperature sensors, and a representation of the layout of the computer equipment racks is electronically stored or displayed. The actual layout is compared to target layout parameters to score the layout.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for managing workload on a multi-server computer system. In one embodiment, a subset of servers is selected according to an anticipated net workload. The remaining servers in the system may be powered off to conserve energy and prolong equipment life. Workload is dynamically apportioned among the subset of servers at selected intervals to more uniformly distribute the mean and variance of the workload among the subset of servers. More particularly, the mean and the variance for each of a plurality of workload units are equally weighed in determining a ranking of the workload units. The workload units may be ordered according to a mathematical combination of the mean and variance, such as the sum or product of mean and variance for each workload unit. The workload units are allocated among the subset of servers in according to rank, such as by assigning the workload units to the servers in a reverse round-robin fashion according to rank.

Abstract: A system and method of detecting recirculation within a rack server system. A heat transfer model is constructed for a rack server system. A recirculation zone is specified, and hypothetical recirculation temperatures are input at the recirculation zone. The heat transfer model predicts temperatures elsewhere in the rack severe system, and a predicted temperature profile is computed. Actual temperatures in the rack server system are sensed, and an actual temperature profile is also generated. The actual temperature profile is compared with the predicted temperature profile to detect potential recirculation.

Abstract: Power supply to system resources is managed by implementing a hardware hook. System resources that should be reconfigured for an application workload are identified. A present power profile in a non-volatile memory is then updated. The present power profile is updated according to the application workload. During a system restart, the present power profile is retrieved from the non-volatile memory. Power is applied to system resources through the hardware hook based on the present power profile.

Abstract: A power management scheme is disclosed wherein power limits are imposed on devices of an electronic system using selective airflow reduction. In one embodiment, each server in a rack system includes a throttling system for maximizing processor throughput within a fixed temperature constraint. An airflow system is capable of providing a variable amount of airflow to each server. The power consumption for each server is detected by an external power meter circuit and monitored by a controller operatively connected to the airflow source. The controller selectively reduces the amount of airflow to each server in relation to its power consumption, to induce an amount of throttling of each server sufficient to impose its respective power limit.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods for selectively cooling heat-generating electronic components in an enclosure. According to one embodiment, an enclosure houses a plurality of heat-generating electronic components. Air enters the enclosure at the front and is exhausted at the rear. After passing through one or more upstream components, air diverges into at least first and second airstreams within the enclosure. The first airstream is re-cooled by a cooling system having a thermoelectric cooling module. The thermoelectric cooling module is configured such that a first side is cooled and a second side is heated in response to an applied voltage. A voltage regulator may govern the voltage in response to one or more temperatures sensed within the rack system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting and analyzing elevated temperatures at a component rack to identify and characterize air recirculation anomalies. In one embodiment, temperatures are sensed in proximity to an air intake of the component rack. Temperature sensors communicate with a workstation having system management software including a thermal management component for analyzing air intake temperatures. Predefined temperature differentials (PTD) are established, corresponding to expected temperature differentials between the selected locations in the absence of any appreciable recirculation. The PTD provides a threshold for comparing with “actual” temperature differentials (ATD) to identify the presence and/or mode of recirculation. If an ATD exceeds a corresponding PTD for a predefined time interval, a signal is output. The mode of recirculation, such as left-side, right-side, or dual-surface recirculation, may be determined using as few as four temperature sensors positioned at a zone of interest (ZOI).

Abstract: A fan controller causes a fan assembly to flow air through a computer system at a variable airflow rate to cool the computer system. The ambient air temperature to the computer system is detected, and the controller varies the airflow rate as a function of the ambient temperature within an ambient temperature range having an upper limit. The upper limit on the defined ambient temperature range that is used by a fan speed control algorithm may be selectively reduced from a default value in response to electronic input, such from a user or a software object. Correspondingly, the controller limits the air flow rate to a reduced value corresponding to the reduced upper limit. The reduction in stranded power that results from reducing the upper limit on the ambient temperature may be re-allocated, such as to other racks in the data center.

Abstract: A method for selectively cooling one or more heat-generating electronic components in an enclosure. Air is passed through an enclosure that houses one or more heat-generating components. Heated air is separated into at least first and second parallel airstreams within the enclosure. The first airstream is passed through a first heat exchanger in thermal contact with a first side of a thermoelectric cooling module. The second airstream is passed through a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with a second side of the thermoelectric cooling module. A voltage is applied to the thermoelectric cooling module to cool the first side and heat the second side of the thermoelectric cooling module. A temperature at a location in the enclosure in sensed and the voltage applied to the thermoelectric cooling module is varied in response to the sensed temperature.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for analyzing the layout of computer equipment racks in a datacenter. One embodiment involves obtaining the position relative to the computer room of each of a plurality of temperature sensors distributed among a plurality of computer components mounted between opposing intake and exhaust ends of each computer equipment rack. The layout of the computer equipment racks is automatically determined from the positions of the temperature sensors, and a representation of the layout of the computer equipment racks is electronically stored or displayed. The actual layout is compared to target layout parameters to score the layout.

Abstract: Thermal diagnostic systems and methods are provided for improved detection of airflow anomalies in a computer system. In particular, processor load is selectively increased to amplify the effects caused by any airflow anomaly that may be present in the computer system. Workload migration may be used to shift processor load from another node to a target node. Artificial load may also be generated on the target node. The processor load increased to a level sufficient that an airflow anomaly would cause a detectable temperature difference at the selected node. The processor load may be increased by an amount computed to generate this detectable temperature difference. Alternatively, the processor load may be increased by a predetermined amount of between 40% and 100% of full processor utilization. While at the increased processor load, actual temperature sensed by temperature sensors may be compared to temperatures predicted from the model to detect the presence or absence of an airflow anomaly.

Abstract: A variable group power limit is enforced to limit the net power consumption of a group of devices in a computer system, and a variable device power limit enforced on each device is independently adjustable to satisfy the current group power limit. The device power limits are dynamically selected according to a power management method that selectively reduces the device power limits of lower-utilization devices and increases the device power limits of higher-utilization devices.