Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system that includes a vibration-cancelling mode, and a related method and computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system, are described. During operation, a processor monitors operations in the computer system, and may select either the vibration-cancelling mode or an inactive mode based on the monitored operations. For example, the processor may select the vibration-cancelling mode when there are input/output-(I/O) intensive workloads to an array of one or more hard disk drives (HDDs) in the computer system. In this way, the processor may reduce the energy consumption associated with vibration-induced retries to the HDDs (and reduced I/O throughput) without increasing the energy consumption associated with active vibration damping at other times, such as when the computer system is idle or during processor-intensive workloads.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that dynamically controls a temperature profile within a computer system by generating computer system activity. The system starts by receiving a desired temperature profile. The system then generates a load profile based on the desired temperature profile, wherein the load profile specifies operations to be performed by the computer system. The system next executes the load profile on the computer system to generate computer system activity, wherein the computer system activity causes the desired temperature profile in the computer system.

Abstract: A method for inferring an altitude of a computing device, involving monitoring variable data associated with a plurality of variables measured within the computing device, inferring the altitude of the computing device using the measured plurality of variables in a multivariate correlation function, and controlling operation of the computing device based on the inferred altitude.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that analyzes telemetry data from a computer system. During operation, the system periodically obtains the telemetry data from the computer system. Next, the system preprocesses the telemetry data using a sequential-analysis technique. If a statistical deviation is found in the telemetry data using the sequential-analysis technique, the system identifies a subset of the telemetry data associated with the statistical deviation and applies a root-cause-analysis technique to the subset of the telemetry data to determine a source of the statistical deviation. Finally, the system uses the source of the statistical deviation to perform a remedial action for the computer system, which involves correcting a fault in the computer system corresponding to the source of the statistical deviation.

Abstract: A system that monitors telemetry from a host computer system to detect degradation in a remote storage device. During operation, the system monitors performance parameters from a host computer system which accesses the remote storage device, wherein the performance parameters relate to the interactions between the host computer system and the remote storage device. The system then determines whether the monitored performance parameters have deviated from predicted values for the performance parameters. If so, the system generates a signal indicating that the remote storage device has degraded.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that mitigates the effects of multiple vibration sources on a set of hard disk drives (HDDs) within a computer system. During operation, the system identifies a target HDD in the set of HDDs, wherein the performance of the target HDD is affected by mechanical vibrations. The system also identifies one or more primary vibration sources from the multiple vibration sources that affect the performance of the target HDD. Next, for each of the primary vibration sources, the system measures a first time-domain signal associated with the operation of the primary vibration source using a first vibration transducer associated with the primary vibration source. The system also measures a second time-domain signal associated with the target HDD using a second vibration transducer associated with the target HDD.

Abstract: A system that generates vibrations within a computer system. During operation, the system receives a desired vibration profile. Next, the system determines a sequence of disk operations for one or more disk drives within the computer system that generates vibrations which substantially matches the desired vibration profile. The system then performs the sequence of disk operations on the one or more disk drives to generate the vibrations.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that estimates a power utilization of a computer system. During operation, a set of performance parameters of the computer system is monitored, wherein the computer system includes a processor. Then the power utilization of the computer system is estimated based on the set of performance parameters and a power-utilization model, wherein the power-utilization model was trained by measuring a power utilization of the computer system while the processor is operating at a first frequency and measuring a power utilization of the computer system while the processor is operating at a second frequency.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that trains a pattern-recognition model for electronic prognostication for a computer system. First, the system monitors a performance parameter from a set of computer systems that includes at least two computer systems, wherein monitoring the performance parameter includes systematically monitoring and recording performance parameters in a set of performance parameters from computer systems in the set of computer systems, wherein the recording process keeps track of the temporal relationships between events in different performance parameters in the set of performance parameters. Next, the system generates a training data set based on the monitored performance parameter from the set of computer systems, wherein generating the training data set includes concatenating two or more time-series of the performance parameter from computer systems in the set of computer systems.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that accurately synchronizes signals related to the operation of a computer system. During operation, the system receives a first time-domain signal associated with a first system variable and a second time-domain signal associated with a second system variable from the computer system. The system then transforms the first and the second time-domain signals into a first frequency-domain signal and a second frequency-domain signal, respectively. Next, the system computes a cross-power-spectral-density (CPSD) between the first and second frequency-domain signals to obtain a phase angle versus frequency graph between the two frequency-domain signals. The system subsequently extracts the slope of the phase angle versus frequency graph, and uses the value of the slope to synchronize the first time-domain signal and the second time-domain signal.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that determines a flow rate of air along an airflow path in a computer system. During operation the system monitors a first temperature profile from a first temperature sensor located in a first position in the airflow path, and monitors a second temperature profile from a second temperature sensor located in a second position in the airflow path, wherein the first position is upstream in the airflow path from the second position, and wherein the first position and the second position are separated by a predetermined distance along the airflow path. Next, the system computes a cross-power spectral density based on the first temperature profile and the second temperature profile. Then, the system determines a flow rate of air in the computer system based on the cross-power spectral density.

Abstract: A system that determines whether components are not present in a computer system is presented. During operation the system receives telemetry signals from sensors within the computer system. Next, the system dynamically generates a temperature map for the computer system based on the telemetry signals. The system then analyzes the temperature map to determine whether components are not present in the computer system.

Abstract: A system that select tests to exercise a given computer system is described. During operation, the system tests the given computer system using a set of tests, where a given test includes a given load and a given cycling time selected from a range of cycling times. Moreover, for the given test, the system monitors a stress metric in the given computer system. Additionally, the system selects at least one of the tests from the set of tests to exercise the given computer system based on the monitored stress metric.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that generates a utilization charge for a computer system. First, a set of performance parameters of the computer system are monitored. Next, a power utilization of the computer system is inferred based on the set of performance parameters and a power-utilization model. Then, a utilization charge is generated based on the power utilization of the computer system.

Abstract: A system that identifies processes with a memory leak in a computer system. During operation, the system periodically samples memory usage for processes running on the computer system. The system then ranks the processes by memory usage and selects a specified number of processes with highest memory usage based on the ranking. For each selected process, the system computes a first-order difference of memory usage by taking a difference between the memory usage at a current sampling time and the memory usage at an immediately preceding sampling time. The system then generates a memory-leak index based on the first-order difference and a preceding memory-leak index computed at the immediately preceding sampling time.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a cooling fan for a storage array. During operation, an input-output (I/O) metric of the storage array is monitored. Then, the cooling fan is controlled based on the I/O metric.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that dynamically controls a temperature profile within a disk drive by generating disk drive activity. During operation, the system first receives a desired temperature profile. Next, the system generates a load profile based on the desired temperature profile, wherein the load profile specifies read/write operations on the disk drive. The system then applies the load profile to the disk drive to generate disk drive activity, wherein the disk activity causes the temperature in the disk drive to track the desired temperature profile.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a device that generates vibrations in a computer system. During operation, a critical vibration frequency is determined for the computer system. Next, a keep-out zone is generated based on the critical vibration frequency, wherein the keep-out zone specifies a range of frequencies to be avoided. Then, the device is controlled based on the keep-out zone to reduce vibrations generated by the device in the keep-out zone.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a power utilization of a computer system by adjusting a cooling fan speed. During operation, a relationship between information related to the cooling fan speed and the power utilization is determined. Then, the cooling fan speed is adjusted based on the determined relationship to control the power utilization of the computer system.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that generates a load for a computer system in accordance with a predetermined load profile. During operation, the load for the computer system is generated by modulating the load using pulse-width modulation, wherein the load is periodically cycled between at least two different test load levels so that a moving window average of the modulated load follows the predetermined load profile.