Abstract: Establishing a power profile of power consuming components of computer system configurations for generating electrical ratings, beginning with a default, limited configuration of a computer system and continuing for a number of configurations of the computer system, each configuration including additional power consuming components not included in a previous configuration, where establishing a power profile includes: measuring, for a present configuration, power consumption of the computer system; calculating, in dependence upon the measured power consumption for the present configuration, an estimated power rating for the one or more additional power consuming components; and recording, in a power profile, estimated power ratings for the additional power consuming components, where the number of configurations of the computer system for which power consumption is measured is less than the number of possible configurations of the computer system.

Abstract: Establishing a power profile of power consuming components of computer system configurations for generating electrical ratings, beginning with a default, limited configuration of a computer system and continuing for a number of configurations of the computer system, each configuration including additional power consuming components not included in a previous configuration, where establishing a power profile includes: measuring, for a present configuration, power consumption of the computer system; calculating, in dependence upon the measured power consumption for the present configuration, an estimated power rating for the one or more additional power consuming components; and recording, in a power profile, estimated power ratings for the additional power consuming components, where the number of configurations of the computer system for which power consumption is measured is less than the number of possible configurations of the computer system.

Abstract: A nameplate for power capping a computer including a mounting surface; a module integrated in the mounting surface for providing a machine-readable designation of a power cap for a particular computer; a human readable designation of a power cap for the particular computer integrated in the mounting surface; and a mount for attaching the mounting surface to a chassis of the particular computer such that the human readable designation of a power cap is exposed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method for optimizing the power consumption in a redundant power system. A pulse width modulation waveform is generated in each of a first and second power supply to control the power output of each power supply. In response to the system load reaching a power setpoint, the first and second power supplies supply power to the system load in parallel. In response to the system load being below the power setpoint, the pulse width modulation waveform is disabled or blocked in the second power supply, and the system load is powered substantially entirely with the first power supply.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method for optimizing the power consumption in a redundant power system. A pulse width modulation waveform is generated in each of a first and second power supply to control the power output of each power supply. In response to the system load reaching a power setpoint, the first and second power supplies supply power to the system load in parallel. In response to the system load being below the power setpoint, the pulse width modulation waveform is disabled or blocked in the second power supply, and the system load is powered substantially entirely with the first power supply.

Abstract: A nameplate for power capping a computer including a mounting surface; a module integrated in the mounting surface for providing a machine-readable designation of a power cap for a particular computer; a human readable designation of a power cap for the particular computer integrated in the mounting surface; and a mount for attaching the mounting surface to a chassis of the particular computer such that the human readable designation of a power cap is exposed.

Abstract: Tuning a switching power supply, the power supply including a switching transistor; a filter circuit; a pulse generator that drives the switching transistor; a programmable filter connected to the output of the filter circuit; a digital signal processor (‘DSP’) connected to the output of the filter circuit, the DSP configured to program the programmable filter; and a tuning control circuit connected to the output of the filter circuit, to the pulse generator, and to the DSP; including calculating by the DSP, from sampled voltage values of a tuning pulse driven through the filter circuit by the pulse generator, the actual impedance of the filter circuit; and programming, by the DSP, the programmable filter, setting the combined impedance of the filter circuit and the programmable filter to the design impedance of the filter circuit.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for selecting a redundant power supply mode for powering a computer system are disclosed that include detecting, by a voltage monitoring module, an input voltage level of a power supply; determining, by the voltage monitoring module, whether the input voltage level of the power supply is greater than a predetermined threshold value; if the input voltage level of the power supply is greater than the predetermined threshold value, configuring, by the voltage monitoring module, the power supply for an N+N redundant power supply mode having N primary power supplies and N redundant power supplies; and if the input voltage level of the power supply is not greater than the predetermined threshold value, configuring, by the voltage monitoring module, the power supply for an N+M redundant power supply mode having N primary power supplies and M redundant power supplies, where N is greater than M.

Abstract: A method and system and calibration technique for power measurement and management over multiple time frames provides responsive power control while meeting global system power consumption and power dissipation limits. Power output of one or more system power supplies is measured and processed to produce power values over multiple differing time frames. The measurements from the differing time frames are used to determine whether or not system power consumption should be adjusted and then one or more devices is power-managed in response to the determination. The determination may compare a set of maximum and/or minimum thresholds to each of the measurements from the differing time frames. A calibration technique uses a precision reference resistor and voltage reference controlled current source to introduce a voltage drop from the input side of a power supply sense resistor calibration is made at the common mode voltage of the power supply output.

Abstract: Establishing a power profile of power consuming components of computer system configurations for generating electrical ratings, beginning with a default, limited configuration of a computer system and continuing for a number of configurations of the computer system, each configuration including additional power consuming components not included in a previous configuration, where establishing a power profile includes: measuring, for a present configuration, power consumption of the computer system; calculating, in dependence upon the measured power consumption for the present configuration, an estimated power rating for the one or more additional power consuming components; and recording, in a power profile, estimated power ratings for the additional power consuming components, where the number of configurations of the computer system for which power consumption is measured is less than the number of possible configurations of the computer system.

Abstract: Tuning a switching power supply, the power supply including a switching transistor; a filter circuit; a pulse generator that drives the switching transistor; a programmable filter connected to the output of the filter circuit; a digital signal processor (‘DSP’) connected to the output of the filter circuit, the DSP configured to program the programmable filter; and a tuning control circuit connected to the output of the filter circuit, to the pulse generator, and to the DSP; including calculating by the DSP, from sampled voltage values of a tuning pulse driven through the filter circuit by the pulse generator, the actual impedance of the filter circuit; and programming, by the DSP, the programmable filter, setting the combined impedance of the filter circuit and the programmable filter to the design impedance of the filter circuit.

Abstract: Mapping power domains in a data center, the data center including one or more power consuming computing devices, the computing devices managed by a management module, each power domain in the data center including one or more power service modules located in an electrical path connecting one or more of the computing devices to a power source, each power service module associated with a power line communications controller, where the mapping includes establishing a unique domain identification for each electrical path connecting one or more of the computing devices to a power source; receiving, by the management module from the computing devices, the unique domain identifications; and maintaining, by the management module, a map associating the unique domain identifications with identifications of the computing devices.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products for selecting a redundant power supply mode for powering a computer system are disclosed that include detecting, by a voltage monitoring module, an input voltage level of a power supply; determining, by the voltage monitoring module, whether the input voltage level of the power supply is greater than a predetermined threshold value; if the input voltage level of the power supply is greater than the predetermined threshold value, configuring, by the voltage monitoring module, the power supply for an N+N redundant power supply mode having N primary power supplies and N redundant power supplies; and if the input voltage level of the power supply is not greater than the predetermined threshold value, configuring, by the voltage monitoring module, the power supply for an N+M redundant power supply mode having N primary power supplies and M redundant power supplies, where N is greater than M.

Abstract: A calibration technique provides for precision calibration of system power measurement. The calibration technique uses a precision reference resistor and voltage reference controlled current source to introduce a voltage drop from the input side of a power supply sense resistor. Calibration measurements are thereby made for voltages substantially equal to the voltage of the power supply output, so that differential measurements are made at substantially the same common-mode voltage by appropriate selection of the relationship of the resistance of the precision reference resistor and the resistance of the sense resistor, where the common-mode voltage of the measurement is substantially equal to the power supply output voltage.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed to enable and control power reduction in a blade/chassis system. A “maximum power reduction” attribute is stored in the VPD of the blade (or can otherwise be input to or retrieved or calculated by the management entity). The management module of the chassis in which the blades and power supplies are located uses this information to manage the power reduction of blades when the system is operating in an over-subscription mode and a power supply fails. If throttling is required, the system knows the amount of power reduction available for each blade and controls the throttling by spreading it out among the blades in the system so that, ideally, no blade will cease operation altogether.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed to enable and control over-subscription in a blade/chassis system and to provide the capability to recover in the event of the loss of a redundant power supply. An over-subscription policy is determined by a system administrator and is set in the chassis management module. Information regarding the maximum power allocation needed for each blade being powered by the power supply system is identified by the blade and stored in its VPD or otherwise made available to the chassis management module. The management module of the chassis in which the blades and power supplies are located uses this information to manage the subscription of blades and the over-subscription of blades when appropriate. If throttling is required, the system also allows a predetermined blade priority to be used to identify which blades will be reduced in power.

Abstract: A method and system and calibration technique for power measurement and management over multiple time frames provides responsive power control while meeting global system power consumption and power dissipation limits. Power output of one or more system power supplies is measured and processed to produce power values over multiple differing time frames. The measurements from the differing time frames are used to determine whether or not system power consumption should be adjusted and then one or more devices is power-managed in response to the determination. The determination may compare a set of maximum and/or minimum thresholds to each of the measurements from the differing time frames. A calibration technique uses a precision reference resistor and voltage reference controlled current source to introduce a voltage drop from the input side of a power supply sense resistor calibration is made at the common mode voltage of the power supply output.