Managing Power Domains In A Data Center

1 . A method of managing power domains in a data center,

the data center comprising one or more power consuming computing devices, the computing devices managed by a management module, each power domain in the data center comprising 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, the method comprising:

establishing a unique domain identification for each electrical path connecting one or more of the computing devices to a power source including injecting into the electrical path, by each power line communications controller in the electrical path, an identification of the power service module associated with the power line communications controller, and creating a unique domain identification in dependence upon the injected identifications of the power service modules;

receiving, by the management module from the computing devices, the unique domain identifications;

maintaining, by the management module, a map associating the unique domain identifications with identifications of the computing devices;

reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain; and

identifying by the management module an action to take in dependence upon the status information and the map of the unique domain identifications for the computing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the status information identifies an electrical disconnect in the particular power domain and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying, from the map in dependence upon the identification of the monitored power service module, all computing devices in power domains that include the monitored power service module; and

identifying an action of reallocating current workload of the computing devices in the power domains that include the monitored power service module to one or more other computing devices in other power domains that do not include the monitored power service module.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the monitored power service module comprises an uninterruptible power supply that provides battery backup services to one or more computing devices, the status information identifies activation of the battery backup service, and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying, from the map in dependence upon the identification of the monitored power service module, all computing devices in power domains that include the monitored power service module; and

identifying an action of throttling power consumption of the one or more computing device provided battery backup services by the uninterruptible power supply.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module periodically upon a predefined interval of time.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module upon a change of state of the monitored power service module.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining a map of the unique domain identifications further comprises maintaining a data structure including one or more records, each record comprising an association of a unique domain identification and an identification of a computing device, each record representing a power domain in the data center.

7 . An apparatus for managing power domains in a data center, the data center comprising one or more power consuming computing devices, the computing devices managed by a management module, each power domain in the data center comprising 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, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

establishing a unique domain identification for each electrical path connecting one or more of the computing devices to a power source including injecting into the electrical path, by each power line communications controller in the electrical path, an identification of the power service module associated with the power line communications controller, and creating a unique domain identification in dependence upon the injected identifications of the power service modules;

receiving, by the management module from the computing devices, the unique domain identifications;

maintaining, by the management module, a map associating the unique domain identifications with identifications of the computing devices;

reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain; and

identifying by the management module an action to take in dependence upon the status information and the map of the unique domain identifications for the computing device.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the status information identifies an electrical disconnect in the particular power domain and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying, from the map in dependence upon the identification of the monitored power service module, all computing devices in power domains that include the monitored power service module; and

identifying an action of reallocating current workload of the computing devices in the power domains that include the monitored power service module to one or more other computing devices in other power domains that do not include the monitored power service module.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the monitored power service module comprises an uninterruptible power supply that provides battery backup services to one or more computing devices, the status information identifies activation of the battery backup service, and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying an action of throttling power consumption of the one or more computing device provided battery backup services by the uninterruptible power supply.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module periodically upon a predefined interval of time.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module upon a change of state of the monitored power service module.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein maintaining a map of the unique domain identifications further comprises maintaining a data structure including one or more records, each record comprising an association of a unique domain identification and an identification of a computing device, each record representing a power domain in the data center.

13 . A computer program product for managing power domains in a data center, the data center comprising one or more power consuming computing devices, the computing devices managed by a management module, each power domain in the data center comprising 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, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable, signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing a unique domain identification for each electrical path connecting one or more of the computing devices to a power source including injecting into the electrical path, by each power line communications controller in the electrical path, an identification of the power service module associated with the power line communications controller, and creating a unique domain identification in dependence upon the injected identifications of the power service modules;

receiving, by the management module from the computing devices, the unique domain identifications;

maintaining, by the management module, a map associating the unique domain identifications with identifications of the computing devices;

reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain; and

identifying by the management module an action to take in dependence upon the status information and the map of the unique domain identifications for the computing device.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the status information identifies an electrical disconnect in the particular power domain and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying, from the map in dependence upon the identification of the monitored power service module, all computing devices in power domains that include the monitored power service module; and

identifying an action of reallocating current workload of the computing devices in the power domains that include the monitored power service module to one or more other computing devices in other power domains that do not include the monitored power service module.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the monitored power service module comprises an uninterruptible power supply that provides battery backup services to one or more computing devices, the status information identifies activation of the battery backup service, and identifying by the management module an action to take further comprises:

identifying an action of throttling power consumption of the one or more computing device provided battery backup services by the uninterruptible power supply.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module periodically upon a predefined interval of time.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein reporting, by a monitoring module to the management module, status information of a monitored power service module located in a particular power domain further comprises:

reporting the status information of the monitored power service module upon a change of state of the monitored power service module.

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein maintaining a map of the unique domain identifications further comprises maintaining a data structure including one or more records, each record comprising an association of a unique domain identification and an identification of a computing device, each record representing a power domain in the data center.

19 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

20 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.