System, method, apparatus, and computer program product for generating a power cabling plan for a computing system

1. A method for generating a power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack, the method comprising:

accessing a build plan for the rack, the build plan identifying a plurality of power drawing components and a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs), wherein each PDU comprises the at least one circuit;

iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to the at least one circuit based at least in part on an existing power load assigned to each circuit and an amount of power drawn by the power drawing components;

after assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to the at least one circuit, determining a difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair;

determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible by reassigning the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair;

in the instance in which it is determined that the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in one or more circuit pairs of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, reassigning the at least one power drawing component to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs; and

generating a power cabling plan defining at least one assigned PDU port for each of the plurality of power drawing components, wherein each assigned PDU port corresponds to a circuit to which the power drawing component has been assigned based at least in part on the iteratively assigning and on any subsequent reassignment of one or more power drawing components performed in an instance in which it is determined that the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in one or more circuit pairs of the at least one circuit pair is reducible,

wherein the method is performed by processing circuitry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power drawing components comprise one or more compute components, one or more storage components, and one or more network components.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the build plan comprises an elevation plan defining a vertical arrangement of the plurality of power drawing components within the rack; and

iteratively assigning comprises iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit in an order corresponding to the vertical arrangement of the plurality of power drawing components within the rack.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, for each of at least one of the plurality of power drawing components, a number of power connections used by the power drawing component; and

wherein iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit comprises iteratively assigning each of the at least one of the plurality of power drawing components to a number of circuits corresponding to the number of power connections used by the power drawing component.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit comprises assigning a power drawing component to a circuit having a lowest assigned power load of available circuits, wherein if multiple circuits have the lowest assigned power load and one of the circuits having the lowest assigned power load is implemented on a PDU having fewer assigned connections than any other PDU on which a circuit having the lowest assigned power load is implemented, the power drawing component is assigned to the circuit implemented on the PDU having fewer assigned connections.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of determining the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair, determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, and reassigning at least one power drawing components to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs is repeated until the difference in assigned power loads cannot be reduced for any circuit pair.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack further defines a type of power cable to use for each connection between a power drawing component and a PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, for each of at least one of the plurality of power drawing components, a cable length to use to connect the power drawing component to a PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned based at least in part on a mount position of the power drawing component within the rack and a location of the PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned,

wherein the power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack further defines, for each of the at least one of the plurality of power drawing components, the determined cable length to use to connect the power drawing component to the PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying, for each of at least one of the plurality of power drawing components based at least in part on a mount position of the power drawing component and a location of the PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned, that a cable length is sufficient to connect the power drawing component to the PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned; and

if it is determined that the cable length is not sufficient to connect the power drawing component to the PDU port to which the power drawing component is assigned, reassigning the power drawing component to one or both of another PDU port or another circuit.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of PDUs are grouped into PDU pairs comprising a first PDU and a second PDU providing redundant power connections for power connections of the first PDU, and wherein the iteratively assigning and the reassigning comprises assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to a circuit implemented on a first PDU in a respective PDU pair, and wherein the method further comprises, for each PDU pair:

mirroring assignments of power drawing components made based on the iteratively assigning and the reassigning to one or more circuits of the first PDU in the PDU pair to one or more corresponding circuits of the second PDU in the PDU pair,

wherein, for each power drawing component including a redundant power connection, the power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack defines redundant assignments to a PDU port on each of the first PDU and the second PDU in a PDU pair.

11. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for generating a power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack, the method comprising:

accessing a build plan for the rack, the build plan identifying a plurality of power drawing components and a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs), wherein each PDU comprises the at least one circuit;

iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to the at least one circuit based at least in part on an existing power load assigned to each circuit and an amount of power drawn by the power drawing components;

after assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit, reassigning the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible; and

generating a power cabling plan defining at least one assigned PDU port for each of the plurality of power drawing components, wherein each assigned PDU port corresponds to a circuit to which the power drawing component has been assigned based at least in part on the iteratively assigning and on any subsequent reassignment of one or more power drawing components if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of power drawing components comprise components of a computing system comprising one or more compute components, one or more storage components, and one or more network components.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein:

the build plan comprises an elevation plan defining a vertical arrangement of the plurality of power drawing components within the rack; and

iteratively assigning comprises iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit in an order corresponding to the vertical arrangement of the plurality of power drawing components within the rack.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining, for each of at least one of the plurality of power drawing components, a number of power connections used by the power drawing component; and

wherein iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit comprises iteratively assigning each of the at least one of the plurality of power drawing components to a number of circuits corresponding to the number of power connections used by the power drawing component.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein iteratively assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit comprises assigning a power drawing component to a circuit having a lowest assigned power load of available circuits, wherein if multiple circuits have the lowest assigned power load and one of the circuits having the lowest assigned power load is implemented on a PDU having fewer assigned connections than any other PDU on which a circuit having the lowest assigned power load is implemented, the power drawing component is assigned to the circuit implemented on the PDU having fewer assigned connections.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein reassigning at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible comprises:

determining a difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair;

determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible by reassigning the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair; and

in an instance in which it is determined that the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in one or more circuit pairs of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, reassigning the at least one power drawing component to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs,

wherein each of determining the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair, determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, and reassigning the at least one power drawing component to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs is repeated until the difference in assigned power loads cannot be reduced for any circuit pair.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of PDUs are grouped into PDU pairs comprising a first PDU and a second PDU providing redundant power connections for power connections of the first PDU, and wherein the iteratively assigning and the reassigning comprises assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to a circuit implemented on a first PDU in a respective PDU pair, and wherein the method further comprises, for each PDU pair:

mirroring assignments of power drawing components made based on the iteratively assigning and the reassigning to one or more circuits of the first PDU in the PDU pair to one or more corresponding circuits of the second PDU in the PDU pair,

wherein, for each power drawing component including a redundant power connection, the power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack defines redundant assignments to a PDU port on each of the first PDU and the second PDU in a PDU pair.

18. A system for generating a power cabling plan for components mounted in a rack, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system to at least:

access a build plan for the rack, the build plan identifying a plurality of power drawing components and a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs), wherein each PDU comprises the at least one circuit;

iteratively assign each of the plurality of power drawing components to the at least one circuit based at least in part on an existing power load assigned to each circuit and an amount of power drawn by the power drawing components;

after assigning each of the plurality of power drawing components to the at least one circuit, reassign the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair if a difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible; and

generate a power cabling plan defining at least one assigned PDU port for each of the plurality of power drawing components, wherein each assigned PDU port corresponds to a circuit to which the power drawing component has been assigned based at least in part on the iterative assignment and on any subsequent reassignment of one or more power drawing components if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system to iteratively assign each of the plurality of power drawing components to at least one circuit at least in part by:

assigning a power drawing component to a circuit having a lowest assigned power load of available circuits, wherein if multiple circuits have the lowest assigned power load and one of the circuits having the lowest assigned power load is implemented on a PDU having fewer assigned connections than any other PDU on which a circuit having the lowest assigned power load is implemented, the power drawing component is assigned to the circuit implemented on the PDU having fewer assigned connections.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system to reassign the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair if a difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair is reducible at least in part by:

determining a difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair;

determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible by reassigning the at least one power drawing component between circuits in a circuit pair; and

in an instance in which it is determined that the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in one or more circuit pairs of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, reassigning the at least one power drawing component to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs,

wherein each of determining the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in each of at least one circuit pair, determining if the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in any circuit pair of the at least one circuit pair is reducible, and reassigning the at least one power drawing component to reduce the difference in assigned power loads between circuits in the one or more circuit pairs is repeated until the difference in assigned power loads cannot be reduced for any circuit pair.