Predictive failure of hardware components

1. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that upon execution cause a computer system to:

receive, in a management controller, from a hardware component, a measured power usage of the hardware component, wherein the hardware component is an integrated circuit or a printed circuit board including multiple integrated circuits, and wherein the hardware component is within a server computer that includes the management controller;

receive from the hardware component, a measured junction temperature of the hardware component and an air mover speed;

calculate an expected power usage based on the junction temperature, and the air mover speed;

compare the expected power usage to the measured power usage; and

transmit a predictive failure indication if the measured power usage exceeds the expected power usage by a threshold amount so as to provide notification that the hardware component is failing.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, upon execution, further cause the computer system to:

receive an ambient air temperature upstream of the hardware component; and

calculate the expected power usage based upon the junction temperature and the ambient air temperature.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the hardware component is silicon of an integrated circuit.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the expected power usage is determined using the following formula:

Power expected=( T junction _ measured −T ambient _ measured )/thermal resistance;

wherein T junction _ measured is a measured temperature internal to the hardware component, T ambient _ measured is an ambient temperature outside of the hardware component, and the thermal resistance is of the hardware component and wherein the Power expected is calculated for different levels of workload of the hardware component ranging from a low utilization level of the hardware component to a high utilization level.

5. A method of predictively determining a hardware failure, comprising:

receiving a transmission in a server computer that includes data indicating a measured power usage of a hardware component and a transmission including an air mover speed in the server computer;

calculating an expected power usage as a function of junction temperature of the hardware component, an ambient temperature upstream of the hardware component, and an air mover speed associated with an air mover used to cool the hardware component;

comparing the measured power usage of the hardware component to the expected power usage; and

transmitting a predictive failure notification upon determining that the measured power usage exceeds the expected power by a threshold amount so as to indicate that the hardware component is failing.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the expected power usage is determined using a lookup table.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the expected power usage is determined using the following formula:

Power expected=( T junction _ measured −T ambient _ measured )/thermal resistance;

wherein T junction _ measured is a measured temperature internal to the hardware component, T ambient _ measured is an ambient temperature outside of the hardware component, and the thermal resistance is of the hardware component, and wherein the Power expected is calculated for different levels of workload ranging from a low utilization level of the hardware component to a high utilization level.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thermal resistance is a function of fluid flow that passes the hardware component.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluid flow is associated with the air mover speed or pump speed.

10. The method of claim 5 , further including a management controller coupled to the hardware component, the management controller including a processor that receives the transmission including the data indicating the power usage, and that transmits the predictive failure notification.

11. A system, comprising:

a hardware component having a power measurement sub-component built therein and a junction temperature sub-component built therein, the power measurement sub-component for determining power used by the hardware component, and the junction temperature sub-component for determining a junction temperature;

a pump that moves fluid past the hardware component, the pump being an air mover or a liquid pump to cool the hardware component; and

a management controller coupled to the hardware component, the management controller for calculating an expected power usage based on the junction temperature received from the hardware component and based on a measurement received from the pump, and for calculating a difference between the power determined by the power measurement component and the expected power usage, wherein the management controller is for transmitting a predictive failure notification when the difference exceeds a threshold so as to indicate that the hardware component is likely to fail and wherein the management controller is within a server computer and the hardware component is silicon within an integrated circuit.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the management controller is a baseboard management controller (BMC) on a server motherboard.

13. The system of claim 11 , further including an ambient temperature component to measure ambient temperature associated with the hardware component, wherein the management controller is coupled to the ambient temperature component and calculates the expected power usage based on the ambient temperature.