Impedance-based cooling controls

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a plurality of modules installed in the information handling system, wherein each module includes one or more information handling resources, and wherein each module has a corresponding airflow impedance associated therewith; and

a cooling system comprising a controller and a plurality of air movers;

wherein the controller is configured to, in response to a determination that a first module of the plurality of modules has a first airflow impedance higher than an upper threshold impedance, that a second module of the plurality of modules has a second airflow impedance lower than a lower threshold impedance, and that the first and second modules are both disposed within a single airflow path:

determine a scaling factor based on the first and second airflow impedances, wherein the scaling factor is usable by the controller to adjust an amount of airflow provided by the plurality of air movers; and

control the plurality of air movers in an open-loop fashion according to the scaling factor.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the modules includes physical storage resources.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a management controller of the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the scaling factor is further based on statistics of the airflow impedances of all of the modules.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein determining the scaling factor includes determining a first scaling factor for a first subset of the modules and a second scaling factor for a second subset of the modules.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of air movers in an open-loop fashion responsive to a failure of at least one temperature sensor.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive airflow impedance information from the modules.

8. A method comprising:

at an information handling system that includes a plurality of modules installed therein, each module including one or more information handling resources, and each module having a corresponding airflow impedance associated therewith, a controller of a cooling system determining that a first module has a first airflow impedance higher than an upper threshold impedance, that a second module has a second airflow impedance lower than a lower threshold impedance, and that the first and second modules are both disposed within a single airflow path;

the controller determining a scaling factor based on the first and second airflow impedances, wherein the scaling factor is usable by the controller to adjust an amount of airflow provided by a plurality of air movers; and

the controller controlling the plurality of air movers in an open-loop fashion according to the scaling factor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scaling factor is applied to fan speed percentages of the plurality of air movers.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scaling factor is applied to a desired flow rate of air.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controller determining the first and second airflow impedances comprises the controller receiving information regarding impedance from the modules.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the scaling factor includes determining a first scaling factor for a first subset of the modules and a second scaling factor for a second subset of the modules.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling the plurality of air movers in an open-loop fashion according to the scaling factor includes:

controlling an air mover associated with the first subset according to the first scaling factor; and

controlling an air mover associated with the second subset according to the second scaling factor.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions thereon that are executable by a controller of a cooling system of an information handling system for:

determining that a first module of the information handling system has a first airflow impedance higher than an upper threshold impedance, that a second module of the information handling system has a second airflow impedance lower than a lower threshold impedance, and that the first and second modules are both disposed within a single airflow path;

determining a scaling factor based on the first and second airflow impedances, wherein the scaling factor is usable to adjust an amount of airflow provided by a plurality of air movers of the information handling system; and

controlling the plurality of air movers in an open-loop fashion according to the scaling factor.

15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the first module includes physical storage resources.

16. The article of claim 14 , wherein the controller of the cooling system is a chassis management controller.

17. The article of claim 14 , wherein the scaling factor is further determined based on statistical measures of airflow impedances of other modules of the information handling system.

18. The article of claim 14 , wherein determining the scaling factor includes determining at least a first scaling factor and a second scaling factor.

19. The article of claim 18 , wherein the information handling system includes a plurality of other modules.

20. The article of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are further for controlling an air mover associated with a first subset of the plurality of other modules according to the first scaling factor, and controlling an air mover associated with a second subset of the plurality of other modules according to the second scaling factor.