IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,015,420
Granted Patent B2
US 8,015,420 · App. 11/944,026 · Granted Sep 6, 2011

System and method for power management of a storage enclosure

Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,015,420
App. No.
11/944,026
Granted
Sep 6, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for power management of storage enclosures are disclosed. A system may include a storage enclosure and a host communicatively coupled to the storage enclosure. The storage enclosure may include at least one storage resource and a management module. The host may be configured to: (a) communicate data to the at least one storage resource via a particular transmission protocol; (b) communicate a power down command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power down command operable to transition the storage enclosure from a high-power state to a low-power state; and (c) communicate a power up command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power up command operable to transition the storage enclosure from the low-power state to the high-power state.

Claims (43)

1. A system for power management of a storage enclosure, comprising:

a host; and

a storage enclosure comprising:

at least one storage resource configured to communicate with the host via a particular transmission protocol;

a management module configured to:

receive a power down command via the particular transmission protocol;

in response to the receipt of the power down command, set a variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a low-power state

receive a power up command via the particular transmission protocol; and

in response to receipt of the power up command, set a variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a high-power state,

a power supply module comprising:

at least one power supply configured to supply electrical energy to the at least one storage resource when the variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to placed in the high-power state; and

an auxiliary power supply configured to supply electrical energy to the management module when the variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to placed in the low-power state.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises a small computer system interface (SCSI) protocol.

3. A system according to claim 2 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises serial attached SCSI (SAS).

4. A system according to claim 3 , at least one of the power down command and the power up command comprising a vendor-specific SAS management protocol (SMP) command.

5. A system according to claim 1 , the auxiliary power supply configured to maintain at least one communication link between the host and the storage enclosure when the storage enclosure is in the low-power state.

6. A system according to claim 1 , the management module including an expander and wherein at least one of the variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a low-power state and the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be placed in a high-power state includes a general purpose input/output (GPIO) register of the expander.

7. A storage enclosure, comprising:

at least one storage resource configured to communicate with a host via a particular transmission protocol;

a management module configured to:

receive a power down command via the particular transmission protocol from the host;

in response to the receipt of the power down command, set a variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be placed in a low-power state

receive a power up command via the particular transmission protocol from the host; and

in response to the receipt of the power down command, set a variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be transitioned in a high-power state; and a power supply module comprising:

at least one power supply configured to supply electrical energy to the at least one storage resource when the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to placed in the high-power state; and

an auxiliary power supply configured to supply electrical energy to the management module when the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to placed in the low-power state.

8. A storage enclosure according to claim 7 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises a small computer system interface (SCSI) protocol.

9. A storage enclosure according to claim 8 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises serial attached SCSI (SAS).

10. A system according to claim 9 , at least one of the power down command and the power up command comprising a vendor-specific SAS management protocol (SMP) command.

11. A storage enclosure according to claim 7 , the auxiliary power supply configured to maintain at least one communication link between the host and the storage enclosure when the storage enclosure is in the low-power state.

12. A storage enclosure according to claim 7 , the management module including an expander and wherein at least one of the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be placed in a low-power state and the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be placed in a high-power state includes a general purpose input/output (GPIO) register of the expander.

13. A method for power management of a storage enclosure, comprising:

receiving a command to power down a storage enclosure from a host communicatively coupled to the storage enclosure, the command communicated via a particular transmission protocol used to communicate input/output data between the host and the storage enclosure;

in response to the communication of the command to power down the storage enclosure, setting a variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a low-power state;

receiving a command to power up the storage enclosure from the host, the command communicated via the particular transmission protocol;

in response to the communication of the command to power up the storage enclosure, setting a variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a high-power state;

maintaining at least one power supply to supply electrical energy to one or more storage resources of the storage enclosure when the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to placed in the high-power state; and

maintaining an auxiliary power supply to supply electrical energy to the one or more storage resources of the storage enclosure when the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to placed in the low-power state.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises a small computer system interface (SCSI) protocol.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the particular transmission protocol comprises serial attached SCSI (SAS).

16. A system according to claim 15 , at least one of the power down command and the power up command comprising a vendor-specific SAS management protocol (SMP) command.

17. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising disabling all but one communication link between the host and the storage enclosure when the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to placed in the low-power state.

18. A system according to claim 13 , further wherein at least one of setting the variable indicating that the storage enclosure is to be placed in a low-power state and setting the variable indicating that the at least one storage resource is to be placed in a high-power state includes setting a general purpose input/output (GPIO) register of an expander.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0618 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040040/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0216 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 031898/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031899/0261 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS FIRST LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031897/0348 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2007
From: CHERIAN, JACOB; LYNN, WILLIAM
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 020173/0560 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090132838A1 · May 21, 2009