IP Library Granted Patent US 8,489,775
Granted Patent B2
US 8,489,775 · App. 12/840,999 · Granted Jul 16, 2013

System-wide time synchronization across power management interfaces and sensor data

Inventors: Stuart Allen Berke (Austin, TX); George Richards, III (Round Rock, TX); Mark Muccini (Georgetown, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,489,775
App. No.
12/840,999
Filed
Jul 21, 2010
Granted
Jul 16, 2013
Kind
B2
Examiner
MIAH, RAZU A
Art Unit
2441
USPC
709/248
Abstract

A power management control system for an information handling system is disclosed. The power management control system includes a power management interface bus interfacing a plurality of devices, where one or more of the devices is each associated with a time clock. The power management control system further includes a management agent interfacing the power management interface bus. The management agent is configured to: receive a system time; synchronize the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on the system time; and maintain synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, via a set of telemetric primitives.

Claims (32)

1. A power management control system for an information handling system, the power management control system comprising:

a power management interface bus interfacing a plurality of devices, wherein one or more of the devices is each associated with a time clock; and

a management agent interfacing the power management interface bus, wherein the management agent is configured to:

receive a system time;

synchronize the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on the system time, wherein the one or more of the time clocks are each associated with one or more of a voltage regulator, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a power sensor, a fan parameter sensor, and a thermal sensor;

maintain synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, via a set of telemetric primitives; and

time-correlate data provided by the one or more of the voltage regulator, the current sensor, the voltage sensor, the power sensor, the fan parameter sensor, and the thermal sensor; wherein the time-correlation is performed, at least in part, with one or more of a delta value format, a compact linear data format, a high-precision delta time format, and a compact delta time format.

2. The power management control system of claim 1 , wherein the management agent is further configured to maintain synchronization of the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on timestamp information received via the power management interface bus.

3. The power management control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the devices comprises at least two devices, and wherein the management agent is further configured to synchronize the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on a calibrated responder associated with one of the devices.

4. The power management control system of claim 1 , wherein the management agent is further configured to maintain synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, with one or more of the delta value format, the compact linear data format, the high-precision delta time format, and the compact delta time format.

5. A method for providing a power management control system for an information handling system, the method comprising:

providing a power management interface bus interfacing a plurality of devices, wherein one or more of the devices is each associated with a time clock;

providing a management agent interfacing the power management interface bus, wherein the management agent is configured to receive a system time;

synchronizing the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on the system time, wherein the one or more of the time clocks are each associated with one or more of a voltage regulator, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a power sensor, a fan parameter sensor, and a thermal sensor;

maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, via a set of telemetric primitives; and

time-correlating data provided by the one or more of the voltage regulator, the current sensor, the voltage sensor, the power sensor, the fan parameter sensor, and the thermal sensor, wherein the time-correlation is performed, at least in part, with one or more of a delta value format, a compact linear data format, a high-precision delta time format, and a compact delta time form.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on timestamp information received via the power management interface bus.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more of the devices comprises at least two devices, and wherein the method further comprises synchronizing the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on a calibrated responder associated with one of the devices.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, with one or more of the delta value format, the compact linear data format, the high-precision delta time format, and the compact delta time format.

9. A method for providing system-wide time synchronization across power management interfaces, the method comprising:

providing a set of primitives to a controller to retrieve and control time information, at least in part, with one or more of the primitives, wherein the time information is associated with a plurality of devices coupled to a power management interface bus, and wherein one or more of the devices is each associated with a time clock;

providing a set of telemetric primitives to the controller to synchronize the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on one or more of the telemetric primitives and timestamp information received via the power management interface bus;

receiving a system time;

synchronizing the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on the system time, wherein the one or more of the time clocks are each associated with one or more of a voltage regulator, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a power sensor, a fan parameter sensor, and a thermal sensor;

maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, via a set of telemetric primitives; and

time-correlating data provided by the one or more of the voltage regulator, the current sensor, the voltage sensor, the power sensor, the fan parameter sensor, and the thermal sensor; wherein the time-correlation is performed, at least in part, with one or more of a delta value format, a compact linear data format, a high-precision delta time format, and a compact delta time format.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising configuring the controller to support data transfer via one or more of the delta value format, the compact linear data format, the high-precision delta time format, and the compact delta time format.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks based, at least in part, on timestamp information received via the power management interface bus.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

maintaining synchronization of the one or more time clocks, at least in part, with one or more of a delta value format, a compact linear data format, a high-precision delta time format, and a compact delta time format.

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 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 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 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 (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 (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 (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 Jul 23, 2010
From: BERKE, STUART ALLEN; RICHARDS, GEORGE, III; MUCCINI, MARK
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 024731/0001 →
Continuity (1)
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