Data center cooling with critical device prioritization

1. A computer program product for automatically adjusting room temperature in a data center room, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a processor in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a throttle threshold temperature for each of multiple computing devices, wherein the multiple computing devices are physically located within a data center room that is climate-controlled by the HVAC system, wherein the throttle threshold temperature is a temperature that, if exceeded, causes operations of one or more components of a computing device to be reduced, and wherein the throttle threshold temperature is provided by a hardware management module (MM) associated with at least one of the multiple computing devices;

monitoring, by the processor in the HVAC system, a real-time temperature of at least one of the multiple computing devices, wherein the real-time temperature is provided by the hardware MM associated with said at least one of the multiple computing devices;

in response to the real-time temperature of said at least one of the multiple computing devices exceeding the throttle threshold temperature for said at least one of the multiple computing devices, decreasing an ambient air temperature in the data center room by adjusting a hardware thermostat in the HVAC system;

identifying, by the processor in the HVAC system, a critical computing device from the multiple computing devices, wherein the critical computing device has been predetermined to be critical to a mission;

identifying, by the processor in the HVAC system, a non-critical computing device from the multiple computing devices, wherein the non-critical computing device has been predetermined to be non-critical to the mission; and

prioritizing, for the mission, cooling of the critical computing device over the non-critical computing device, the prioritizing including controlling the ambient air temperature in the data center room based on the throttle threshold temperature for the critical computing device, or a throttling history of the critical computing device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 ;

wherein the throttle threshold temperature of the critical computing device is a first temperature;

wherein the throttle threshold temperature of the non-critical computing device is a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature; and

wherein the prioritizing comprises selectively controlling the ambient air temperature in the data center room such that the throttle threshold temperature for the critical computing device is not reached and the throttle threshold temperature for the non-critical computing device is exceeded.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 ;

wherein the critical computing device is mounted within a first containment device;

wherein the non-critical computing device is mounted within a second containment device;

tracking the throttling history of the critical computing device; and

wherein the prioritizing comprises, in response to the throttling history of the critical computing device exceeding a predetermined frequency, adjusting airflow from the HVAC system to provide additional cooling air to a first area around the first containment device and a reduced amount of cooling air to a second area around the second containment device.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the multiple computing devices are all server chasses.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the multiple computing devices are all server blades.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the multiple computing devices are a combination of server chasses and individual servers.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of a computing device comprise a processor, a memory, and a platform controller hub.

8. A system comprising:

a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, wherein the HVAC system comprises:

a hardware control agent for:

receiving a throttle threshold temperature for each of multiple computing devices, wherein the multiple computing devices are physically located within a data center room that is climate-controlled by the HVAC system, wherein the throttle threshold temperature is a temperature that, if exceeded, causes operations of one or more components of a computing device to be reduced, and wherein the throttle threshold temperature is provided by a hardware management module (MM) associated with at least one of the multiple computing devices;

monitoring a real-time temperature of at least one of the multiple computing devices, wherein the real-time temperature is provided by the hardware MM associated with said at least one of the multiple computing devices;

a hardware thermostat, wherein the hardware thermostat, in response to the real-time temperature of said at least one of the multiple computing devices exceeding the throttle threshold temperature for said at least one of the multiple computing devices, decreases an ambient air temperature in the data center room by adjusting the HVAC system;

wherein the HVAC system identifies, by the hardware control agent, a critical computing device from the multiple computing devices, the critical computing device having been predetermined to be critical to a mission;

wherein the HVAC system identifies, by the hardware control agent, a non-critical computing device from the multiple computing devices, the non-critical computing device having been predetermined to be non-critical to the mission; and

wherein the HVAC system prioritizes, for the mission, cooling of the critical computing device over the non-critical computing device, the prioritizing including controlling the ambient air temperature in the data center room based on the throttle threshold temperature for the critical computing device, or a throttling history of the critical computing device.

9. The system of claim 8 :

wherein the throttle threshold temperature of the critical computing device is a first temperature;

wherein the throttle threshold temperature of the non-critical computing device is a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature; and

wherein the HVAC system selectively controls, by the hardware thermostat, the ambient air temperature in the data center room such that the throttle threshold temperature for the critical computing device is not reached and the throttle threshold temperature for the non-critical computing device is exceeded.

10. The system of claim 8 :

wherein the critical computing device is mounted within a first containment device;

wherein the non-critical computing device is mounted within a second containment device;

tracks, by the hardware control agent, a throttling history of the critical computing device; and

wherein the HVAC system, in response to the throttling history of the critical computing device exceeding a predetermined frequency, adjusts, by mechanical airflow controllers, airflow from the HVAC system to provide additional cooling air to a first area around the first containment device and a reduced amount of cooling air to a second area around the second containment device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multiple computing devices are all server chasses.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multiple computing devices are all server blades.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more components of a computing device comprise a processor, a memory, and a platform controller hub.