Method, computing system, and computer program for reducing power consumption of a computing system by relocating jobs and deactivating idle servers

Abstract

In a computing system where multiple servers are connected through a network and one or more jobs are run, a power reduction facility of a supervisory server relocates jobs according to predetermined conditions, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed by the computing system. For relocating the jobs, the power reduction facility obtains server-related information such as the power properties of the servers constituting the computing system and job-related information such as performance requirements for the jobs which are run in the computing system, and searches for one or more jobs to be relocated and destination servers, based on these server-related information and job-related information, to the extent that the performance requirements for each job are fulfilled. Based on the search results, the jobs are relocated to the destination servers, and servers on which no job is running, as a result of the relocation, are powered off.

1 . A method for reducing power consumption of a computing system having a plurality of servers by relocating jobs and deactivating idle servers, the method comprising:
 maintaining server-related information including power properties of each of the servers constituting the computing system;   maintaining job-related information including performance requirements for each of the jobs which are run in the computing system;   searching for one or more jobs to be relocated and one or more destination servers to which the one or more jobs are relocated, based on the server-related information and the job-related information, to the extent that the performance requirements for each of the jobs are fulfilled;   relocating the one of more jobs selected to the one or more destination servers selected; and   turning off a power supply of one or more of the plurality of servers on which the power supply is powered on and no job is running.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of servers has a power property measuring program for measuring the power properties, and   wherein in the step of maintaining the server-related information, maintaining performance values and associated power consumptions of the plurality of servers, as measured by operating the power property measuring program.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining the server-related information including power properties of each of the servers constituting the computing system and the job-related information including performance requirements for each of the jobs which are run in the computing system, in response to detecting an event that involves at least one of a change in configuration of the computing system, a change in power supply environment, and a change in the power consumption of each or all of the servers.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the searching step, calculating a power consumption efficiency for the one or more destination servers, based on performance requirements for all jobs to be run and the job to be relocated to the one or more destination servers.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the searching step, searching for the one or more jobs to be relocated, based on priority of job relocation given to each of the jobs; and   preferentially selecting the one having a high priority.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the searching step, searching for the one or more jobs to be relocated and the one or more destination servers, based on at least one of search policies, each of the search policies stating relation of servers and jobs, which can be defined by a user.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing a power consumption after the job relocation in the relocating step with the one before the job relocation; and   returning the relocated jobs when the power consumption after the job relocation is larger than the one before the job relocation.   
     
     
         8 . A supervisory server for reducing power consumption of a computing system having a plurality of servers by relocating jobs and deactivating idle servers, the supervisory server comprising:
 a memory unit,   wherein the memory unit maintains server-related information including power properties of each of the servers constituting the computing system, and maintains job-related information including performance requirements for each of the jobs which are run in the computing system; and   a processing unit,   wherein the processing unit searches for one or more jobs to be relocated and one or more destination servers to which the one or more jobs are relocated, based on the server-related information and the job-related information, to the extent that the performance requirements for each of the jobs are fulfilled, relocates the one or more jobs selected to the one or more destination servers selected, searches for one or more of the plurality of servers, on which no job is running and a power supply is powered on, and turns off the power supply of the one or more of the plurality of servers on which no job is running.   
     
     
         9 . The supervisory server according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of servers has a power property measuring program for measuring the power properties, and   wherein the server-related information maintained in the memory unit is measured by the power property measuring program.   
     
     
         10 . The supervisory server according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit obtains the server-related information and the job-related information, in response to detecting an event that involves at least one of a change in the configuration of the computing system, a change in power supply environment, and a change in the power consumption of each or all of the servers. 
     
     
         11 . The supervisory server according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit compares a power consumption after the job relocation in the relocating step with the one before the job relocation, and returns the relocated jobs when the power consumption after the job relocation is larger than the one before the job relocation. 
     
     
         12 . A system having a plurality of servers for reducing power consumption by relocating jobs and deactivating idle servers, the system comprising:
 a plurality of servers, each of the servers running one or more jobs; and   a supervisory server, which maintains server-related information including power properties of each of the servers, and job-related information including performance requirements for each of the jobs which are run in the system, searches for one or more jobs to be relocated and one or more destination servers to which the one or more jobs are relocated, based on the server-related information and the job-related information, to the extent that the performance requirements for each of the jobs are fulfilled, relocates the one or more jobs selected to the one or more destination servers selected, and turns off a power supply of the one or more of the plurality of servers on which the power supply is powered on and no job is running.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of servers has a power property measuring program for measuring the power properties, and   wherein the supervisory server maintains the server-related information, and performance values and associated power consumptions of the plurality of servers, as measured by operating the power property measuring program.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the supervisory server obtains the server-related information and the job-related information, in response to detecting an event that involves at least one of a change in the configuration of the computing system, a change in power supply environment, and a change in the power consumption of each or all of the servers. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the supervisory server compares a power consumption after the job relocation in the relocating step with the one before the job relocation, and returns the relocated jobs when the power consumption after the job relocation is larger than the one before the job relocation. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable storage medium having tangibly embodied thereon a program for reducing the power consumption of a computing system having a plurality of servers, the program being executed in the computing system, the program causing at least one of the plurality of servers to perform the steps of:
 maintaining server-related information including power properties of each of the servers constituting the computing system;   maintaining job-related information including performance requirements for each of the jobs which are run in the computing system;   searching for one or more jobs to be relocated and one or more destination servers to which the one or more jobs are relocated, based on the server-related information and the job-related information, to the extent that the performance requirements for each of the jobs are fulfilled;   relocating the one or more jobs selected to the one or more destination servers selected; and   turning off a power supply of the one or more of the plurality of servers on which no job is running, and the power supply is powered on.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the server-related information maintained is measured by a power property measuring program for measuring the power properties, which operates in each of the plurality of servers. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 16 , the program causing at least one of the plurality of servers to perform the further step of:
 obtaining the server-related information and the job-related information, in response to detect one of events that involves at least one of change in the configuration of the computing system, a change in power supply environment, and a change in the power consumption of each or all of the servers.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 16 , the program causing at least one of the plurality of servers to further perform the steps of:
 comparing a power consumption after the job relocation in the relocating step with the one before the job relocation; and   returning the relocated jobs when the power consumption after the job relocation is larger than the one before the job relocation.